Play and Pedagogy in Children - Essay Example

Introduction Play and pedagogy are vital in the production of holistic children. It has the ability of ensuring that children become more creative and intelligence. They are able to use their environment in understanding what is happening in the world. Games have the ability to assist the children in appreciating the environment. They ensure that each of the children in overcoming various challenges in the future. For instance, some of the games that are played by the children are challenging requiring them to demonstrate creativity. It is this ability to play such games that such children are able to become great men and women in future. Some of the games for instance prepare great mathematicians in future. They assist such children to develop mentally in terms of the ability to perform some simple arithmetic. Apart from the metal development, games have also played a major role for the social, physical and emotional development in children. In the former category for instance, the children are able to interact with each other developing communication skills. Children who at first may appear shy are able to show confidence after they have interacted in most of these games. In addition to that, games have been imperative in ensuring that children display their different talents and gifts. It is difficult to know the talents that children have unless they are engaged in this kind of activities. To understand the role of play in children, I visited a certain kindergarten and made observation of how the children were responding. The following is a record of the observation that I made. The class setting Recently I visited a certain kindergarten with a view of establishing the role of play and pedagogy in children’s development. The kindergarten had one main teacher and three assistants. They had to work together for the purpose of ensuring that each child received maximum attention. The classroom setting provided an environment that fostered mental development of the children. The walls were full of the pictures that the children had drawn in including the alphabets. Each of the letters also had words and pictures drawn against them. This was for the purpose of enabling the children learn easily. For instance, a letter ‘G’ would have a picture of a guitar or a girl. This form of learning enabled the children understand better. The setting of the classroom was also in a way that it could make it easy for children to play. For instance, there was a huge empty area, which was left for the purpose of play. In the cupboard that was used to store all the toys and other materials used by the children for playing. In addition to that, there was tables and chairs that were arranged in a carefully manner to ensure that children were safe. This is in accordance with rules and regulations that demand that safety has to be ensured for such children. It is imperative that they are protected against any physical harm, by creating a harmless environment. The children The class composed of children from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. The teachers made sure that the needs of each child were met. In addition to that, there were children with physical challenges who also benefited from the class setting that facilitated their learning and movement. The class therefore made it possible for inclusion to take place. The age of the children ranged between 3-5 years. They interacted well and each of them seemed to enjoy what was going on. The morning session activities According to the teacher, all mornings began by ensuring that children sung. However, the types of songs and stories told depended on the themes that the teacher wanted to pass to the children. In this particular class, I was keenly following the response of two main children; in a view to find out how play enabled them develop mentally and emotionally. The two children were Natalie and John. They were both three years old and very jovial. When the teacher entered the classroom, it was mandatory for all the children to stand. I observed as Natalie and John moved forward followed by other children. I did not know what they were actually doing, until when they formed a circle. ‘Who is leading us in a song today?’ the teacher asked. All of sudden Natalie began leading in a song that could tell that all the children were very conversant with their body parts. Observing how John touched each part as they sung, I could tell that this was not the first time that they were singing this song. Immediately the song was over all the children went back to their seats. The teacher announced that it was a time to listen to a story. “today, we are going to listen to a story of Mark and Mary,’ the teacher said before turning on the television. Looking around the classroom, I noticed that there were also a number of computers, but I came to learn latter that they were used in playing games. When the time for story came, I could not stop noticing that Natalie and John were attentive, so were the rest of the students. They must have been enjoying the story that was being narrated. At the end of story, it was time for questions. ‘John, could you please tell us John was bought a bicycle by his father?” the teacher asked before John responded, ‘because he worked hard and passed his exams.” He was applauded for giving the correct answer to the question. The teacher latter informed me that the main reason why he used stories is to pass major themes to the children. For this particular story, the main theme was the importance of hard work in academics. She wanted to teach the children that there are rewards for working hard. ‘Natalie, can you tell us why Mary was punished by his mother?’ asked the teacher. ‘Because she refused to go to school,’ she answered. She was also applauded for providing a right response. Midmorning session In the midmorning session, all the children were requested to go to the field. The children seemed to be motivated as they went outside to play games. The physical development was also an important aspect of children’s development. They began by running round before they began playing the games of their preference. Some, like John, played football, while Natalie and others preferred hide and seek. John seemed to have a talent in football. I saw him dribble the ball before he beat a defender to score a goal. ‘This is how we get to establish the talents of each of the children,’ then teacher said. She told me that games played other major roles such as making the children healthier. When the time was over, all the children went to have their lunchtime meal. Afternoon session This is the time that all the teachers were very active. All the toys were removed from the cupboard and children asked to go outside. Each of the children was given the permission to select the game that they wanted to play. After that, the teacher divided them in accordance with the kind of games that they were going to play. John was in category that selected the toy cars, while Natalie belonged to the group that opted to play simple scrabble games. The latter required the children to create words depending on the letters presents. Others required them to fill in the blanks with the current letters to create words. The games according to the teachers were imperative for mental development in children. They were meant to ensure that the children were more creative and in terms of solving different social challenges. For instance, some of the games played by the children ensured that they were in a position to make put their mind at work. ‘We have observed some of them when they are role playing, and therefore we know those of them who can become leaders,’ the teacher indicated. To them, games were better than making children learn many theories in classroom. When the children were playing, the teacher would go around asking questions such as, ‘what type of game is this?’ ‘What makes you like it so much?’ such questions are imperative in establishing the motives of children in making a choice of certain games. Secondly, it enables the teachers to know the interests of the children when they grow up. Analysis of the above scenario The above is an example of an ordinary class setting and the importance of games in children. The class setting was in a way that it ensured that none of the children would be harmed. This was imperative owing to the fact that there is a stipulation within laws and regulations guiding on the children environment. According to the stipulations, the classroom should also be contracted in a way that it would make it possible for the children to concentrate on what was happening in classroom. For instance, it is indicated that majority of the children at this age become easily carried away by what is happening elsewhere. It therefore becomes important to ensure that all the children are able to give attention to what is happening, just like when they were listening to the stories. For this to be achieved, the children should for instance not see what is happening outside. This is done by putting opaque glasses up to the level that the children can easily view what is going on outside. This may explain why majority of them were very engaged in what was happening in the classroom. Roles of play and pedagogy According to the teachers in that kindergarten, games could be considered as being integral port of learning (Glazzard 2010, p.87). They made it possible for the children to understand the social phenomenon better. This is unlike when they would rather be exposed to some books work. According to the teachers, games made many children enjoy going to school. ‘They motivated the children to learn.’ I learned that while most children would hate being in school due to the instant change in environment, they would soon learn to appreciate being there because of the games that they played. Such games are said to motivate many children by occupying their mind and also making learning more enjoyable. This is imperative especially when parents want to encourage their children to go to school (Callaway 2005, p.98). There is a relationship between play and physical development in children and this explains why such games were encouraged in such kindergarten (Edwards 2001, p.76). With the current increase in the cases of obesity, it has become a policy that games should be introduced in school. The United States and United Kingdom are for instance the worst hit by this social phenomenon. Majority of the affected are children while at a tender age. It is for this purpose that the schools were encouraged to begin having games in their classes. This made sure that all the children would become physically healthy and avoid some lifestyle ailments. Games have also been said to play a big role in ensuring that the children become more confidence in life. For instance, some children are unable to express themselves in front of others. This is because they are either shy or they are suffering from any form of abuse. The latter for instance is for the children who are brought up in families that are malfunctioned (Carr 2005, p.65). They are exposed to either physical or psychological torture. They are also denied the parental love, which is vital for the children at this period of time. For that reason, such children may appear lonely and isolated from the rest. ‘We have seen such cases,’ the teacher told me before she continued, ‘some of these children are too shy to answer questions in classroom.’ However, she indicated that through continued interaction with the rest of the children, it has become possible for most of such children to gain emotional stability and begin opening up. As observed from the classes, children develop mentally through play. They are able to develop the skills that would be preparing them for what they would become in future. For instance, I observed when the children were role playing (Glenda 2003, p.65). some of them demonstrated strong character and leadership skills. It was possible to tell what most of them were likely to become in future. On the other hand, some of the games that the children were playing were very challenging. They needed such children to become very more creative in order to solve them in the best way (Pugh 2011, p.76). This showed that such children were prepared to deal with major issues in the society today and have the right solutions. ‘What we look here is producing holistic children,’ the teacher said. This has been made possible through ensuring that we play as many games as possible. They are imperative in ensuring that the future of the children can be extrapolated from what they do today. ‘For instance, we have been able to know that some of these children can make it very well in classroom,’ the teacher indicated. ‘However, some of them are good in field events,’ she continued. The children who are unable to perform well in their academic normally may have low self-esteem and look down upon themselves (Goffin 2011, p.97). However, when they are exposed in games, they are able to understand that there is a strong part of them that they should be willing to exploit. Language development was also a part of the role that the games played (Mayall 2002, p.90). Initially, some of the children found it difficult to pronounce some words. As indicated earlier on, children in this class have come from different economic backgrounds. For that reason, some of them have been affected by their native language, making them experience difficulties when making pronation. It is with the help of interaction through play that some of them learn how to make proper pronunciations and other communication skills. The classroom setting also demonstrated the fact that it was important to foster inclusion. The term refers to the process through which children with different physical challenges are also included in classroom, to learn together with the rest of the pupils. It is a policy in many schools that assists in dealing with issues of discrimination. In this particular school, there were about three pupils who were physically challenged. The design of the classroom and the environment around ensured that such children were able to find learning easy. On the other hand, the teacher ensured that he took time to address the needs of each of the children. The other main observation that I made was the fact that children were the main determinants of what the teachers would teach on any particular time (Mooney 2000, p.89). For that reason, though there was a curriculum that the teachers needed to follow, it was important to provide the children with an opportunity to choose what they wanted to learn. This was imperative in ensuring that such children explored their environment with a view to understanding it better. On the other hand, teachers are discouraged from making a class to become teacher-centred (Miller 2011, p.87). The latter occurs when the teacher goes to the class with a mind-set of what they want to teach the children. This is however discouraged owing to the fact that children have special needs that need to be addressed at any given time. It therefore becomes imperative for the teachers to ensure that what the children are taught is in accordance with their preference. As I observed for instance, this is a time that the children are given the time of exploring their own environment. For instance, none of the teachers dictated what kind of games such children should play. They were given the permission to make a choice of the games that they wanted to play. This was imperative for the purpose of ensuring that each of the child’s needs was addressed. It was also a way of ensuring that each of the children is considered a different entity with different skills and knowledge. In conclusion, games have become part of the learning experience for many children. The games play major roles in producing children who are holistic. These are the children that excel in different aspects of life. It is a way of ensuring that children are not just fed academically, but that their special talents are also taken into consideration. Games have been able to play major roles in children development. For instance, majority of the children gain their motivation to learn through games. They are able to explore their environment when playing different kinds of games. Through games, it has become possible to understand the different talents that the children possess. When that is established, teaches are able nurture such talents to assist children to live their lives in full potential when they grow up. Children should be able to determine what is good for them. This is in terms of what games to play and what their teachers should teach them. It is imperative to note that the situation at this level of learning is different from what is observed later in life as people develop. Children need to be given permission to explore their world. In so doing, there is need to ensure that the environment in which such children exist is safe. This is done by removing any obstacles that may harm children. Bibliography Carr M. 2005 Assessment in Early Childhood Settings, London: Paul Chapman Publishing. Callaway G. 2005 Early Years Curriculum: A View from Outdoors, London: David Fulton Publishers. Edwards A. & Knight P. 2001, Effective Early Years Education. Teaching Young Children, Buckingham: Open University Press Glazzard J., Chadwick D., Webster A. and Percival J. 2010 Assessment for Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, London: Sage... Glenda Mac Naughton 2003, Shaping Early Childhood. Learner, Curriculum and Contexts, UK: Open University Press. Goffin S. & Wilson C. 2001, Curriculum Models and Early Childhood Education (second Edition), New Jersey: Prentice Hall... Mayall, B 2002 Towards a Sociology for Childhood: thinking from children’s lives. Buckingham: Open University Press Miller L. and Pound L. 2011 Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years (Critical Issues in the Early Years), London: Sage. Mooney C. 2000 Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erickson, Piaget and Vygotsky, USA: Redleaf Press. Pugh G. 2011 Contemporary Issues in the Early Years: Working collaboratively for children, 3rd Ed. London: Paul Chapman Read More