The role of play in the curriculm for young children with special Term Paper

The role of play in the curriculm for young children with special needs - Term Paper ExampleIt is believed that such pedagogy enables young children to pay back the process of early learning (Open University, 2009). During play, children demonstrate improved verbal communications, high levels of social and interaction skills, original use of play materials, imaginative and divergent conjectureing skills and problem-solving capabilities (Wood, 2004, p. 21). receive offers many benefits. It engages the mind to actively consider non-homogeneous scenarios for fun or for problem-solving. Babies and toddlers display play in motion and we observe that they do it to put to know their world how things work, how people react, etc. They get to explore and discover things that otherwise they will not learn about if they do not actively engage in play. Free exploration is considered heuristic program play by Holland (2003). It is encouraged without adult intervention. Adults simply provi de simple materials and allow the child to dear be and let his imagination take off . The child learns from observing directly what these objects will do or not do, in sharp contrast to much of the educational equipment which has a solution predetermined by the design which has been devised by the adult maker (Holland, 2003, p. 142). Heuristic play will not only stimulate a childs thinking, but it also develops his creativity as he will see in his mind endless possibilities in imaginatively transforming ordinary objects into various things with various functions. Play has value in all the maturational areas of children (Macintyre, 2003). Unwittingly, children delight in games that stimulate thinking. Such cognitive benefits extend to their real lives as they make decisions, compare and contrast things, use their imaginations and thinking critically and creatively. Play also engages the body. Certain games involve gross and fine motor coordination. It also helps to expend the stor ed energy inwardly them, willing to be set free. Running around, jumping, tumbling and other physical activities help them be physically fit as well as release tension. Active play develops their muscles, agility, flexibility and endurance. It is the foundation of is potential for certain sports. Socially, play coaxes a shy child outside his shell. Play fosters the increment of friendships. As children play with other children or adults, they get to know about how other people behave, think and feel. They also get to learn socially acceptable port like not hurting others and compete fair. Most importantly, they get to know themselves better- how they react to certain situations in the play setting. Vygotsky (1978) believed that childrens intellectual development is influenced more by social context than by individual experiences. His theory places a great plow of emphasis on effective social interaction. Bingham (2008) cites Vygotsky (1978) as he writes Play creates a zone of proximal development of the child. In play the child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself. He defined the ZPD as the distance between a childs independent problem-solving level and that obtained under adult counselor-at-law or in collaboration with more capable peers (Wertsch, 1985). A young learners picture show to peers, teachers and other adults and learning materials greatly influences his development. Such cognitive apprenticeships are, of course, inherently reliant on a