I thought I would start by talking more about how important it is for a child to learn
through play.
The definition of play is to “engage in an activity for enjoyment or recreation rather than a serious purpose”
Learning through play has emerged as an important strategy to promote student engagement, inclusion, and holistic skills development beyond the preschool years.
Policy makers, researchers and educators have promoted the notion that learning though play is developmentally appropriate—as it leverages school-age children’s innate curiosity while easing the often difficult transition from preschool to school.
Children can foster cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical skills through active engagement in learning that is experienced as joyful, meaningful, socially interactive, actively engaging and repetitious.
Our understanding that children learn through the natural inquiry process of play has a strong basis in research.
Anthropologists, developmental psychologists and neuroscientists have studied and documented this phenomenon extensively (Whitebread et al., 2012). More than a century ago, Dewey (1910) made the connection between children’s natural experimentation in play and the scientific inquiry process. Vygotsky (1978) noted that play is hugely influential on child development in fostering speech development, cognitive processing, self-awareness and self-regulation. Neuroscientists have discovered that the prefrontal cortex of the brain is refined by play, and play stimulates the production of a protein responsible for the differentiation and growth of new neurons and synapses (Gordon et al., 2003). Conversely, play deprivation negatively affects brain development and problem-solving skills (Pellis et al., 2014). Play interventions are widely used as a treatment for children who struggle to develop socio-emotional skills including establishing positive peer relationships (Fantuzzo and Hampton, 2000).
A useful definition for learning through play should incorporate contemporary research about children’s experiences of play, address the role of the child and adult, and the desired learning outcomes of the approach. Researchers have found five characteristics that embody educational play experiences: those that that are meaningful, actively engaging, joyful, iterative, and socially interactive (Zosh et al., 2017).
Play’s reputation as a non-serious/non-work-related pursuit is problematic, especially at school, where teachers are accustomed to more rigid curricula structures and attainment targets.
The play/learning separation trivializes play as an activity for recess only, or a reward for when the real work of learning is done.
This severely imposes a restriction on its potential as an effective classroom-based method and practice of teaching.
When we disunion play and learning (or play and work) we nullify the view that play itself is educational and that children can learn through play.
While learning through play is associated with high quality early childhood education practice and research.
Globally recognized definitions of early childhood span the years zero to eight (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020), meaning that early childhood education straddles the two distinct learning contexts of preschool and school.
The teaching method and practice employed in these two settings are often starkly different, particularly when comparing preschool and the early primary years beyond year one.
Playing is a natural and enjoyable way for children to keep active, stay well and be happy. Freely chosen play helps children and young people’s healthy development. To have good physical and mental health and to learn life skills, they need various unstructured play opportunities from birth until they’re teenagers.
Freely chosen play
Freely chosen play is when a child decides and controls their play following their own instincts, imagination and interests. They play without being led by adults.
There’s no right or wrong way to play. Freely chosen play improves children’s health, well-being and development.
Why play is important
Play improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and young people.
Through play, children learn about the world and themselves.
They also learn skills they need for study, work and relationships such as:
confidence
self-esteem
resilience
interaction
social skills
independence
curiosity
coping with challenging situations
Developing physical health through play
Physical play such as running, skipping and riding a bicycle helps children develop:
good physical fitness
agility
stamina
co-ordination
balance
Developing social skills through play
Playing can help children develop their social skills with others. By listening, paying attention and sharing play experiences, this helps a child:
explore their feelings
develop self-discipline
learn how to express themselves
work out emotional aspects of life
Playful parenting
Through play, parents can connect fully with their children and have fun.
A parent or carer can support and take part in their child’s play activities but they shouldn’t direct what happens.
It’s important they give their children time, freedom and choice to play. If an adult makes all the decisions about how, what and when their child plays, the child won’t enjoy their play experiences.
Play and challenge
Children often want to create challenge and uncertainty in their play. Through risky, challenging play, children test themselves and find out their own limits. They learn how to deal with risk through play and can use these same skills later in life.
Parents should encourage their children from birth to extend themselves. Teach them basic skills including:
riding a bicycle
swimming
road safety
Explain that it’s important to learn from mistakes, to try again and to believe in themselves. Help them understand their limits and their boundaries. Allow them to have fun in their play.
The evidence that play supports learning is considerable.
The understanding of learning has greatly expanded over the last few decades to include creative thinking, problem solving and socio-emotional learning as essential skills.
I believe the Australian education system needs to catch up with advances in education research and learning theories.
We know early childhood education straddles the two distinct learning contexts of preschool and school. Let's offer Thematic/Interest led educational programs to our children and bring fun and enthusiasm back into learning. The aim of education should be to equip each individual student with the confidence and instruments to drive their own learning through the life span.
Thank You
We would love to hear your opinions on this topic.
Resources:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.751801/full
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