Exploring the Significance of Play in Child Development

Play and learning

Play is viewed as an important factor in growth and prosperity since it is what the young generation that is children need and they do it in connection to what they are taught. There are various definitions of play; it is defined as commotion that does not have an end invention and a second meaning is that it is viewed as an enjoyable action (Ali et al., 2018). In addition to this there are several criteria for defining play and they include they include the following; it is impulsive and intentional, it is pleasurable for the player and finally it is does not have essential achievements since the main aim is for enjoyment (Fomina, 2017). Play is categorised into different types like creative play, character play, group play, unsociable play and somatic play. Play has an important role in children because it is a way of learning to the children since as they play they are able to acquire some of the important skills which include; conveying, self-assurance, dialectal, fancy and potential thinking (Kim et al., 2009). Overall, this paper is sub-sectioned into two parts, whereby, the first part provides the general underpinnings on play and learning, whilst putting into considerations, the provisions of various scholars. The second section provides a critical review of the journal/article by Ezrah et al. (2018). These are as presented below:

Play in Piagetian terms

Piaget, in his reasoning thought that plays is an important activity that enhances children to get familiarised with their world through exercise and associate their freshly developing skills. He further went on and recognized the play stages that are in similar with his intellectual stages. The types of play that children got involved in at each stage included the following: formal operations, sensory motor (0-2), concrete operational, and pre-operational (Williams, 2006).

Vygotksy’s view on play

In his opinion he says that play is has a meaningful role in the children’s prosperity as it enables them to exercise and expand more on their talents and abilities. Based on some of the imaginary scenarios, play gives a children the chance and the opportunity to be able to experience the occurrences that would then be unbearable in their lives (Wilson & Gilbert, 2005). He further says that play is a means for the children to learn more about their culture, what it entails and how to easily get adapted to the culture. In acting out some of the play parts for example acting as a father, mother or teacher give the children a comprehension of what such characters are about, their duties and how they interact with other characters in the play which is a reflection of what happens in real life. Play makes the children to get accessed to the skills that they require in order to get adapted to the cultural environment (Milteer et al., 2011).

Role Play

Role play is viewed as an extremely composite method of play that involves the children to make them believe in their parts, substances and connections. It might also be referred to as a pretend play which comprises acting out characters that most children have come across in real life situations (Lake & Pappamihiel, 2003). Role play is a type of preparation for roles in adulthood life that comes in when the children get explored to what each role entails alongside the characters and the manner of interaction that is connected to it. Role play enhances the children to exercise how to be responsible and standpoint taking. Performing a role play situation with dukes necessitates the child to be able to understand his or her role plus the roles of other characters involved in the play. Therefore role play is important as it assists in the creation of identity (Barton et al., 2013)

Play and emotion

Freud’s opinion on play and emotion which is the implication of play for emotional growth, explains that the internal world of the child is exposed through play because play makes the child to get familiarised with disturbing circumstances and therefore come to positions with them by handling and scheming them much better. Play therapy is used expansively these days to assist the young ones in being able to express their feelings and overcome their emotions that they may come across in their life period (Smith, 2010).

Playing in an educational context

This depends on the person that directs the play activities and it might be either a teacher or a child. The child- directed play is where the children stand at a point of giving directions, distributing some of the relevant duties, composing the play script, making decisions and formulating the rules to govern the play (Smith, 2010). In this case, the elder person is responsible for providing resources required in the play and gives motivational speeches for the children to accomplish their play wishes and dreams. On the other hand the adult directed play which might be a teacher or a parent uses the activities of play to lecture on some subjects that are provided in the curriculum (Papadopoulou, 2012). There is also a combination of both the child and the adult and in this case there is a springy approach because the two parties may alternate.

Critical Review of Erah et al. (2018)

This article complements the topic of play and learning, it also seeks to analyse and examine how the aspect of play can be improved and properly implemented within learning system. In relation to the topic, the article criticises the mode and method of play as a mode of learning and proposes better methods as illustrated in the article (Erah et al., 2018). In review of this article, it is important to note that the topic can be greatly improved by this research paper if it is properly integrated under the topic. The research paper proposes new areas of learning in relation to p[lay and further states how educators can implement these strategies with much ease (Erah et al., 2018). The article simplifies learning through play and makes it look easier as illustrated in the content of the article below;

The Effects of Play-based Learning on Early Childhood Education and Development

The early childhood learning is a commanding method acting as a medium to encourage constant success in workplace and schools. Very minimal attention has been given to sociological and psychological morals of play-based learning in early childhood (Kehily & Swan, 2003). Researchers emanating from fields such as psychology and education have proposed that play can be defined as a study intermediary of studying numerous skills during someone’s life. It is composed of the perception that kids study logically through play with the tutors enabling chances for play in the surroundings they are frequently exposed to (Cohen, 2006). Kids taught at a premature age ordinarily benefit in the following ways such as; enhanced social abilities, improved grades and better devotion span or no necessity for exceptional tutoring throughout the following school years.

This paper aims at showing an outline of theory and research conveyed to play in the early educational structure, the development and its advantages in organising the youngsters’ lives in various ways (Erah et al., 2018).

Methodology

This study intends to utilise the descriptive research method to analyse and examine the play and learning as discussed in the class topic. During the first day of Nursery marks the kid’s first footsteps into the passage of pursuing their education just as the topic of play and learning suggests (Erah et al., 2018). The cognitive abilities of kids who are in their early point of commencement and it is significant to stress the benefit of play-based learning throughout this progressive period of learning. This reflects the requirement of the topic as also emphasises on play as a method of learning. The article is suggestive in its contents and reviews similar areas studied under the topic. This is a method of learning through playing which consists of active-play that needs mental, verbal and physical engagement to enjoyable play that stresses on pleasure as a crucial feature (Brock et al., 2009).

The way in which kids relate with each other individually is learned from their environs, teachers and experiences and by parents. When an education system continuously utilises play-based learning to teach children then subsequently they will be required to learn many subjects and this will positively impact on the ability of the children learning in such institutions (Barton et al., 2013). Through introducing play-based learning, learning institutions can exploit the academic criteria by having additional ways to teach same concepts unlike other institutions that use same methods over and over again. This reflects the importance of play and learning as spelt out in the topic we learned in this unit which highlights the significance of play during learning for children (Lake & Pappamihiel, 2003). This article further criticise institutions that fails to take consideration of play as a learning factor.

The article evaluates the performance of children who are exposed to playing as a way of learning and those who don’t get much time to play, actually benefits for playing ranges from academic to health and physical development making it a better option for any institution (Erah, 2018). The topic of play and learning also emphasises on the benefits of engaging in play during learning periods in a child’s life. Just like the article it emphasizes on reasons why any child should be exposed to play during their early stages of learning. This paper also seeks to find suitable way of educating young minds and requesting person who reads to view it from a child’s viewpoint in order to comprehend the value of play-based learning.

Importance of Play-Based Learning

Play-based learning permits pupils to engross in fruitful activities that will let them experience stimulations they are likely to encounter. Play-based learning has the following features; it is commonly voluntary; it is inherently motivating; it is enjoyable for its own sake and is not reliant on outer rewards; it comprises of certain level of action, frequently physical engagement; and it is separate from other actions by having a make-believe worth (Williams, 2006).

Every feature creates room for the development of durable meta-cognitive abilities and the capability to build individuality and also co-dependency on their nobles. Pupils benefit significantly from their play involvements through the inborn learning method, instructors can employ setups to explain to children various curriculum objectives (Fomina, 2017). Rieber stated that imitation and play are ordinary learning tactics where kids are swift to clutch on, which gives the educators room to build significant understandings for kids within the schoolroom through watchful exhibiting of deeds and chances of imitation and guidance.

Letting the students to get around their familiarities is significant for the child, as they will remember the knowledge they have acquired best in a personal way that is significant to them. For such reasons, pupils will operate with their teachers, peers and individually to meet the assignment’s aim in a play-based learning schoolroom (Kim, et al., 2009).

The Educational Organisation

Educational organizations are extremely swayed by the philosophy the kids are developing inside the institution. These effects comprise of but not limited to biases and cultural norms, national changes and societal structures. Every influence is brought into the schoolroom to create an exceptional blend within the kid’s academic system (Milteer et al., 2011). Most of the children who get in the classroom for the first moment get new rules and the routines of the classroom. As it had been mentioned earlier by Johnson mentioned, he says that students who enter the classroom for the kids are overstimulated with the pictures and what they see in the classroom. They are normally interrupted by the things around them and for them to get adapted with the new environment previous to what they had earlier experienced might be challenging (Ali, et al., 2018).

Self-Reflection

The self-reflection act and the formation of important interpretations normally motivate the kids to put into value the quality of work into the procedure so as to acquire their set goals like a non-complicated task. This is regularly used during the opportunity of a child’s play opportunity. During this moment the children study how to appreciate the procedure that was put as a goal within a short time hence permitting the children to comprehend that they must continue to give their best on their work to get a larger goal (Wilson & Gilbert, 2005). Moreover the students will study that the amount of work requires self-reflection and can allow them to feel more confident in their capability to perform and get good scores academically.

Physical Development

Children who study in kindergarten classes need some motivations to make sure that there is appropriate progression all through early childhood years. The traditional teaching methods consist of the students remaining respectful and obedient with a great deal of the oral skills. The students are therefore supposed to maintain their information that they are given and show their understanding of the information on the exams that they write. It is of importance when the children are given the opportunity to be active in their settings academically (Erah, 2018).

Discussion

The positive outcomes of play based learning out do the out-dated forms of teaching. The element will not only be an inclusive of the work they do but also the added health advantages. The students who are working towards finishing early childhood education are motivated to go on learning so that they comprehend and acquire more of the social skills, motor function and the emotional progression (Erah, 2018). It is understandable to presume that a child will have understood these skills within the period of one academic year.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is definitely not that easy to be able to predict the trajectory of each child’s future. However through proper guidance and counselling, utilising the most required developmental domains that one can greatly give hand in is not that complicated. Despite the ideological differences, the children are likely to be benefitted from receiving some of the categories of education within the period of their early development. Overall, it is indeed factual that play is viewed as an important factor in growth and prosperity since it is what the young generation that is children need and they do it in connection to what they are taught. The book by Ezrah et al. (2018), “The Effects of Play-based Learning on Early Childhood Education and Development,” makes it clear that early childhood learning is a commanding method acting as a medium to encourage constant success in workplace and schools. The book notes that positive outcomes of play-based learning do out the out-dated forms of teaching, and these amount to positive advantages.