To effectively support children’s play, teachers need to offer children time, as well as opportunities and experiences, that are content and experientially rich; developmentally, culturally, and individually appropriate; and responsive to all children. As well, teachers are key in supporting (but not intruding on) children’s play, scaffolding play skills, and being keenly aware of when play experiences need pre-planning, related authentic experiences, additional resources, and adult involvement. In addition to all of the above, early childhood professionals may, at times, need to be advocates for the important role of play in children’s development and learning.
After you have considered these factors:
By Day 3
Post:
- Your definition of play and its relationship to healthy development and learning during early childhood.
- Why play can be elusive in terms of application and practice in early childhood education settings?
- Insights you have gleaned with regard to the different types of play and the different benefits of play.