Play Paper 1

Principles and Practices

CHDV 110
Name: Jameelah Johnson
Instructor: Sandy Visser
Date: May 6, 2013
Victor Valley College






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Abstract: Have you ever been persuaded to do something that was in the best interest of your of
child? Maybe it was your childs pediatrician who said that the flu shot was a good thing for your
child. Instead you knew better and decided against it until they talked you into and when flu
seasoning came around your child was the only one who did not get sick. That is what play does
for your child. It is a different way to learn.
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Introduction
Play is an essential part to a young childs development. When you first find out that you
are with child it is one of the best feelings in the world. It takes nine months for that baby to
develop inside the womb; after that nine months, you have this wonderful bundle of joy. As that
baby grows up, they learn how to crawl, walk and of course how to get into everything. When
time goes on they learn how to do different things by watching you and others. When they do
something new we, as parents, are very happy for the baby. So when the little one is getting
potty-trained we turn it into a game, make up songs, and many other things to get them to
willingly participate. This also applies for when teaching at a preschool. First off, you have to
make that child feel comfortable with you in the classroom, then you have to make them feel that
learning is fun. This is why we teach through play. We all want the child to learn as much as they
can; we as a team, both parent and teaching staff. There are four main domains in a preschoolers
development that we will be looking at individually as well as how play influences the growth of
each.
Physical Development
As a child grows from an infant to a toddler they have a lot of physical changes. They
learn how to do different things like ride a bike, climb up a jungle gym, or learn how to skip, run
and jump- all of which is learned by playing. When a preschooler learns how to ride a bike, he/
she is learning how to use their legs, arms, hands, and how to balance their whole body. They
have to learn how to use their entire body as a whole. Cowling, author of The Many Things
Preschoolers Learn Through Play, states, They learn how to use their muscles, coordinate what
they see with what they do, and gain mastery over their bodies. When we play the game red-
light green-light, we are teaching the children their colors, and how to follow directions. When
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you say green light they start to run towards you. Then when you say red light they stop. They
are using their legs arms, ears, eyes, mind, and every muscle in their body to achieve their goal.
Cognitive
Cognitive development has to deal with the brain. Cognitive development is the
construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-
making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Maybe you are thinking How can
a child learn through play? When a preschooler has to think about how to build something out
of the blocks or even how to cook in the kitchen, they are problem-solving. They have to learn
their four different shapes like a star, square, triangle, and a circle, the preschooler has to think
about how to put each shape in the right spot. They are playing and they are also using critical
thinking, and problem solving. This is how one can grow in cognitive development through play.
Social Development
There are five different types of social play. Solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play,
associative play, and cooperative play. Each play is different. Play is a behavior that should be
enjoyed (Berns, 2010, p. 292). Solitary play is when a child just play by themselves and they do
not want anyone to play with them. For example, Sara is in the literacy center reading a book by
herself. Onlooker play is when a child sits back and watches the other child play and does not
interact with the children that are playing. For example, John and Mike are playing race-cars and
Jose is just watching them play and will not join in. Parallel play is where a child is playing with
the same thing that other children are playing with but, they do not play together; rather, the
mirror the other childrens play. For example, John is finger panting his name and so is Sara.
They both are using the same technique painting their name but they are not playing together.
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Associative play is when two or more child are playing just to have fun. No one is in control. For
example, "Several children might decide to play monsters, and run around the playground,
chasing each other. But there are no definite roles, and if one child does not run and chase, the
others can continue to play" (Brewer J., 1995 p.141). Cooperative play is when you have a group
of children and they are all playing together in one area with one goal in mind. For example,
"When children want to play "store", one child must accept the role of store clerk and others
must be shoppers. If a child refuses to play unless she can be the storekeeper, the play episode
will end." Brewer J., 1995 p.141. Each and every one of these plays will be included in a day-to-
day learning experience. Preschooler must be social. This is how they learn how to talk to their
peers and how to cooperate with each other through play.
Emotional
Emotional play is the biggest part of play. A child needs to be able to express themselves
in their own way. During early childhood, most children show great gains in each of these
developmental skills. Advancing in emotional intelligence is a lifelong goal that can help people
maintain emotional health and pro-social, cooperative behaviors (Oswalt A, 01/16/08 pg. 1).
When you see a child playing or doing something else, it takes emotion to play. A child needs to
feel and touch everything. They need to understand it. We as humans explore the world in our
own way. Preschoolers have to explore their new world with play. For example, when Jackie and
Jessica was playing in the sand box together and Eddie came along and wanted to play with
them. The girls said, No, it hurt Eddie feelings. The girls knew that hurt Eddie and let him play
after they said sorry to him for hurting his feeling. They put emotions into their play because
they didnt want to hurt their friend.
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Conclusion
Play has many roles in it. I have only covered four main reasons why preschoolers need
to learn though play. There is much research done on the subject. Play takes many forms, but
the heart of all play is pleasure. If it isn't fun, it isn't play. We play from birth on we play
using our bodies (building with blocks) and our minds (fantasy play). We use words to play
(jokes, wit, and humor) and we use props (blocks, toys, games). While the exact nature of play
evolves, becoming more complex as we grow, play at all ages brings pleasure (Perry B, 2013). I
can go on and on about why play is a very big part of how your child learns, but remember the
next time that you are sing the cleanup song (and they start to cleanup. Just think that they
learned it through play, and song how to clean their toys. They are never just playing.










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Reference Pages:
The Many Things Preschoolers Learn Through Play, Tania Cowling edited by: Jacqueline
Chinappi
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-preschool/99029-how-children-learn-through-play/
Who Am I in the Lives of Children? Feeney S., Moravcik E., Nolte S., 2013
Child, Family, School, and Community, Berns, 2010
Encyclopedia of Children's Health
http://www.healthofchildren.com/C/Cognitive-Development.html#ixzz2SH2Gv63Q
Early Childhood Education, JoAnn Brewer, 1995 p.141
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourElement.cgi?element_id=22927&tour_id=14045&categor
y_id=19614
Early Childhood Education, JoAnn Brewer, 1995 p.141
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourViewCategory.cgi?category_id=19614&tour_id=14045
Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Emotional Expressiveness and
Understanding
Angela Oswalt, MSW Updated: Jan 16th 2008
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=12762&cn=462
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