Learning through Play
Learning Through Play
April 10, 2014
By definition play is recreational activities for enjoyment and recreation; the spontaneous activities of children. (Webster dictionary) Learning is the process of gaining knowledge. (Webster dictionary). Through to move something from one point to another point; used to describe movement. (Webster dictionary) Learning through play is what all children do. Although there are many definitions of play and learning it is a very simple concept that happens even when you don’t realize it is happening.
Learning though play begins at as soon as a child is born. We talk, make faces and sing songs from day one with infants. They are learning that you are the one they can trust and depend on. Play is imperative to a child, play enhances language development, social competence, creativity, imagination, and thinking skills.(Back to Basics by Jill Englebright Fox, Ph. D.) Play is the main source for children to develop their imagination, language, social/emotional, cognitive, and physical skills.
Children watch then imitate the things they see and hear in everyday life through play. This may come from things they see and hear at home, in public, at daycare, on television, in books and their imaginations. They use all these experiences to create games, make believe and to engage with others. Toys are tools that children use to play. Through the toys they learn about themselves and their surroundings.
Learning through play helps to develop the following areas:
Cognitive development which is processing information received. When playing children learn to solve problems like how to do a shape sorter, their colors, behind/under, puzzles. They create make-believe worlds while manipulating their real worlds to create similarities between the two in play. They are developing the “what if’s” and the “how comes”. As they get older and learn more they develop more difficult games.
Language
April 10, 2014
By definition play is recreational activities for enjoyment and recreation; the spontaneous activities of children. (Webster dictionary) Learning is the process of gaining knowledge. (Webster dictionary). Through to move something from one point to another point; used to describe movement. (Webster dictionary) Learning through play is what all children do. Although there are many definitions of play and learning it is a very simple concept that happens even when you don’t realize it is happening.
Learning though play begins at as soon as a child is born. We talk, make faces and sing songs from day one with infants. They are learning that you are the one they can trust and depend on. Play is imperative to a child, play enhances language development, social competence, creativity, imagination, and thinking skills.(Back to Basics by Jill Englebright Fox, Ph. D.) Play is the main source for children to develop their imagination, language, social/emotional, cognitive, and physical skills.
Children watch then imitate the things they see and hear in everyday life through play. This may come from things they see and hear at home, in public, at daycare, on television, in books and their imaginations. They use all these experiences to create games, make believe and to engage with others. Toys are tools that children use to play. Through the toys they learn about themselves and their surroundings.
Learning through play helps to develop the following areas:
Cognitive development which is processing information received. When playing children learn to solve problems like how to do a shape sorter, their colors, behind/under, puzzles. They create make-believe worlds while manipulating their real worlds to create similarities between the two in play. They are developing the “what if’s” and the “how comes”. As they get older and learn more they develop more difficult games.
Language