Play is an extremely important part of the early childhood curriculum.
However, many parents are unaware of the reasons behind structured play
in the classroom. Many of these parents may see play as a waste of time
in the school setting. As educators, how to you feel about play in the
classroom? Do you find that parents are informed on the issues of play
in relation to growth and development?
My Memories of Play:
I recall going to preschool and getting so excited about the centers set
up in the corners of the room. Not only was I going to get to be a
teacher, chef, doctor, actor, and architect, but I was going to get to
do these things while playing with the other kids in the room. This
role playing built my love for school right away. I knew that I was
going to enjoy coming to this place. I learned to take turns, share
materials, and found boundaries for my behavior. This important time
will never be forgotten.
HI Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteYour memories of play are exciting. I wish more children had the opportunity to experience centers as you described. To answer your questions, I feel that play is important in the classroom. Children do not have much opportunity to socialize and learn how to interact with other children outside of school and play serves this important role. I believe parents as well as some administrators need to be informed of the value of play in relation to growth and development - cognitively, socially, and physically. My youngest son enlisted in the United States Air Force and is currently in AIT.
Sharon Lloyd
Good luck to your son and his USAF career! I also believe that administrators and lawmakers need to be made aware of how children learn best in an early childhood classroom. Play is essential to how kids learn best at this developmental stage. I think that too often play is written off as "busy work" would be in the upper grades. I hope that the truth will be made clear soon and that early childhood classrooms will be able to create an environment which play is made important.
DeleteHi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI defninitely agree in the importance and necessity of play as well. I believe that I have become even more informed about the relevance and importance of play in teaching various social and life skills since I have been at Walden. In response to our question, No, I don't think parents see or understand the relevance of play like they should. Different cultures view play in different ways. It's interesting to see how some cultures believe that parents should interact with their children during play while others believe that children should play and explore independently. As educators I believe it is our responsibility to emphasize and demonstrate to parents the importance of play to their children's lives as well as share current research with them. I'm excited to see the type of information you find.