Play in Early Childhood

The benefits and acceptance of play in the early year’s classroom is not a universal attitude. Differing cultural, social and political aspects determine the importance given to play in early years settings. However the Irish curriculum strongly believes in play being an important part of a child’s learning experience. The main aim of this essay is to make the point that work and play are not necessarily separate activities and can be integrated to maximise the child’s learning in many areas of development for example oral language “Using play to develop cognitive abilities through oral language” (http://www.curriculumonline.ie/uploadedfiles/PSC/Exemplar_2.pdf).   Not only do children enjoy play but we are in breach of their rights of a child by depriving them of play in the early stage in their life, although going to school is one the steps in entering a more grown up world, in which certain rules and procedures must be followed it is also a chance to experience a more developed and more social type of play and explore new experiences through play. “According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), however, all children have a right to play. (OHCHR, 1990)”.

In the primary classroom there are many different types of social play and they usually take on the form of Parten’s five types, Onlooker behaviour—Playing passively by watching or conversing with other children engaged in play activities, solitary independent—Playing by oneself, parallel—Playing, even in the middle of a group, while remaining engrossed in one's own activity, Cooperative—When children organize themselves into roles with specific goals in mind (e.g., roles of mommy daddy and child in home setting), associative—When children share materials and talk to each other, but do not coordinate play objectives or interests. (Parten, M. 1932). These different types of play can happen during various activities of play and the type of learning which occurs and how this... [continues]

Read full essay