Play as an Integral Part of Early Learning

Play as an Integral Part of Early Learning
Playing is a much needed activity in early childhood. The reason is that “play” is the building block of a child’s intellectual and social skills. While children need physical activity to stay healthy and fit they also need unstructured, child centered, imaginative play that they control. Many parents enroll their kids in many structured activities such as baseball, football, and etc. Even though structured activities are important, children in their early years of life need unstructured play in order to prepare themselves for school. Play is intended to support the development of the whole child. Play is essential to development because it contributes to the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive well-being of children and youth.
Play supports emotional development by providing a way to express and cope with feelings (Piaget, 1962). In addition to expressing feelings, children also learn to cope with their feelings as they act out being angry, sad, or worried in a situation they control (Erikson, 1963). Pretend play allows them to think out loud about experiences charged with both pleasant and unpleasant feelings. A good example is Alexander, a 4-year-old whose dog was recently hit by a car. In his dramatic play in the pet hospital, his teacher heard him say to another child, “I’m sad because the car hurt my dog.” Here he was trying to cope with unpleasant feelings from a frightening situation. Play enabled Alexander to express his feelings so that he could cope with his worry about his dog (Landreth & Homeyer, 1998).
Smilansky and Shefatya (1990) contend that school success largely depends on children’s ability to interact positively with their peers and adults. Play is vital to children’s social development. It enables children to do the following: practice both verbal and nonverbal communication skills; respond to their peers’ feelings while waiting for their turn sharing materials and experiences; experiment with roles of the people in their home, school, and community by coming into contact with the needs and wishes of others; and experiencing others’ point of view by working through conflicts about space, materials, or rules positively.
Physical development is developed as children run, balance, and use fine and gross motor skills. Learning to use a writing tool, such as a marker, is an example of fine motor development through play. Playing with writing tools helps children refine their fine motor skills. Gross motor development such as hopping and skipping, develops in a similar fashion. Young children integrate their hopping skills into many games such as hopscotch and jump rope. Using their bodies during play also enables them to feels physically confident, secure, and self-assured (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 2002). Children learn best when all of their senses are operating. Play contributes to physical development and health throughout the early childhood years. Children at play develop physical competence efficiently and comprehensively. The vigorous activity of children’s own spontaneous play builds the strength, stamina, and skills they need to succeed as learners ((Feeney, Moravcik, Nolte, & Chritensen, 2010).
Cognitive development is improved through play. Concrete learning and problem solving through play enhances higher thinking skills. “In pretend play, children use their imaginations and generate different ideas and images. This helps them to learn to think of different ways to solve a problem, either in a creativity task or in daily life,” says psychologist Sandra Russ (email interview, July 2008). Role playing activities in a dramatic play area such as playing house, grocery store, or any activity where children take roles is an example that enhances cognitive learning.
In conclusion, Play allows children to learn using their natural curiosity about the world around them. The importance of play in children’s lives is well documented. As children grow and change, play develops with them according to a developmental sequence. Becoming an advocate for children to play can be hard if other educators and children’s families don’t understand the value of play (Feeney, Moravcik, Nolte, & Chritensen, 2010).

References:
Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., & Chritensen, D. (2010) Who Am I in the Lives of Children? (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.
Isenberg, J.P., Jalongo, M.R. (2006) Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning Preschool Through Fourth Grade. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 from http://www.education.com/reference/article/importance-play--social-emotional/?page=2.
Snuggs, C. (2008) Cognitive Learning through Play. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 from http://carlasnuggs.suite101.com/cognitive-learning-through-play-a61444.

References: Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., & Chritensen, D. (2010) Who Am I in the Lives of Children? (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Isenberg, J.P., Jalongo, M.R. (2006) Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning Preschool Through Fourth Grade. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 from http://www.education.com/reference/article/importance-play--social-emotional/?page=2. Snuggs, C. (2008) Cognitive Learning through Play. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 from http://carlasnuggs.suite101.com/cognitive-learning-through-play-a61444.