Learning Story Trains and Tracks

Definition of Play 1) Play is freely chosen and self-directed 2) Play is transformative giving new meaning to familiar objects, ideas, and actions 3) Play relates to and builds upon prior knowledge and experiences 4) Play is active engagement whether individuals are using their minds or bodies 5) Play is enjoyable (Fromberg & Bergen, 2006) “The meaning and value of play are embedded in one’s knowledge about play, past experiences with play, and cultural values regarding play. This meaning changes and evolves as one encounters play in new circumstances and contexts” (Kieff and Casbergue, 2000, p.2).

Building on Curiosity Colston 35 month old Colston enjoys playing with transportation vehicles (trains, cars, trucks). One afternoon I observed him playing an interesting game with a cell phone and the stair ramp. He was using the phone as he had a car on a previous afternoon. Was this an example of symbolic play? Would Colston use non- transportation toys in his transportation vehicle play ? In what ways will changes in Colston’s play environment impact his play and the cognitive associations that he makes through play?

Play Episode 1 Running Record: Child: Colston (age 35 months)/ Setting Living Room/ Duration 10 minutes Colston walks into the living room holding a green tow truck grasped in the fist of his right hand. He stands still and scans the room turning his head slowly left to right. He stops his gaze resting to the right where there is a cardboard container filled with the pieces of a 42 piece train set. “Trains,” he announces with excitement. He drops the tow truck from his right hand and walks to the box. He bends at the waist and reaches his right hand into the box pulling out a train station building. He walks to the middle of the carpeted floor and drops the building. He then walks back to the box of trains and reaches in with his right hand pulling out two tracks, and with his left hand lifting another building. He announces to the room, “I build track. I build train track.” He brings the tracks and the building to the middle of the carpeted floor dropping them alongside the first building. He then returns to the box bends at the waist and reaches into the box with his right hand while bracing his left hand on the edge of the box. He begins shifting toys till he lifts up a three-inch green train. He straightens and with train in hand walks to the middle of the carpeted floor.

Play Episode 1 Colston crouches down to his knees and drops the green train. He reaches for a curved piece of track grasping it with his fingers and holding it still on the carpet. He then reaches for another curved track with his fingers lifting the track and placing it edge to edge with the first track. Colston looks intently at the two tracks and says, “It don’t fit. It don’t fit.” He rotates the track in his right hand counter clockwise till the opposite end fits into the open slot of the track in his left hand. “I make track. I make track,” he repeats. After making the track Colston reaches for one train building grasping its roof with his fingers and places the building at the edge of the track furthest from his body. The opening of the building is aligned with the track he has built. Colston then crouches on his knees and reaches for the green tow truck with his left hand. He grasps the tow truck by its tow crane and picks up another curved track. He fits it into the slot of the waiting track.

Play Episode 1 He then picks up the green train from the carpet and lies on his side parallel to the train tracks. With his right hand he places the train on the built track, and pushes it along the track till it reaches the building. “Train inside,” he announces as he pushes it through to the other side of the building. Colston again takes the train and rolls it along the track. He then sits up on his bottom looks at the track and says, “Need more. Need more track.” With the train grasped in his right hand he walks to the box of toys and lifts out two more train tracks. He brings them to the middle of the carpet and drops them. He then kneels down on his knees and adds the tracks to the one’s he has built. However, before connecting the tracks Colston stares at the tracks and flips them over till only the train track side is showing, and not the street. Colston then again lies on his side facing the track and pushes the green train along the track and through the building. He stares intently at the train as he moves it along the track. After a few minutes of pushing the train he sits up makes eye contact and asks, “You help me?”

Play episode 1