Importance of Play PDF

Importance of Play This phase emphasizes the requirement of a balanced diet of various kinds of play for all round development of children. It gives a thorough idea about how play contributes in its own way for both physical and psychological progress of a child. These days children are being ra...

Importance of Play This phase emphasizes the requirement of a balanced diet of various kinds of play for all round development of children. It gives a thorough idea about how play contributes in its own way for both physical and psychological progress of a child. These days children are being raised in an increasingly hectic manner and pressured style that is constantly limiting the full benefits of play. The phase acquaints the future teachers with the tremendous impact play can have on the children and how it balances their lives. It covers the different theories, characteristics and the kind of plays which are so important for the optimal development of children. This phase offers guidelines on how teachers can advocate for children the importance of play as the phase discusses in details how children are happiest and at their most energetic when they are playing. Play has a vital role in the language development of children and the relation between literacy and play has been touched upon here. The phase also comprises how play increases the children’s oral language, phonological and print awareness. It also discusses the important aspects of book reading and the relation between play and writing. 1 What is Play? Play is basically a physical or mental activity devoid of any specific purpose other than simple pleasure. It is the universal language that children love to communicate with each other and it augments their imagination to design games to make sense of the adult world. Play happens to be the biological and the psychological necessity and has a major role to play in childhood education and development across cultures. It is not possible to disengage play from the learning part when it comes to children. Children get acquainted with the concepts of different shapes and colors, cause and effect and through play they develop their intellectual, physical, emotional and moral capacities. Play can always be connected with pleasure and is seen as an expression of freedom. Through play the children develop their intellectual, physical, emotional and moral capacities and bring their own interpretations of people and situations around them. The most important skills that children must acquire in order to lead a joyful and productive life cannot be taught but are learned through play. 2 Play has a comprehensive history which dates back to ancient times although the concept of childhood was not there in the Middle Ages which is why there are no theories of play available during that period. Ancient Greek texts construed play as the reverse of work. It provides a means for character development and a process by which social and psychomotor skills can be developed as well. Play has been defined in diverse ways and the meaning of play has been debated by philosophers and scholars for centuries and its importance has been acknowledged as far back as Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher who is quoted as saying ‘avoid compulsion and let your children play’. Plato has always regarded that children’s play could be educational was indeed radical for his time. In the “Laws” Plato described how play could be used as a method in education by mentioning that in Egypt arithmetical games were invented for children to generate their interest factor in learning. In his “Laws” and the “Republic” Plato provides not a theory of play but a justification for its use in education. In the “Laws”, for example, Plato views play as a form of anticipatory socialization. If children were to become builders, he suggested, they should play at building houses. The teacher's role in this was to try to direct the children's inclinations and pleasures through play towards their final aim in life. Between the ages of three and six, however, this distinction between desirable and undesirable play did not apply; at this stage in their life, Plato wrote in the Laws, children had certain natural modes of play, which they discovered for themselves. This idea that children's play was natural is another persistent theme with Plato. But it was English political philosopher John Locke who contributed significantly in the role of play in childhood education. Locke always believed that children should never be forced into learning instead education should be presented to them in the form of recreation. This would help them to develop a desire to learn. As an example of how play could facilitate learning, he proposed that 3 "contrivances" or apparatus might be used to teach children to read. Locke was interested in harnessing play to educational aims and he was of the opinion that if right experiences were presented to children then they can be molded by teachers as desired. In another well-known political philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “Emile”, his famous treatise on education he proposed his revolutionary theory that education should be tailored to the different stages of development of a child and he had drawn a sketchy theory of play which stated that play was instinctive and he supported Plato’s belief that children should be taught through play. Rousseau thought that material for instruction can be found in all the games that children played. He was of the view that children learned a lot more from each other through play than what they learned in the classroom. Rousseau was never of the opinion that play was idleness or a waste of time because it contributed to what he believed to be the primary element of childhood and the happiness of the children matters most. Rousseau believed instead that learning was at its best when it was pleasurable and when pupils were hardly aware that they were learning. Play has remained the topic of research and over the years it has been observed that the concept of play has undergone changes. The German educationalist and founder of the Kindergarten Friedrich Froebel believed play is fundamental to all growth. He highlighted the necessity of interconnectedness and harmony between the inner and outer worlds of the child. The role of adults was to provide environments in which children could explore ‘in areas not yet known but vaguely surmised’ (Liebschner 1991: 15). The environment was crucial to the child’s development and learning: ‘The educator only has to learn how to provide the widest opportunities and means, as well as the fullest freedom for such play’ (Froebel cited in Lawrence 1952: 192). The Italian educationalist Maria Montessori's system, which blurs the distinction between play and 4 work, was based on sense training by means of didactic apparatus. Montessori did not favor fairy tales the much loved children's fantasy play before the advent of Disney and computer games which was favored by Froebel's followers. She wanted children to get in touch with reality and get acquainted with the real world. In the 20 th century three personalities have made their mark on the discussions around children's play. They are Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky and American psychologist Jerome Bruner. Their theories were quite different from earlier explanatory theories in stressing cognitive rather than biological functions performed by play. Piaget emphasized the importance of play in symbolic representation and its contribution to socialization. Vygotsky described play as a "leading activity" and believed that play provides children with the opportunities to use language and to learn through role playing, as Plato believed, to "self-regulate" their behavior by following rules. By these means they raise their own learning above the level they had attained previously. Bruner and his associates stressed the role of play in language acquisition and problem solving. Thus play has been defined in many ways by different philosophers and over the years the perceptions have changed but nevertheless it can be surmised that play is a cherished part of childhood that offers children important developmental benefits and parents get the opportunity to fully engage with their children. The optimal developmental milieu for children needs to be created and it remains imperative that play be included along with academic and social-enrichment opportunities along with favorable environments. Additional research is needed to explore the appropriate balance of play, academic enrichment and organized activities for children with different mental levels and social, emotional and environmental needs. 5 Importance of play in a child’s development has been gaining widespread recognition over the years. Both parents and teachers are encouraged to interact with the children more and more and provide them with materials that stimulate their imagination and learning. Play offers multiple opportunities for children to come together as learners, in a stimulating and inclusive setting. In their play and interactions, children learn about and practice their roles and responsibilities as members of a learning community. Young children learn a good many things from play because they are naturally curious and play offers them an opportunity to explore and these kinds of explorations lead them to learning that last a lifetime. Play which emanates from the desires of a child teaches him/her the art of being human. The children becomes aware of the world through play and it activates their senses and do not remain restricted to only passive responses. During play the thoughts of a child takes centre stage and the child moulds available elements of the real world to align with those thoughts. A striking feature about human nature is that even a two year old child knows the difference between the real and the pretense. Modern observer like Neil Postman is of the opinion that childhood is under threat and with it the conditions for play. In ‘The Disappearance of Childhood’, Postman argued that the electronic media, especially Television, has been a destroyer of childhood. Others, like the psychologist Erik Erikson, views that as childhood vanishes, so does adulthood as adults become infantilized by a commercialized popular culture. 6 Different characteristics of play Active-In active play children connect with the objects, environment and the people. Adventurous-Children explore the unknown and the pretend element provides a safe guard which encourages the children to take risks. Communicative-Communicative play is all about communicating verbal, non-verbal, simple and complex information and knowledge. Enjoyable-Play is fun and animating involving a sense of humor. Involved-Children become deeply involved in their play and concentrates on what they are doing. Meaningful-The play revolves around the known facts and this helps them to develop their skills and understanding. Interactive-Children play in groups and interact with others. Symbolic-Symbolic play involves imagination and pretense as the children try out new ideas and roles. 7 Therapeutic-This play helps children to express and work through emotions and experiences. Voluntary-Spontaneity is the main element in this play and the children shape the characters, events, objects and location in their play. Play assists the children to combine the various elements of life as they become aware of them in their own ways. It allows them to make sense of life as they sense it and make it their own. Play is an outlet of their imagination and through play the children grow and develop. Play is always a refreshing and an enlivening experience for children and a child’s love of learning has a close connection with an ardor for play. Children have the innate tendency to develop new skills and capacities and they need constant nurturing and provided with a pleasant play environment. Why allow play? Play is much more than just fun for the children it is their work. Play is vital for children’s development and children find it easier to bond over play. Play starts from the time a child starts to smile and engages in play with his/her mother. It is the most enjoyable and spontaneous act of the baby. The child is always in charge of the play and it ultimately helps the child to learn social and motor skills along with cognitive thinking. This gradually develops when the child has a friend circle and start playing with others. Play under all circumstances should be allowed for healthy development of a child. Research shows that 75 percent of brain development occurs after birth. Play aids that development by stimulating the brain through the formation of connections between nerve cells. This process develops the fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are 8 actions such as being able to hold a crayon or pencil while gross motor skills are actions such as jumping or running. Play also helps the child to develop language and socialization skills and allows children to learn to emote, to think, be creative and solve problems. Benefits of Play Play is extremely beneficial for the overall development of a child. Play helps children to acquire knowledge and they learn to think, remember and solve problems. Play gives children the opportunity to learn about the world. The problem-solving abilities of children develop to a large extent through games and puzzles. Children involved in make-believe play can stimulate several types of learning. Play aids tremendously in brain development and growth, establishes new neural connections and in a sense makes the player more active and intelligent. Play should be more frequent during the periods of most rapid brain growth. Play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith is of the opinion that the human child is born with a huge neuronal over-capacity, which if not used will die. ‘Not only are children developing the neurological foundations that will enable problem solving, language and creativity, they are also learning while they are playing. They are learning how to relate to others, how to calibrate their muscles and bodies and how to think in abstract terms. Through their play children learn how to learn. What is acquired through play is not specific information but a general mind set towards solving problems that includes both abstraction and combinatorial flexibility where children string bits of behavior together to form novel solutions to problems requiring the restructuring of thought or action… A child who is not being stimulated, by being... played with, and who has few 9 opportunities to explore his or her surroundings, may fail to link up fully those neural connections and pathways which will be needed for later learning.’ (Sutton-Smith 1997). Children can bolster their language skills by modeling other children and adults especially their immediate family or teachers from school. They engage in playful activities by picking snippets of daily life and imitating those experiences. These playful activities help children to discover about family life. Children learn all about shapes, sizes and texture through play. It helps them to learn about association as they try to put a square object in a round opening or a large object in a small space. Books, games and toys that show pictures and matching words add to a child's vocabulary which augments their language development. It also helps a child's understanding of the world. Children also learn by playing with others. They should be provided the setting to play with others. Playing with other children helps a child learn how to be part of a group and allows a child to learn the skills of negotiation, problem solving, sharing and working as a team. Children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace and discover their own interests during play. Unstructured play may lead to more physical movement and healthier children. As the children grow up, they should be provided the appropriate toys, materials and play equipments so that they can play with others. Today, children of all ages are exposed to technology such as computers and videos. It has been observed that 21st century children who spend most of their time using technology often are not physically active or inclined to be creative and imaginative. But it has become necessary to reduce their screen time. Screen time should be limited to no more than two hours per day encouraging the child to involve in a minimum of 10 one hour of physical exercise every day. This will develop their socialization and communicative skills and they will learn to handle emotions. Parents have important roles in play as they must encourage the children to play by providing interesting materials that promote exploration and learning. Play offers a child the ability to master the skills that will help develop self-confidence and the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. For example, a child may feel proud in stacking blocks but get upset when the last block makes the stack fall. Play allows children to express their views, experiences and at times, disappointments. Play is important when your child enters school. It is an integral part of the learning environment. Play enhances the children’s learning readiness and their cognitive development by allowing them to move from a subject without the fear of failure. Playtime in school such as recess time helps in learning and practicing the basic social skills. Children develop a sense of self; learn to interact with other children, how to make friends and the importance of role-playing. Children get the opportunity to discover and manipulate their surroundings when exposed to exploratory play in school. Children love to play inside and outside and benefit from both. Some children are seen to be taking part in outdoor activities more enthusiastically and show greater confidence when they are playing outside. Ideally the outdoor play area should be directly connected to the indoor area providing ease of access throughout the day. Most of the things that can be done inside can also be done outside, for example reading stories, taking part in pretend play, doing group art projects and playing with sand or 11 water. In the outdoors, activities can also be provided on a larger and more expansive scale. Parental role is also beneficial Play is a significant part of every child's growth and development. Play starts in the child's infancy and ideally, continues throughout his or her life. Parental involvement in a child's world of play is not only beneficial for the child but is extremely beneficial to the parent at the same time. Playing with children establishes and strengthens bonds that last forever because parents have the greatest impact on the children. Parent-child play opens doors for the sharing of values, increases communication, allows for teachable moments and assists in problem solving and it is seen that parental involvement in play makes children more creative and inventive. Playtime provides opportunities for the parent and child to confront and resolve individual differences as well as family related concerns and issues. Through play parents have many activities to help their children for all round development especially in teaching healthy relationship skills. Good manners, language development and respect through unstructured play develop through unstructured play when parental involvement is there. Play has a significant role to play in the following developments:- Cognitive Cognitive, also called intellectual and mental development, occurs when there is an increase in the child’s basic store of knowledge (Lunzer, 1959); it occurs as result of experiences with objects and people (Piaget, 1952b). Parents can help in promoting cognitive growth by allowing children to assign character roles in play. For example, in 12 playing store, the children should decide who will be the storekeeper, the customer and the produce person. Reading has a robust influence if parents take the initiative to read to the child each day. Parents who begin reading and looking at picture books when their children are infants notice a difference in language development and other cognitive skills. Plus, the child bonds with the parents who holds them and enjoys books together. Social and Emotional Social and emotional benefits occur when children in play situations are forced to consider the viewpoints and appreciate the feelings of their playmates. Although most parents are not trained as play therapists, they must keep a tab on the varied social roles the children become aware of during play and how children explore different emotions (anger, sadness and so on) by providing ways to act out feelings through art, music or dance. Children can be provided paper and crayons and ask the child to draw how they feel about a particular event like a birthday party or a family holiday. Playing board games together as a family teaches the child that in many games there are losers and winners. The parents should look for games where the object is not “winning or losing” but simply the fun of playing. Physical 13 Physical development includes both fine motor (dexterity of the hand and fingers) and gross motor (running, jumping, hopping, and moving in response to rhythm). As parents they need to understand that through play, the children learn best and become physically agile. They realize the importance of moving away from passive behavior, such as watching television or viewing videos and computer games. Parents should allow and encourage children to walk rather than sitting in a car or being carried. It can take longer but keeps them active. The parents can find out ways of making walking more fun by teaching the children to count birds, trees, aero planes, white cars etc. en route. They can park the car further from the destination so that the child and the family walk together and they can use stairs rather than lifts and escalators. The children should be taken to a playground for at least 20-30 minutes each day where they can run, climb and jump and indulge in physical activity. The parents should help the children in tidying up their toys which is a great way to keep them physically engaged. Finally, play allows the parents to view the world through the eyes of a child once again. Play has immediate benefits, such as cardiovascular fitness and long-term benefits including a sense of morality. 10 reasons why play should be allowed 1. Play lays the groundwork for literacy. Through play children learn to make and practice new sounds. They invent words on their own and try them out with friends and exercise their imagination through storytelling. 2. Play is the biggest learning ground. It promotes all kinds of development and fulfils a child’s innate need to learn. Play takes many forms, from shaking a rattle to peek-a-boo 14 to hide-and-seek. Play can be done by a child alone, with another child, in a group or with an adult. 3. Play encourages parents to get involved with the children in their lives and be a positive influence on them. Parents must support play and nurture children’s learning by giving children the opportunity to engage in play and by showing interest in their activities. 4. Play gives the children the chance to be spontaneous. Through spontaneous play children find opportunities to explore freely, build on their confidence, experiment which leads to the discovery of the physical environment. 5. Play gives children choice. It enables them to choose toys or activities to support their play as well as learning which will ultimately allow children to express themselves. 6. Play provides the children with their own space which gives them the freedom to practice physical movement, balance and to test their own limits. 7. Play gives the parents the chance to learn how to play again and one of the most challenging parts of play is incorporating you in it. Play gives the opportunity to the parents to become the learning ally of the children and direct their own explorations. 8. Play allows the parents to learn their child’s body language by observing their deep play concentration. Knowing the appropriate timing to involve in the child’s play is the key factor as the presence of a parent is the most important support for a child. A child can follow his/her parents’ expressions which give them a sense of direction towards the right or wrong. 15 9. Play teaches the parents to be patient and understanding. There are certain things which take some time to learn so if a parent chooses to join in the child’s play he/she must make sure that he/she observe and wait instead of forcing incorporation of the ultimate learning objectives into their play. Structured adult-led activities have their time and place but remember to allow for time for children to control and decide their own play. 10. Play is fun. Learning to play well, both by themselves and with others, brings happiness to the children and makes them content and sociable because the growing child learns nearly everything through play. Almost every aspect of a growing child’s life is affected by play. Play sets the stage for all subsequent development. Children benefit most by varying their play activities, sometimes playing alone but also in groups, playing quietly inside the house as well as actively outdoors. In order to stimulate and prolong play, parents should support and encourage it by providing sufficient space in which to play, and a wide assortment of toys and other play objects to widen the range of play possibilities. This will ensure that neural pathways in the brain are developed and strengthened, that every muscle is exercised, and that great feats of imagination are displayed. Kinds of Play Active Play Make believe Manipulative Creative Play Learning Play Play through Play 16 Physical Dolls Construction Music Books Outdoors Role plays Puzzles Art and craft Games Sports Scenes Patterns Audio visual Skills There are many different types of play and children can be involved in more than one type at any time. For example, children often pretend they are builders when they are constructing a tower or a road (constructive play). Likewise babies can initiate peek-a- boo while investigating a piece of fabric (exploratory play). While children may show preferences for one type of play it is important that they experience a variety of types to support their learning and development. The following are the different kinds of play that children engage in: 1. Physical play involves children developing, practicing and refining their muscular movements and control. It includes whole body and limb movements, co-ordination and balance. These activities involve both free and guided play. It helps them coordinate and enhance their gross motor skills and leading to refining their fine motor skills. 17  2. Exploratory play stems out of the innate curiosity that children have. Their environment is new and they constantly want to explore it through the senses. It is all about children using physical skills and their senses to find out what things feel like and what can be done with them. Children explore their own bodies and then they explore the things in their environment. For example examination and novel use of any object e.g. cloth, paintbrush, cup. 18  3. Manipulative or functional play enhances physical dexterity and hand-eye co- ordination. Over time children need to experience a range of different levels of manipulation if they are to refine their motor skills. This type of play includes manipulating objects and materials. This starts at about one year and continues into kindergarten years. 19  4. Constructive play involves building something using natural and manufactured materials. As children develop, this type of play can become more complex and intricate. Piaget hypothesized that this kind of play is the foundation on which children build their understanding of the rules that govern physical reality. This is usually noticeable in three year olds. 5. Guided play is another type of play which involves games with rules. Even babies and toddlers seem to follow rules as they take turns and wait for response in a simple game like peek a boo. In the beginning children often play on their own. In time however they start playing with others. This leads to more 20  conventional games with ‘external’ rules. It is through this type of play that they learn to negotiate, use language and conform to team work and rules. Piaget suggested that this preference for rule-governed play indicates that they are about to make the transition to the next stage of cognitive development, concrete operations, in which they will acquire an understanding of rules. A skill that is applicable throughout life. It is a foundation for social and work skill. Nurturing Play Initiations Develops Guiding Social Guided Helps in Scaffolding Communication Play Advancement in Zone of Proximal Development 6. Language play involves children playing with sounds and words. It is not true that children like only physical non verbal play. As they acquire language they 21  indulge in unrehearsed and spontaneous manipulation of sounds and words, often with rhythmic and repetitive elements. Children like playing with language – enjoying patterns, sounds and nonsense words. For example play using words, nuances or gestures e.g. mime / charades, jokes, play acting, singing, whispering, pointing, debate, street slang, poetry and funny stories. 7. Creative play is another medium of expression for children beyond language. They can engage for long stretches of time exploring different materials to make and do things and to share their feelings, ideas and thoughts. They enjoy being creative by dancing, painting, playing with junk and recycled materials, working with play-dough and clay, and using their imaginations. 22  8. Dramatic play or role play forms a major part of children’s’ play time. Piaget believed that pretend play was an important indicator of a child's capacity to use symbols. It includes pretending with objects, actions and situations. As children grow, their imaginations and their play become increasingly complex. They usually imitate significant adults in their environment. Pretending to be parents or teachers is common. Children use their developing language to move from thinking in the concrete to thinking in the abstract. They make up stories and scenarios. Children act out real events and they also take part in fantasy play about things that are not real, such as fairies or super heroes. Children try out roles, occupations and experiences in their pretend play. This starts normally at age two. 23  9. Tech play is a significant form of play for children in the 21st century. Form an early age the exposure to technological tools in a way is preparation for adult literacy skills. They like to play computers games, with mobile phones and other electronic devices. 24  10. Socio-dramatic play involves children playing with other children and/or adults. It provides opportunities for children to make friends, to negotiate with others, and to develop their communication skills. This play helps extend language. The ability to write stories also has its roots in socio-dramatic play. For example playing at house, going to the shops, being mothers and fathers, organizing a meal or even having a row. 25 Children’s play can be further classified as: Solitary play – The child plays alone. Instead, the child plays independently; which may mean the child is playing with toys alone or is observing others play. This is often seen in babies. Spectator play – The child watches others playing without joining in. Parallel play – The child plays side by side with another child, often with similar materials, but without interacting. It is a form of play in which children play next to one another, but pay little to no attention to what the other child is doing, can be seen in children from infancy on. In fact, both nonsocial and parallel plays are major forms of play for children well into kindergarten. 26  Associative/partnership play – Children begin to play together, developing interactions through doing the same activities or playing with similar equipment or by imitating. Co-operative play – Children interact, take turns, share and decide how and what to play. They collaborate, develop, and negotiate ideas for their play. 27 28 Literacy and Play Early childhood is about integration as all the wires are making connection. The first five years of a child’s future determines success later in life. Literacy begins long before children arrive at formal school instruction in writing and reading. The term Literacy cannot be easily defined and how literacy develops is debatable. In many recent discussions of literacy Reading is defined as the ability to "take meaning from print," (Heath, 1982) and writing as the ability to use print to communicate with others. Therefore reading and writing are more than simply decoding and encoding language: they are ways of constructing and conveying meaning with language symbols. Becoming literate, then, is a multifaceted phenomenon that involves more than learning a set of technical skills (such as learning the alphabet, learning how to form letters and spell words, and learning how to decode print) that are typically taught in elementary school; becoming literate also includes mastering a complex set of understandings, attitudes, expectations and behaviors, as well as specific skills, related to written language (Erickson, 1984; Cook-Gumperz, 1986). There are many roads that may lead to literacy that help children make connections with writing and reading. Early experiences with literacy may be initiated by the child or by other people, they may be playful or work-like, and may take place at home, in the neighborhood or in community settings such as preschools and daycare centers. Early literacy experiences can include pretending to write and read stories and poems, writing a thank-you letter to a grandparent or God, receiving instruction in how to form the letters of one's name, listening to a story being read aloud etc. The range and diversity of early literacy experiences suggests that there are many ways that children make connections with writing and reading, and many pathways to literacy. 29 Literacy development often starts in young children's early symbol using activities: in talking, in play and fantasy, in scribbling and drawing, in pretend reading and writing. Between the ages of 1-5 children learn to use symbols they invent for themselves and those "donated by the culture" (Gardner & Wolf, 1979, p.vii). The use of symbols— which may include words, gestures, marks on paper, objects modeled in clay, and so forth—makes it possible to represent experience, feelings and ideas. Symbols also allow children to go beyond the immediate here and now and to create imaginary worlds. This is what they do when they talk about storybook plots, when they make up stories, engage in pretend play, or draw images on paper—and later when they read books and write stories. As children begin to experiment with writing and reading, often in playful ways, they may find they can use these new symbolic modes in some of the same ways they used earlier developed symbolic forms—so that talking, drawing, and playing can serve as "bridges" to literacy, as children discover that writing and reading offer them new and interesting resources for constructing and communicating meaning (Gundlach, 1982; Dyson, 1986; Vygotsky, 1978). Let us first look at what is play? Play is spontaneous, child directed, suspended in reality and self motivated. Play consumes much of young children's time and energy, and for many children, play is where writing and reading begin. Play is the arena in which young children make connections between their immediate personal world and activities that are important in the larger social world of family and community, and play is the context in which many children find ways to make culturally valued activities part of their own personal experience. Piaget says when children get together to negotiate they need time to negotiate rules or roles, then play it and also to come out of it. When books, paper, and 30 writing material are among the objects children play with, important literacy learning can occur. In play the focus is on exploring rather than on accomplishing predetermined ends or goals, so there are few pressures to produce correct answers or final products. Play's nonliteral, not-for-real, "not-for-profit" orientation allows players the freedom to manipulate materials, experiences, roles and ideas in new, creative, experimental, "as if" ways (Bruner, 1977, p.v; Garvey, 1974). Play thus creates a risk-free context in which children do not have to worry about "getting it right" or about "messing up." This freedom may lead children to discover or invent possibilities—new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking about ideas—which may, in turn, lead them to new questions, problems, and solutions. play is active, it can be scaffolded to fit all developmental levels, can be environmentally supported, includes social and physical experiences, differs among children, ca develop a very positive early disposition towards literacy. Quality play can meet all developmental domains. But how is literacy and play related? They both manipulate symbols, they are intended to communicate meaning and ideas, and they both include rules. Play and literacy are linked closely in numerous research studies. Based on such research play is considered to be the best way to learn if it supported. To build a playground one needs tools, materials, a plan and hard work and for a classroom one needs books, equipment, plan and hard work. Play appears to have at least two potential links to the development of literacy: First, as a symbolic activity, pretend play allows children to develop and refine their capacities to use symbols, to 31 represent experience, and to construct imaginary worlds, capacities they will draw on when they begin to write and read. Second, as an orientation or approach to experience, play can make the various roles and activities of people who read and write more meaningful and hence more accessible to young children. As they experiment with written language, often in playful ways, children begin to learn what writing and reading are, and what they can do with them. Children seem to be able to play with almost anything: objects, movements, behaviors, roles, rules, and language. Many play with the implements and materials of written language: with paper, pencils, markers, crayons, and books, with the activities of writing and reading, and with the roles of writer and reader. Children incorporate both real and pretend writing and reading into their dramatic play, using them to enhance the drama and realism of the pretend situation. Let us now look at the similarity between the playground equipments and literacy. Notice that as the see-saw tips on one side the base does not change. Similarly while reading and writing are important pieces to literacy, the 32 unchanging necessary piece is oral language. In children birth through age five, oral language is the most important aspect of literacy. The merry-go-round represents the teaching learning cycle. As you spin the merry go round it blends together and it is the same with literacy. The jungle gym represents the scaffolding that takes place in instruction. Scaffolding is a term which has been used to describe the process of assisting a learner in moving from one level of learning to the next. The final component of the playground is gravel/ grass/ wood chips/ sand. This cushions the fall, it protects and supports and is also used for digging and exploring. There are different types of Play: 33  Exploratory play – freely exploring different medium Constructive play – constructing own knowledge Dramatic play – take on a character and play it out Games with rule – literacy is related to rules that must be followed Physical play – uses the body Language play – involves the production of language. The teacher can assist in play by suggesting form the side, commenting from the side, assist, model but remember to get out as soon as things are back on track. The room set- up should allow for sensible grouping, space for loud play, quite play, moderate play, individual reflection, space for choice and physically separated spaces. Increasing Children’s Oral Language: Oral language is like Play Dough. It provides form and shapes our understanding of everything. The oral language ability that children bring to formal K-12 schooling set the stage for their success in both school and future accomplishments. There are vast differences in the oral language experiences between individual children prior to kindergarten. These enormous differences “mark” children for life. A 3 year old child with rich language experience is exposed to 2153 words per hour, a child with moderate experience- 1251 words / hour whereas a child with impoverished language experience has only 616 words per hour. (Hart & Risley, 2000). These differences accumulate over time. So by the time the children enter KG, there are enormous differences in their oral language experiences. 34 Therefore to go back to the analogy of literacy and play, just as the child on the swing requires adult assistance, children acquire language through interactions with others, especially through interactions with adults in their environment. Just as the swing goes back and forth, so do conversations. Further more like the frame of the swing set gives it foundation and keeps it grounded, similarly, oral language provides the foundation for all literacy interactions. It helps us make sense of everything we encounter and use our existing language to categorize it and give it meaning. Thus the more words we have, the more they can benefit from new situations. That is why the first language is so powerful. There is a clear link between children’s oral language ability and their future abilities in reading and writing. Over time, children learn to understand how different social situations call for different language interactions and also use language appropriate to these social situations. The teacher needs to model and help children practice the seven functions of language: (Halliday, 1975) 1. Instrumental – used for satisfying needs and wants. 2. Regulatory – control others. 3. Interactional – create interactions. 4. Personal – to express thoughts and opinions. 35  5. Imaginative – to create imaginary world. 6. Heuristic – to seek information. 7. Informative – to communicate information. These functions describe a hierarchy of language use. For children to be optimally proficient in oral language they must be able to understand and use all seven. And in order to do so they must experience them on a daily basis. Children who experience a wealth of narrative and explanatory talk are more likely to use these types of talk. These two types of talk have also been linked to children’s literacy development in kindergarten. The stages of conversation development: In the beginning, children repeat sounds, next they begin to state their thoughts aloud. Next children begin taking turns talking, not conversing just being polite. Finally they engage socially with another person in true conversation. To build rich vocabulary in children the teacher needs to talk to them and with them using an expanded vocabulary, provide real experiences for discussion and reflection. The teacher should weave vocabulary words into talk whenever and wherever possible. Also the teacher should introduce new vocabulary in combination with words which are already familiar to children. The best practices to support oral language are conversations, experiences, friendships, books and stories and plays. The best way to provide support for children in oral language development is through purposeful, normal, everyday experiences. Finally remember 36  to talk, talk and listen, listen, listen; to model good language; to actively engage verbally and nonverbally with each child daily; to use powerful strategies to increase the number of words children experience as well as increase their vocabulary; and to provide opportunities for children’s language practice in meaningful ways. Increasing Phonological Awareness: The ability to hear phonemes or the minimal unit of sounds is phonemic awareness and the ability to hear all sounds – whole, individual and discrete is phonological awareness. It is only through experience of oral language can one understand phonemes. The biggest predictor of student’s reading success is this phonological awareness. The progression of phonological awareness is: Sounds Words Syllables Onsets Rhymes Phonemes. 37 Activities that support such development are using oral fun language activities. Like fun songs, songs with their names, Simon says, breaking sentences into words by saying each word separately and adding action to these separations, inserting silly words to see if they can recognize them, clapping for syllables. Recognition activities like raising the finger when they hear a particular sound, picking the odd one out or discrimination activities and supply activities. Increasing Print Awareness: Susan Knontos has pointed out that "before they become readers, young children must learn why people read and what people do when they read (1986, p. 58)." When young children see other people reading, and when others read to them or involve them in other activities related to reading, they become familiar with print and some of its uses. Knowledge of letters and words is called Print awareness. Print awareness includes understanding that: Print conveys meaning Print is speech written down Print moves in a specific way Print is made up of sentences and phrases which in turn are made up of words, which are made up of letters Print uses symbols to convey the meaning. The two biggest predictors of children’s future reading ability are their knowledge of letters (print awareness) and knowledge of sounds (phonemic awareness) at the beginning of first grade. Combining sound and letter names into activities that are 38 meaningful to children is the most effective means of teaching letters and sounds. Teaching letters and sounds in isolation does not have an impact. Reading books to children is a powerful way of introducing them to literacy, and it is the one early experience that has been identified as making a difference in later success in learning to read in school (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott & Wilkinson, 1985). Don Holdaway was probably the first to point out that very young children who are read to frequently spend a great deal of time on their own with favorite storybooks, pretending to read them and reenacting the behaviors they observed while they were being read to. In observing a number of children between the ages of 2 and 5 "reading" favorite storybooks, Holdaway was struck by how hard the children worked to recapture the meaning of the stories: "They have remembered very little of the surface verbal level: what they have remembered most firmly is the meanings (Holdaway, l979, p. 44)." Three important aspects of book reading are: 1. Introduction – this will hook them into the book. 2. Picture walk – to talk about the cover. 3. Conversation – before, during and after story telling. Elizabeth Sulzby (l985) describes a progression of changes in children's pretend reading as they gradually approach independent reading. Preschoolers' reading of favorite books is, for the most part, guided by "reading" the pictures in the book. Young children hold the book and turn the page quite deliberately, while naming or commenting on what they see in the pictures. In time, and as they become more familiar with the story, they "read" the book by making up a story, 39  creating a rough story line that follows the sequence of pictures. Gradually the language they use in "reading" (while still looking at the pictures), sounds more like real reading--the child's voice and intonation come to sound like written language read aloud. Children ages 3, 4 or 5 may give close renditions or even verbatim recitations of stories they have heard frequently. As Sulzby and Holdaway have observed, children do not simply memorize the text but work from a strong sense of what the story should sound like, and they work to retrieve and reconstruct the meaning of the text. Children strive to get the exact working—they sometimes hesitate, correct themselves, or ask others for help. Young children's independent efforts to read books demonstrate the wealth of knowledge about books, print and narrative they acquire while they are being read to. For 3-5 years discussing the story as a whole is important but for the 6-8 years discuss the story as a whole and then focus on the smaller parts. Remember it isn’t the story itself that seems to make a difference but it is the quality of interaction you have during the book time that has the most positive effect. Enhancing Writing Development: “Writing is a way of making marks that call to mind the ideas you had when you wrote”. – Temple, Nathan, Temple & Burns, 1993. Children usually begin to scribble around the age of 18 months; they find scribbling interesting because it leaves a visible trace—they have made something that didn't exist before. When 40  children encounter print in their environment, they use this visual information in their scribbling and pretend writing. Contrasting Oral and Written Language: Similarities – Both rely on oral language as base. Both rely on symbols to communicate. They are reciprocal processes: reading informs writing and writing informs reading. Both involve the communication of information between the author and the audience. Difference – Along with words, the context, gestures and intonations convey meaning in oral language. Where as in written language the precise use of language is made to communicate meaning. How are Play and Writing related? Both use oral language to compose and share ideas. Use symbols to represent ideas. Require communication. Follow rules. Require both cognitive and physical skills. May require help from more able ‘others’. 41 Two developmental factors that impact writing are – Physical and cognitive development. The control and movement primarily come from the shoulder, to the whole arm, the elbow, the hand and wrist and finally to the finger. Any kind of motor skill and fine motor skill, activities are necessary to support writing. Children must understand the content, form and use of writing. The 3 things that teachers need to do for children are model, mediate and provide real opportunities for children to practice. A Final Note: The environment you build lays the foundation for the literacy experiences children will encounter and the joy and sadness they will experience. The emotions, equipment and activities you select form the backbone for your interaction with young children and have great implications for their future writing and complete literacy learning. Keep the oral language developing because it helps learning in all areas. Keep play in mind for all interactions so that it is fun and pleasurable. 42 43