Aggument for early childhood education socio-emotional support - Essay Example

?Imaginative Play: An Argument for Early Childhood Education Socio-Emotional Support Each preschool has its own ideas about how to provide care for young children, and its own approach to what resources to provide, what rules should be in place, what curriculum is best, how to measure success and, especially, what it means to support children’s development. In some preschools there is an emphasis on structured academic learning, while at other schools the emphasis is on a more natural unfolding of the child’s potential. Diversity is good and parents can choose among a variety of approaches. However, there is one area in which “the right way to do things” should be observed, because the costs of doing otherwise are too high, for individuals and for society. That area is in preschool support of social and emotional development. It is critical that the preschool child develop social and emotional development skills, and one of the best ways to do so is in imaginative play. Therefore, this paper argues that preschool teachers must learn how to support young children’s socio-emotional development in imaginative play. There are some basic socio-emotional skills that need to be mastered prior to entering kindergarten. If these skills are not acquired, the child experiences difficulty with school lessons and school experience in more advanced grades. These skills are said to include: Identify and Understand Own Feelings Empathize (understand other people’s feelings) Self- Regulate (control own feelings, moods and behaviors) Cooperate (get along with peers and teachers for group activities) Establish and Sustain Relationships Pay Attention and Follow Directions (Boyd, 2005) These skills build on each other and even activate maturation of the brain (Ginsburg, 2007). For example, self-regulation requires proper pre-frontal cortex development. At the same time, development and maturation of the pre-frontal cortex is improved through practicing self-regulation. Practicing a skill enforces neuronal traces in the brain, and if they are not used, through sufficient practice, these neuronal traces are purged from the brain. This purging leaves the brain with fewer resources for learning that particular skill (Wenner, 2009). So this is one major argument I want to make, in this paper: that if preschool teachers do not support children in practicing socio-emotional skills, the child’s brain is likely going to be warped in a way that can be permanent, a case of bad teaching causing brain damage. This damage to the developing child’s capacity may go unnoticed at first, but becomes increasingly serious as time goes on. In fact, research indicates that children who fail to develop normal socio-emotional skills are at much higher risk for continued classroom misbehavior, peer rejection, low self-esteem, juvenile delinquency, and eventually a downward spiral into crime (Wenner, 2009). This costs the child a loss of their potential, and it costs society a lot of money and fear and loss. This tragedy is widespread. Kindergarten teachers’ ratings indicate that 20-30% of kindergarten children lack social-emotional skills (Boyd, 2005). The biggest tragedy is that it is easily preventable! One of the most important ways that a child can develop the necessary socio-emotional skills is through imaginative play (Barbour, 2007; Ginsburg, 2007). Imaginative play allows the child to develop both cognitive and socio-emotional skills. The child can practice skills, in safety, that have been slightly introduced earlier. For example, the child may have observed adults shaking hands in greeting, demonstrating politeness. The child may be intrigued by this social ritual but feel too shy to try it, in case of embarrassment. Imaginative play allows the child to create a situation within a personal comfort zone, in which that skill can be practiced. In terms of self-regulation, as another example, the child may have experienced a recent situation that aroused feels of intense anger at a sibling. The child understands that it is not safe to violently attack the sibling, and so the impulse for such behavior has to be controlled. Yet, pulling in strong emotions and keeping them in check is difficult. The child may still imagine what it would feel like to get revenge on the sibling. In imaginative play, the child can poison the sibling or send the sibling to jail forever, and retain safety and morality, because it is pretend. The sibling will still be there at the end of the day. The parents will not be angry and the child will not lose their approval. Yet the child will have had the satisfaction of revenge, after all. Imaginative play allows the child to make sense of the world, within a framework in which he or she can exercise some control over the process and the ending. A macabre ending is as much a possibility as a happy ending. A stressful experience can be re-fashioned. Pediatrician, Kenneth Ginsburg (2007) says that: Play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue (p 183). There are many beneficial steps preschool teachers can take to support young children in their socio-emotional development, through imaginative play. Teachers should respond to children out of early childhood development training skills and not out of personal emotional or cultural agenda. For example, if a child is playing with the concept of violence, the teacher should help to keep the child safe, and redirect when necessary, but should not scold the child for not playing by adult rules. It is play, after all, and the details are symbolic representations (Barbour, 2007). Teachers absolutely must provide more time for free, imaginative play, rather than scheduling and structuring play time, cutting it down to a bare minimum to make room for academic competencies and assessments. Academic competencies in fact build upon and go hand-in-hand with socio-emotional development (Ginsburg, 2007). Brown, a psychiatrist and psychiatric researcher for 42 years, has interviewed some 6,000 people about their childhoods, and his data shows that not enough imaginative play can keep children from becoming well-adjusted adults (Wenner, 2009). It is important for teachers to allow rambunctious free play instead of keeping all play calm (Wenner, 2009), because play needs to be free, and it becomes work, instead of play, when it is confined within an adult agenda. When invited, teachers can be children’s play partners, especially with a child who needs more encouragement and reassurance. Teachers can help children plan the framework of their play, or pose suggestions for themes. The teacher should not, however, control the play, but can model more complex ways of using the materials (Barbour, 2007). Teachers should encourage children to tell stories to each other (Oesterreich,1995). The teacher can write their stories down, to read to everyone again, later. Children love to hear their own stories read to them. It raises confidence and encourages the focusing of attention. Another play method that encourages confidence and paying attention, as well as cooperation and following directions, is “Follow the Leader” (Oesterreich, 1995). Teachers should provide an imaginatively-expressive environment and resources, to build socio-emotional confidence. Provide props that support socio-emotional development through play (Oesterreich, 1995). Examples are: dolls, strollers, cradle, doll house, plastic or wooden people and animals, puppets and puppet theatre, hats, masks, cash register, birthday cake (3 D puzzle) and party supplies, fire truck and hat and hose, doctor’s kit, stick horses, walkie-talkies. Use real items (as opposed to toy items) as much as possible (Barbour, 2007). For example, use real hats instead of paper hats, real kitchen items instead of small, fragile plastic ones, etc., so that children have the experience of engaging in authentic learning. Provide materials that can support a variety of themes. Provide music for imaginative movement. Encourage creative and imaginative expression. Although there are many ideas about how to raise children and how to educate young children, some are so clearly supported by research, and therefore by the experts, that they absolutely must be included in any early childhood education program. This paper has presented the argument that it is of critical importance for teachers to support socio-emotional development through imaginative play. In fact, to fail at this is to tragically fail the child, not just in school but throughout life, and further to fail society. As summarized in this paper, this support is easily done. There is no excuse to neglect this responsibility. No child should ever suffer from this neglect. The cost is too high. References Barbour, A. (2007). Dramatic Play and Imagination. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from A Place of Our Own. Boyd, J. (2005). Promoting children's social and emotional development through preschool education. National Institute for Early Education Research. Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119:1, pp. 182-191. Oesterreich, L. (1995). Ideas for Caregivers. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from National Network for Child Care. Wenner, M. (2009). The Serious Need for Play. Scientific American Mind, 22-26. Read More