Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 1

Signature Assignment: The Importance of Play in the Child’s Learning and Development
Ma. Elena Bush
Fresno Pacific University
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The Importance of Play in the Child’s Learning and Development

As a child, I grew up playing in the streets with other children in the neighborhood. We

used to climb trees, chase each other, learn how to ride a bike without adult help, and we would

spend the day outdoors until dark. There were structures built using materials we found around

the neighborhood. We were not aware that the common things we did as children such as play, is

important in our learning and development. According to the National Association for the

Education of the Young Child or NAEYC, “…play is critical for preschoolers’ learning and

development—and how play sets children up for future school success.” (Bongiorno, 2018, para.

3).

Play is an important tool in integrating children’s interest into learning. According to our

textbook, “Play at the Center of the Curriculum”, 2015, “Play is an expression of the child’s

developing personality, sense of self, intellect, social capacity, and physicality…through their play

children direct their energy toward activities of their own choice, which stimulate further

development.” (Nourot & Scales, 2015, p. 4). Understanding children’s interest at different ages

and stages especially in the field of early childhood education is very important in developing

activities or curriculum that will engage them to foster learning. Nourot and Scales, 2015, states

that “Play fosters all aspects of young children’s development from birth through age 8: emotional,

social, intellectual, linguistic, and physical.” (Nourot & Scales, 2015, p. 4). Harnessing the power

of play in getting children involve in their own learning and development is what the experts have

advocated, researched, and tested which showed great success as evidenced by the works of the

theorist like: Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky.

Dewey believed that, “learning is a coordinated act”, that “a learner is not a blank slate”

(Hickman, n.d., 15:39). He promoted individuality and through the natural state of play or
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uninterrupted play, teachers will be able to see the child’s own individual character; what engages

her and what this child is capable of doing, so the teacher can formulate an individualized lesson

plan to scaffold and maximize the child’s developmental potential because each child is unique

and their learning stems from their “individual experiences”; their home culture as well as from

school (Nourot & Scales, 2015, p. 21) . Montessori’s theory that “Education is not what the teacher

does but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being, it is not

acquired by words but of experiences in which a child acts on his environment.” (Davidson &

Haines, 2004, 00:57) also supports that the child should have the freedom to explore their

environment, and play makes that possible. It is further articulated in Montessori’s words, “Before

elaborating any system of education, we must therefore create a favorable environment that will

encourage the flowering of a child’s natural gifts. All that is needed is to remove the obstacles.

And this should be the basis of, and point of departure for, all future education.” ("Maria

Montessori Quotes | American Montessori Society," n.d.)

The theorist Jean Piaget studied how children construct the world through experience, the

children’s content of thought, and the process of knowing; the how and why (Davidson Films,

1989, 5:00). Play provides children the opportunity to use their imagination and create the world

according to how they see it. Through repetition of building blocks for example, the child will

practice the cause and effect, problem solving concepts, and persistence. When the blocks fall

down the child can see how his action affects the outcome. Once he decides to build and stack the

blocks again, he will have previous knowledge to use in making this next structure more stable

which leads to the feeling of accomplishment thereby building the child’s confidence. It also

enables the child to practice her cognitive skills through critical thinking of how to stabilize the

structure and in thinking outside of the box so to speak.

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Through Vygotsky’s contribution to Developmental psychology according to Whitebread

et al, 2017:

“During play, when it is spontaneous and child-initiated, he argued, children exercise

control over their own activity, set themselves appropriate challenges, and so create their

own ‘zone of proximal development’ within which learning is most powerfully

enhanced…children are required to regulate their own behavior, making it a significant

factor in their development of self-regulation.” (Whitebread et al., 2017, p. 4).

Not only does play promotes cognitive development it also helps children develop emotional skills.

Through dramatic play while children utilize costumes, props, or puppets they can express their

feelings and thoughts without worrying about adult’s intervention, opinions, or views. Bongiorno,

2018, states that “As they play in different scenarios—a birthday party… or a doctor visit …they

are able to relax, focus, feel successful, and express their feelings of happiness, frustration,

surprise, anger, or delight.” (Bongiorno, 2018, para. 10)

In a research conducted by Whitebread et al, 2017, in an article called, “The role of play in

children’s development: a review of the evidence”, 2017, they found that physical play: “provides

children with exercise and the consequent health benefits”, “reasonable evidence…with academic

progress and cognitive self-regulation, and with social competence”, “…for boys, rough-and-

tumble play supports the development of their social competence and emotional awareness and

has possible indirect effects on academic progress”, and during recess play “there is evidence that

unstructured breaks from cognitive tasks improve learning and attention…” (Whitebread et al.,

2017, p. 8). According to Bongiorno, 2018, “Children develop their small and large motor skills

during play. They stack blocks, complete puzzles, and paint pictures (small motor). They run on

the playground, dance to music, and learn to hop (large motor)” (Bongiorno, 2018, para. 11). In
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an article called “Let the Children Play: Scoping Review on the Implementation and Use of Loose

Parts for Promoting Physical Activity Participation” by Houser et al, states that, “Not only does

play provide ongoing enjoyment, it also has the ability to support a variety of important developmental

milestones ranging from movement development to language, conversation, and problem-solving

abilities.” (E. Houser, 2016, p. 2). The multiple benefits of active physical play are undeniable and

as teachers knowing about these benefits will enable us to promote or advocate more physical play

opportunities for our students.

When it comes to musical play according to the study conducted by Whitebread et al, “there

is some evidence that musical play might be significant in relation to the development of

communication skills, and there is some evidence that it is related to higher cognitive functioning

and can be used for self-regulation…” (Whitebread et al., 2017, p. 16). For children to have the

freedom to explore musical instruments and make music during open-ended play is an advantage.

They are not only playing for the sake of play but through this process of exploration they also

make connections in their developmental chain that are very important for their growth and

development. Without the opportunity to practice and explore, these connections will not happen,

and it would be a great disadvantage to the child for the rest of their lives. Whitebread et al, 2017

also discussed that:

“play with mark-making and drawing is ubiquitous in the behavior of children across

cultures, and is widely accepted as an important way in which children, even before they

are literate, record their experiences and express their ideas. Vygotsky (1986) himself

pointed out the very close links between early drawing and writing which is very

commonly observed in young children’s mark-making.” (Whitebread et al., 2017, p. 16).

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In holding a pencil, crayon, markers, or chalk the child is already being benefited because this

activity is strengthening their fine motor skills as what we have learned in our child development

classes. Through uninterrupted or non-adult directed play, children’s interest in the activity is

supported, thereby prolonging their attention in the activity. In comparison with seat time in

academic study where children can become uninterested in the activities that are provided, play

can make spontaneous and continuous learning happen. When children enjoy what they are doing,

they are more likely to want to do it again and through repetition most things are mastered. As

discussed in our textbook, “Play at the Center of the Curriculum”, Nourot and Scales stated that

“Content standards…must be meaningful and encourage children’s active, engaged

experience…should build upon children’s prior experiences…in-depth, engaging curricula that

provide children opportunities to revisit these big ideas and processes…” (Nourot & Scales, 2015,

p. 21).

There are numerous reasons why play is important to be incorporated in the curriculum

when teaching children as discussed in the previous paragraphs. In our current world where

children are provided electronic gadgets that make them sedentary, overstimulated, and less

engaged in the physical activities, I believe that it is essential to be aware of the benefits of actual,

hands-on, and tangible play. Even though everything is digitized from photos to social interaction

it is refreshing to know that there is no substitute for imagination, creativity and exploration. This

can only be achieved if children are given opportunities to work with their hands such as working

with playdough or stacking large wooden blocks or providing them with activities that will work

their large muscles such as climbing structures, running, or riding a bike. Giving children the

opportunity to play roles in their dramatic play will enable expressive, confident, and imaginative
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learners. The experiences in play such as structures falling, and rebuilding will help make resilient

children because they learn persistence.

In conclusion, I have discussed several reasons why play is an integral part of educating

young children, how it promotes learning and reflects the child’s development. As a preschool

teacher, with a daily view of what play looks like in the classroom, indoor or outdoor, the level of

play that the children are capable of is undeniably surprising. Children not only build upon their

previous knowledge, but they also take play into the next level with their curiosity, persistence,

and imagination; being not afraid to find solutions to the difficulties of construction, as well as

thinking outside the box. Constructing a square box out of the waffle puzzle pieces is not the only

option for these children, they made bridges, tunnels, and even one-person cages complete with a

door and a roof using only ten pieces of these puzzles. The cooperation, conversations and social

interactions brought about by the group play are essential components of development and

learning. The possibilities are endless. Not having these opportunities through play will be

detrimental to the child’s learning and development.

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References

Bongiorno, L. (2018, August). Talking with parents about play and learning | NAEYC. Retrieved

from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/aug2018/talking-parents-about-play-and-

learning

Davidson Films. (1989). Piaget’s developmental theory: An overview [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://use.vg/2nYkxI

Davidson, F., & Haines, A. M. (2004). Maria Montessori's Developmental Theory: An Overview

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://use.vg/9CpyHg

Hickman, L. (n.d). John dewey's developmental theory: An overview. [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://use.vg/V6Hyiv

Houser, N., Roach, L., Stone, M., Turner, J., & F.L. Kirk, S. (2016). Let the children play:

Scoping review on the implementation and use of loose parts for promoting physical

activity participation. AIMS Public Health, 3(4), 781-799.

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2016.4.781

Maria Montessori Quotes | American Montessori Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-of-Montessori-Education/Biography-of-

Maria-Montessori/Quotes-by-Maria-Montessori

Nourot, P. M., & Scales, B. (2015). Play at the Center of the Curriculum [Ipad] (6th ed.).

Retrieved from https://fresno.redshelf.com/book/read/833262/?course_id=22423

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Whitebread, D., Neal, D., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Solis, S. L., Hopkins, E., … Zosh, J. (2017). The

role of play in children's development: a review of the evidence. The LEGO foundation,

1-39. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.18500.73606