Text Presentation

50 Strategies points out that family members will remember their own
education when they judge the classroom or program their child is in and their ideas
about what should happen in the classroom can vary greatly. Gestwicki points out
the importance of developing effective communication styles as a means of creating
constructive partnerships between teachers and families. Teachers should practice
the skills of listening while communicating with parents and know that when
creating a dialogue sometimes we have to listen twice as much as we talk if we are
to gain a bigger picture and a deeper understanding (57).
Today, societal pressure for early academics is extremely strong. Families
want their children to do well in school, so they may want a strong push for
academics early on, beyond what research shows is developmentally appropriate.
On the other hand early childhood educators who have been trained in early
childhood principles and practices are likely to see play as part of the curriculum, a
view that not all parents share.
50 Strategies states the joy of learning comes when children are encouraged
to become creative, competent explores, and problem solvers. Play and exploration
may not look like educational activities to some parents, but when they understand
that their children are learning how to learn, they may come to appreciate this
approach as useful (58). So I want to focus on the aspect of play and its benefits in
the classroom.

Play dough
Rules: Two minutes for creation. Must have created an object.

Discussion: What did you learn by playing with play dough? What could children
learn from this activity?

What young children learn through play

I found it interesting to discover the many things that young children can
learn through play. They learn how to move, how to observe. Develop relationships
and express emotions simply playing with blocks helps them learn about size,
weight, symmetry, number, and balance. Playing helps them develop self-help
skills, logical reasoning, deductive skills, color recognition, and how to count. They
also learn the concept of rules and how to follow them and how to win and lose.
Playing causes them to use small and large muscles and aids in the development of
gross motor skills such as reaching, grasping, running, and climbing. Cognitive
skills are also developed through play, they learn problem solving, such as where
does this puzzle piece go.
Playing games enhances memory skills and increases attention span.
Children will develop language skills as they interact with others or engage in make
believe. (PUT HAT ON. What am I ?) I have a sister who was born with a hearing
loss and began preschool at the age of 2 1/2. Her teachers used dramatic play as a
way of increasing the childrens vocabulary. They would learn parts in common
children stories such as The Three Little Pigs. They would practice lots in the
classroom and dress up in costumes and perform for parents.
Social skills are also learned through play. A child learns about cooperation,
negotiating, and taking turns. Children will also develop non cognitive skills while
engaging in play such as patience, discipline, how to behave, and persistence.

Dr. Stewart Brown President of the National Institute for Play views play as a
process of self discovery. Tom Norquist, an advocate for play believes that when
children are allowed to direct their own play, they are making choices. They are
planning their own activity, which is a cognitive developmental skill, and all the time
they are doing that, it is causing them to move which is physical development
(Deseret News).

Mail bag
I recently saw the power of dramatic play at the SLCC ECCLES lab school. In
the Grizzlie classroom, which consists of children between the ages of 4 and 5, they
have a dramatic play center. The last time I visited this classroom, the children
were introduced to a new activity where they could pretend to be the mailman and
deliver letters. Bags were provided for carrying their letters and metal mailboxes
were set up for receiving mail. The children were loving this new activity. One boy
wanted to write a letter to himself and asked me to help him spell his name. He
then inserted it into a mailbox and a few seconds later opened it up. When he saw
the letter, he excitedly showed it to me and said I got a letter! This led to writing
more letters and eventually being given an envelope to use for his letter. Other
children soon followed his example and began writing letters.
Another boy was having fun with the mailboxes. He would put plastic food in
the mailbox which included a hotdog, hamburger, and a slice of bread. His peers
reaction to this was negative as they stated that food does not go in the mailbox
and would remove it. However, a lab student explained that some types of food are
sent through the mail such as cookies.

Conclusion
Dramatic play should be valued in the classroom. Many things can be learned from
it.