Learning to Play and Playing to Learn

We have all been reading more on the importance of play with the release of the report from the American Academy of Pediatrics last fall. While the input and support from the medical community is welcome, the important role of play in healthy child development has long been understood by the ExchangeEveryDay community.

As a teacher of future Early Childhood Educators, I am often challenged by what is important for teachers of young children to know about play. Most adult students have vague memories of their play experiences, particularly those that occurred prior to their entry into school. Here are some tips on things to include in your session(s) on play with your students:

• Provide students with the opportunity to play — Exchange magazine has many resources to spur your imagination about getting adults to play.
• Identify the subtle difference between an adult’s objective of learning to play versus a child’s objective in playing to learn.
  
• Consider the developmental stages of play (i.e., symbolic, parallel, imaginary, and collaborative) and their relationship to child development.
• Highlight the types of play, including active play, cooperative play, creative play, dramatic play, manipulative play, quiet play, and, of course, free play.

Contributed by Laurie McNelles – Mothercraft

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• Play

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