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REVIEW OF LI'iERATURE
Western Educators
Comenius (IFh Century)
The children were not aware that their school days stretched from
and their learning was so incidental that they hardly noticed it.
being that children when not at work ought to enjoy themselves and
that a state of total inactivity was bad both physically and morally.
could seldom rest till he had tried to find him some other
amusement.
whole - of the inner hidden natural life in man and in all things. It
gave therefore joy, freedom, contentment inner and outer, rest and
peace with the world. It holds the sources of all that ia good. A child
18
that played thoroughly with self active determination perseveringly
of all later life for the whole man developed and shown in his
injured at this period and the germinal leaves of the future tree of
his life were marred at this time, he will only with the greatest
Indian Educators
reliance and communal operations, then art, music and play were
that in early years the child should arrive at truth through natural
persons. This would pave the way for the widest possible
should prepare the chlld for life as a whole. The right kind of
others.
subjects at the early state. The chief aim of education should be able
to help the growing soul to draw out that in itself which is best
stage.
(1981). Play was the child's way of learning and developing at his
inner expression of the inner drama of the mind and the child
discovered how to use the world for his own purposes (Courtenry,
1983). Play was very essential for children because it was through
play that they gain mastery over diflicult concepts such as counting,
fclt th;ll
lnvolvernent In play was so complcte that 1n:tny author~l~cbs
right of every child, was an essential input for the proper growth and
masters all the skills he requires for adult activities and he will do
this almost entirely through play. (Piers, 1980; Kaplan, 1981 and
Hart, 1985). The importance of play lies in the fact that it gave
(Segal, 1981).
22
An exploratory study of play preferences of pre-school children
technique was used for five days after giving same type of equipment
to all the children. They found that the slides, sandpit and nesting
frames were most popular in out door play. The least popular were
ball, ring, see-saw and jungle gym. Regarding indoor play activities,
Block play, paper cutting and collage work was preferred by younger
interest.
functional activity and more group and dramatic play than pre-
experience in solving the problems and needed fewer hints. Both set,
task experience.
14 three year olds, and 14 four year olds were observed during the
the second phase, the room was arranged to achieve a high quality
being made for each child. Results indicated that room arrangement
24
the category of child-child interaction, there were more verbal
all instances except for level of involvement with materials and use
quality of a classroom.
25
variables. No effects were found for prior pre-school experience.
playing with puzzle pieces and form boards led to better solving of
old were given open-ended play materials, and aspects of their play
play were scored. Subjects aged four to five years of age made
ranging in age from three years six months to six years two month,
interest and joy were the most prominent emotional reactions during
class rooms of three and four years old. Overall there was a decrea-sc
nine month period. The children were aged three and a half to four
showed a n increase in six of the eight children during the last two
dramatic play, three showed similar changes for the two categories.
28
Baruah and Baruah (1998) conducted a study on "Play
Pradesh. 120 pre-school children in the age group of 3-6 years were
selected for the study. The study attempted to find out the play
that rural children enjoyed Gee and spontaneous play having roles
laid by themselves while urban children played with toys and made
rules and work cum play. Children often played outside home, on
farms, road sides, school grounds, in and near rivulets with play
differences among boys and girls and school going and non school
going children.
their play using the Lunzer five point scale in several different kinds
showed that in the early grades and elementary grades, there was
group three, four and five years. The Digi-walker Sw-200 electronic
district, were much more active than counter parts in urban schools
rural schools one with larger space and the other with smaller space
for comparison with the two urban schools probably it would have
Kara, Kim, Sook, Whiren and Alice (2003) studied the effect of
paired with a more knowing adult, children were able to use higher
levels of complexity in their block structures over all and in the area
of dimensionality.
school children some of the related studies on play with regard to all
selected out of the 62 in the Tokapal project under the ICDS scheme.
The actual intervention ranged from 7 to 11 weeks. Results.showed
control group. The results have not been surprising and were
problem solving.
Leonard, Stacie and Ann (2002) examined group trajectories of
that have been shown to be associated with non social play in cross
poor regulating ability for girls and anxiety for boys when
two and three year old children was studied by Vance, Ryails,
Brigette, Katrina and Gill (2002). This study explored the use of
34
play assessment with young children to determine its efficacy in
complex with age and was displayed more than pretend play. In an
(2003) targeted three skills for intervention for two children with
years. Social and cognitive play types and use of materials were
classroom.
Perhaps more number of such studies are required in
and physical play during same sex dyadic play with a friend from
emotional developments.
In the light of above reported studies, it was observed that
be developed in childhood.
3. AND GENDER
PLAY STYLES
that when target gender labels and target play styles were
targets with masculine play styles over male targets with female
play styles. In contrast, younger girls (4-5 years old) chose female
targets with masculine play styles while older girls (6-8years old)
chdd, the sex of the play partner and whether they played in dyads
or groups. The sample consisted of 203 children (97 boys and 106
groups varied depending on the sex of the child and sex of the play
partners.
dominance when boys and girls play with same and cross gender
group of 4 and 5 paired into either girl girl, girl-boy and boy-boy
and feminine (doll house) stereo typed activity. Ibsults for social
girls paired with boys girls led more during the feminine than the
higher amount of co-operative play than boys. While boys had high
parallel play than girls. Also children with both same and mixed
hereunder.
4. PLAYAS THERAPY
FOR PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN
The sample consisted of 16 boys and 18 grls in the age group of four
41
p+gLj-+p
status. Children who were classified as 'nuclear' in their peer group
who were other wise classified as 'isolated' suffered more than others
6Ys
' I ; ,,
42 If, I%?
designing treatment programs. In a study conducted by
and eight moths) with autism. Video taped play sequences included
58 months) who were matched by age and sex. Subjects with special
needs consisted of children with developmental delays and other
interactions and when they did, used different strategy than other
with in the age group of three years five months and three years
strategies and (3) self evaluate their play interactions. The number
behaviour problems.
The purpose of the study was two fold (a) To investigate if it was
The results showed that the child learned both skills as a leader and
stopped.
From the above cited related studies it was clear that play
the samples used for study were very small. To draw definite
5. OF PLAY
STATUS IN PRESCHOOLS
schools. When the study was conducted, in the whole of Punjab there
good drinking water or toilet facilities. The fee charged waa RR.201-
children were selected from two pre-schools with junior, senior and
pre- primary children, whose ages were four years, four and half
running race, scooter riding, horses and ducks, buses, piano and
adequate space for both indoor and outdoor activities. The study
Tirupati town. She found that 75 percent of schools were not having
adequate space. The school buildings were also very small. 62.5
percent of schools were not having any play equipment only 12.5 per
cent were having sufficient equipment. The remaining 25 percent
were having some small equipment like balls, rocking boards, old
tires etcetera. It was also found that many of the pre-schools were
not taking much interest in chddren's play and they aimed mainly
the chddren play with them for the fear that the children may
waste of time. Only one of the ten schools had proper play
equipment and let the children have free access to it. However,
life. Both were ignorant. Facilities for both indoor and outdoor play
ICDS program Thirteen blocks, seven urban, three rural and three
tribal were selected for the study. The study was carried out in
utensils for cooking food and 57.9 per cent centers were not
the program.
meaningful way.
six percent of the workers also felt that it helped both in mental
than 50% of the eligible children between 3-6 years of age were
51
enrolled for pre-school and of them only half have been retained.
From the above cited studies it was clear that play was in
physical facilities.
help chdd to get more benefit of the pre-school. The teacher in pre-
listed hereunder.
6. PLAYAND PRESCHOOL
TEACHERS
clay, sand and paints. However all the nursery school teachers had
She found that majority of the teacher's felt that play was
data it was found that the teachers who expressed play as not
be a reason for their opinion because other teachers who also have
neither the training nor the philosophy of the school makes the
play and how they perceived children's play today. The sample
perspective was more common than the pragmatic among the pre-
Children who displayed highly interactive peer play were given high
ratings by teachers for social slulls and were ranked higher in the
anxious than their peers. Finally children who spent less time
with the teacher's were more sociable, less solitary, and evidenced
teachers was more beneficial to the child. More such studies were
increased many folds and they believe that the Pre-schools lay the
towards pre-school education. For this study forty urban and ten
considered too much play was bad for pre-school children. Most of
operation.
I'lrupati, Chittoor district. She found age and sex differences in the
parents and their first born pre-school aged children, seven boys and
elicit opinion of the mothers. Results indicated that play was very
mother's expressed that play was necessary for this age group. But
the knowledge about play and its relation in all around development
of the child, was very low among the less educated mothers. Where
pointed out that picture puzzles, or wooden blocks were essential for
play was the dynamic tool for learning, growing and the integration
work when they grow up. Play was expected to help to build a
healthy figure and a sound mind. It was also essential for the
Out door play equipment like jungle gym, slide, swing, rope
Mohanty (1996).
Play equipment like peg boards, hammer etc, helped to release
with a well loved stuffed toy, just to keep some of their imagined
was an activity which was all absorbing and was expected to give
adjust in society. Through games with peers and adults, the child
Thus value of play in child's life was well recorded and it was
school period, with play activities the child becomes very active and
Indoor and outdoor play material and equipment enables the child
right path.
OVERVIEW
reported studies.
Play was expected to help healthy body and sound mind and
relationships.
emotional development.
problems.
behaviour.
the training.
pre-schools.
preschools and parents had not yet realized the importance of play
importance of the play nor they provide sufficient space for the
children to play.
following chapter.