PLAYPLAY the most natural way for young children to learn

PLAY: Quotable Quotes Strategy: Read, Pair, Share Read the following quotes. Which is your favourite? Discuss why with your partner. Share your ideas with the large group.

PLAY: Quotable Quotes Children learn naturally through play. For this reason, the primary learning environment should encourage children to play either individually or in groups. (Shared Discovery, 1985) Without this playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable. ( Carl Jung, 1923 )

PLAY: Quotable Quotes The child, the author of his/her play, illuminates the events of his inner ad outer worlds. Child’s play, like a theatrical play, symbolizes - is key to understanding- the human condition. Play is not merely the child’s way of learning, it is the only good and lasting way of learning for the young child.( Maria Piers and Genvieve Millet Landau, 1980 )

PLAY: Quotable Quotes It is not conceivable that our culture will forget that it needs children. But it is halfway towards forgetting that children need childhood. Those who insist on remembering shall perform a noble service. (Neil Postman, 1984) Like many other aspects of the child’s development, imagination is active in the early years and, unless it is nurtured, it can too easily fade or become stunted. (Alice Yardley, 1974)

PLAY: Quotable Quotes The principle goal of education is to create [people] who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done - [people] who are creative, inventive and discoverers… so we need pupils who are active, who learn early to find out for themselves. (Jean Piaget, 1952)

PLAY: Quotable Quotes If we hope to live not just from moment to moment, but in true consciousness of our existence, then our greatest need and most difficult achievement is to find meaning in our lives… Today, as in times past, the most important and also the most difficult task in raising a child is helping him/her to find meaning in life. (Bruno Bettelheim, 1977)

What is Play? Look at the two definitions of play. Which one do you like best? Why? How does your choice mirror your philosophy of education? Which one matches our current Ministry of Education’s Curriculum? Why?

What is Play? Charlesworth (1987p. 228) sequence of 4 activities: exploration -investigating the situation manipulation-familiarizing yourself with its features practice- experimenting repetition- mastering skills relative to the object or situation

What is Play? Rubin et al (1983 p.229 ): 6 characteristics intrinsically motivating focus is on means, not ends more than exploration: answers the question “What can I do with this?” “as if” activity involving pretending no externally imposed rules emergent and novel, not predetermined or scripted