Organized Make-Believe Play

10/28/2009

Teach us to know that failure is as much a part of life as success — and whether it shall be evil or good depends upon the way we meet it …Honest failure [is] far better than stolen success, and but a part of that great training which makes us women and men.
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868 – 1963), Sociologist and Author

Over the past decade there has been a raging debate in the early childhood field between those who favor accelerated academic instruction and those who favor free play for three, four, and five year olds. The New York Times Magazine (September 27, 2009) joined in on this debate with an article, "The Make-Believe Solution," which described a curriculum of organized make-believe play called "Tools of the Mind." This curriculum is said to be based on these concepts proposed by Lev Vigotsky in the first quarter of the 20th century:

At 4 or 5, a child's ability to play creatively with other children is a better indicator of her future academic success than any other indicator, including her vocabulary, her counting skills, or her knowledge of the alphabet.
Dramatic play is the training ground where children learn to regulate themselves, to conquer their own unruly minds.
In dramatic play children are guided by the basic principles of play. Make-believe isn't as stimulating and satisfying if players don't stick to their roles. When children follow the rules of make-believe and push one another to follow those rules, they develop important habits of self control.

Exchange Resources on Play

Exchange has packaged six of its play resources into a single Play Tool Kit and is offering the entire set at a 37% discount. Resources in the kit include:

Books:

Beginnings Workshops Book #6 - Play
Promoting the Value of Play CD Book

Out of the Box Training Kits (Print versions):

Play and the Outdoors: What's New Under the Sun
But They're Only Playing: Interpreting Play to Parents
Supporting Constructive Play in the Wild
Designing and Creating Natural Play Environments

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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.