Play Matters!
Edition 1.4
21st July, 2014
Welcome to Term 3!
We are all energised after the school break and look forward
to some great language, literacy and learning this term.
Children love to play, and play often mirrors what is important in their
lives. When asked about play children talk about having fun, being with
friends, choosing activities themselves, and being outdoors. Play can be
quite or noisy, messy or tidy, funny or serious, strenuous or effortless,
inside or outside.
Play is absolutely vital to a child’s healthy development. A child’s
exposure to play provides physical, intellectual, emotional and social
development. Some research shows that up to 75% of brain
development happens after birth, and the early years of a child’s life are
the foundation for healthy growth and development.
As part of our school’s commitment to children’s speech,
language and literacy skills, a large group of our teachers will
be engaging in some professional development over the next
ten weeks: “Speech, Language and Communication Needs”,
run by the Department of Education. Another group of
teachers will be trained next term, resulting in our staff being
well qualified in this important area of our students’ learning.
We are looking forward to it!
Parents are their children’s first and best playmates and research shows
that children tend to be more creative when their parents are involved
with their play. The best play occurs when the adult plays alongside the
child, rather than just providing the toys or supervising. Becoming part
of a child’s play may take practice as some parents feel that they need
to give up “childish” things and “grow up”.
This edition of
looks at the importance of play and its role
in language and literacy.
Observe
Watch your child closely to learn what he or she can do and has
problems doing. Also, be aware of your child’s favourite activities.
Happy talking, listening and playing,
Cathy, Ronda and Louise
Follow
Join in and play with your child so that he or she knows you are
interested in what he or she is doing. You can add to the complexity of
the play; however, let your child be in control and determine the
direction of play.
“play is the work of children”
-
Jean Piaget.
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play
children learn how to learn.” - O. Fred Donaldson
Be Creative
Use toys in different ways, and you will be amazed at how many
different ways you can play with one toy. Being creative will make
playing more fun for you and your child.
Important Types of Play
CREATIVE
Creative play involves children exploring and using their bodies and
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.
GAMES WITH RULES
Even babies and toddlers can partake in these, as peek-a-boo and turntaking games have rules. In the beginning children often play by their
own rather flexible rules! In time they also partake in more
conventional games with ‘external’ rules. Language is an important part
of games with rules as children explain, question and negotiate the
rules. Rules are often an important part of pretend play where children
negotiate rules about what can and can’t be done.
LANGUAGE
Language play involves children playing with sounds and words. It
includes 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.
They also love jokes and funny stories.
PHYSICAL
Physical play involves children developing, practising and refining bodily
movements and control. It includes whole body and limb movements,
co-ordination and balance. These activities involve physical movements
for their own sake and enjoyment. Children gain control over their
gross motor skills first before refining their fine motor skills (necessary
for writing).
PHYSICAL (continued)
Manipulative play involves practising and refining motor skills. This
type of 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.
Exploratory play involves 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.
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. They
play helps extend language. The ability to write stories also has its roots
in socio-dramatic play.
From: “Learning and Developing Through Play”, by Aistear
“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Constructive play involves building something using natural and
manufactured materials. As children develop, this type of play can
become more complex and intricate.
PRETEND
Pretend, dramatic, make-believe, role, and fantasy play involves
children using their imaginations. It includes pretending with objects,
actions and situations. As children grow, their imaginations and their
play become increasingly complex. 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.
Early literacy and numeracy are clearly evident in this type of play, for
example children make lists and menus and pay for cinema tickets.
They also get the chance to play with different forms of ICT such as
mobile phones and tablets, keyboards, cameras, and calculators.
Small world play involves children using small-scale representations of
real things like animals, people, cars, and train sets as play props.
Some useful play-based websites:
www.learning4kids.net has some really wonderful activity ideas
for children, including play-dough recipes, and play-by-age pages
with sensory activities, creative activities, educational games for
literacy and maths, active play activities and games involving
recycling materials from around home.
www.raisingchildren.net.au is a great site with lots of information
for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, school age children, pre-teens,
early teens and special needs. Exploring this site is very
worthwhile for all parents.
www.creativeplaycentral.com.au quotes that “creativity is the
currency of the future”. The transferrable skills that are
developed and strengthened while enjoying creative experiences
are valued and synonymous with innovation and success.