The Centrality Of Play For A Child 's Social Development

Sara Smilansky is a Developmental Theorist who has identified four types of play: Functional play, Constructive play, Dramatic play, and games with rules. Smilansky says that Dramatic play is the most mature type of play because this is the time where children start to understand their surroundings and imitate what they see others doing. The research on play focused on sociodramatic play and the impact it has on children’s learning. In Smilansky’s book ‘The Effects of Sociodramatic play on Disadvantaged Preschool Children’, she says that “…a form of voluntary social play activity in which preschool children participate”.

Importance of play is emphasized in much of Vygotsky and Piaget theories of cognitive development. Vygotsky, feels strongly that play provides children with a great amount of scaffolding, making it possible for the child to performs at the higher end of the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Distance). The ZPD working in concert with the related concepts of scaffolding can be of tremendous help to teachers and other adults- be it a parent or others to guide the children to coming to progress more efficiently. Scaffolding is used as a support system- but warns that when working with someone on a particular skill who is not skilled, the child is not likely to improve- however when working with someone who’s skills are so above theirs that the child is overwhelmed

The relationship between play and learning seems obvious to many child professionals and parents, and yet there are still lack of understanding surrounding the importance of children's play. Some people believe that children need to "work" not play, and that playing serves no useful purpose in a learning and development environment. This is surprising considering that play, with its high levels of motivation and potential enjoyment empowers children (as well as people

Did you know that play expands a child’s learning and development? Once parents understand that play is crucial in their child’s life then they can begin to help their son or daughter be the best he or she can be. According to Lev Vygotsky “play shapes how children make sense of their worlds, how they learn thinking skills, and how they acquire language.” After spending time at the Bombeck Center I learned that children play in many diverse ways, thus learning numerous new things within each center in which they interact. Lev Vygotsky along with Jean Piaget researched the need for guided social interaction as well as the necessity for spontaneous, self-discovered learning. The Bombeck Center focuses on a play-based learning curriculum to ensure a child’s ability to access social interactions and self-discoveries at the tip of their fingers.

Play is central to the development of children, enabling them to make sense of their world as they learn through exploration and experimentation. Susan Isaacs said ‘play is indeed the child’s work and the means whereby he grows and develops’. (Isaacs,1929) Play can support a child’s social, emotional and behavioural development through the following:

For (Safran, 2002), these works of Vygotsky play an important role in Child development and That was recognized in many field of Education. ZPD as defined by Lev Vygotsky (1978), “is the range of tasks that a child can perform with the help and guidance of others but cannot yet perform Independently”. –Lev Vygotsky (1934). (PAREWORD BES NUNG QUOTATION)

Social play becomes more prominent during preschool age when children being to socialise with other children and practitioners within the pre-school. They tend to carry on playing alone but will play near a wide range of their peers. The development change involved in this types of play is pre-schoolers cognitive development. Social play involves children interacting with their peers and practitioners in the setting this can be done using speaking, signing and body language. When participating in social play this can involve game rules that the children have to communicate and consider when playing together.

There are numerous theories of play and countless theorists, from Freud and Spencer to Piaget and Vygotsky, who have studied play in relation to what it is and what it does for the child. This essay will outline the definition and value of play and the importance of how it can foster the child’s learning in regards to these theorists who studied the effects in great detail. It will discuss the how the environments constructed by educators can impact play and the theories of learning relating to the quote “play and learning are inextricably woven together ...” Ebbeck and Waniganayake, 2010, p. 5).

Modern theories of play are developed by justifying theoretical concepts with supporting empirical research. These theories consist of psychoanalytic, arousal modulation, metacommunicative, and cognitive theories (Saracho, 2013). Jean Piaget (1951), was a French psychologist distinguished by his research and findings of cognitive development in children. He theorised that children do not acquire additional cognitive configurations in play, but simply endeavour to add new understandings into what they currently know. During the stages of play development, teachers and parents have numerous occasions to witness children as they develop physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually (Tomlin, 2007). He described play as a child’s enterprise to take in environmental stimuli correspond to their own perceptual experiences. Piaget states play is just for recreation and although it allowed a child to practice things they had already learned it did not necessarily result in the learning of new things. Lev Vygotsky (1934) however, had a different view on the cognitive theory in play. He believed there is a fundamental role of social interaction needed in the development of cognition and that plays a vital role in the process of “making meaning” (McLeod, 2014). Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory has a substantial part

Over the past decade, play has been the focus of many researches due to its biological, sociological and developmental effects on a child. Play is understood as a basic human motivation and a phase for individual development and of cultural assimilation and construction which leads to a specific view on childhood. Play is sometimes opposed with serious work and learning activities which is not true because play is an important arena in a child’s life. Play is significant for a child’s growth, improvement of the child’s welfare and play is also the child’s legitimate right. Some people still get confused between the meaning of play and just having fun. Play, in similar words, is the universal language of childhood. It is through play that

Play is an important part of children’s life that keeps them healthy both physically and mentally. It is a way through which children explore their imagination, build various skills required for their development in different areas. In this essay, importance of play in children’s learning and development is discussed in relation to Piaget’s cognitive theory, Vygotsky socio-cultural theory and Te Whaariki. Moreover, the teacher’s role and strategies used in encouraging the play-based curriculum in early childhood education are also discussed.

Through play, children learn about themselves and the world. Play allows children to practice language skills, sort out conflicts, and develop small (fine) and large (gross) motor skills. In addition, play encourages, creativity, self-esteem, and encourages independence. Children’s social play is considered a critical means to foster and enhance cognitive, language, emotional, social developmental domains. Children’s social play, needs to be developmentally and culturally appropriate. Through play, children develop who they are through their play experiences, as well as their imagination, self-confidence, concentration, and sociability skills. These include both Parten’s and Piaget’s stages of play. “Parten’s theory divides play according

Lev Vygotsky’s theory suggests that there is a zone of proximal development (ZPD), in which a child can act above their actual age. This will help the child develop psychological tools such as conversation skills, and also understand other people’s behaviours. “Play creates a zone of proximal development (ZPD) of the child. In play child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behaviour; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself. As in the focus of a magnifying glass, play contains all developmental tendencies in a condensed form and itself a major source of development.” (Vygotsky, 1978, p102 in Faulkner 1995). Vygotsky saw children’s interactions in play, as creating zone in which their play is more advance then their actual development level. The ZPD is thought of as a social space, where children can encounter new information through interaction. Vygotsky claimed that children will be introduced to different perspectives on knowledge they know, and also gain new information through conversations with other children and adults. This new knowledge then becomes an internalized part of a child’s mental representations. The theory also

Alice Sterling Honig, author of an article “Play: Ten Power Boosts for Children’s Early Learning”, states that “children gain powerful knowledge and useful social skills through play” (p.126). Honig, who believes that play is essential for young children’s development, points out ten ways in which children can learn through play activity.

What is play? Play is “a recreational activity; especially the spontaneous activity of children.” (Webster, 2010) Play is such a basic function and daily routine in a child’s life. Although the roles of play and the types of play change though age, it all incorporates in the growth and development of a child.