Read Article
- How play connects to learning resource website by NAEYC Link (Links to an external site.) includes resources and articles about the benefits of play based learning.
Santrock, J.W. (2023). A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development (11th ed.). McGraw Hill Education.
- Discuss the developmental functions of play in early childhood.
- Discuss some of the different kinds of play behaviors that you would expect to see as an observer at a preschool.
- With reference to research findings, present your views on whether you would approve of your young child watching several hours of television per day. What are some potential positive and negative outcomes associated with television watching in early childhood?
- Part II – Observation Analysis
- One of the ways to learn about a young child’s development is through naturalistic observation. This assignment requires that you observe one video in the educational environment for children between the ages 2-5 years while they are engaged in play. Include your observation notes which should reflect the information analyzed in the following questions. Also include the link to the video.
- Questions
- A synthesis of the types of play you observed in relation to the different theories mentioned with examples from your observation notes
- What can Early Childhood Educators do to foster healthy physical, cognitive and social/emotional development in early childhood.
Submission Details
Submit your assignment online via canvas. You can upload a word or pdf document or you can type in the text box. You can submit multiple documents.
Your essay needs to include a Cover page, 5 pages of content, In-text citations within the paper, a reference page, 12 font, Times New Roman font, double spaced, intro & conclusion paragraphs.
Make sure to upload the notes from the observation and include the link to the video.
Grading Rubric
- APA Format (Cover Page, Reference Page, font (Times new roman), double space, essay format, in-text citations, reference page) (10 pts)
- Introductory Paragraph (5 pts)
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Part I – Benefits of Play Analysis (40 pts)
- Discuss the developmental functions of play in early childhood. (15 pts)
- Discuss some of the different kinds of play behaviors that you would expect to see as an observer at a preschool. (15 pts)
- With reference to research findings, present your views on whether you would approve of your young child watching several hours of television per day. What are some potential positive and negative outcomes associated with television watching in early childhood? (10 pts)
-
Part II – Observation Analysis (40 pts)
- A synthesis of the types of play you observed in relation to the different theories mentioned with examples from your observation notes (20 pts)
- What can Early Childhood Educators do to foster healthy physical, cognitive and social/emotional development in early childhood (10 pts)
- Link to the video observed (10 pts)
- Conclusion Paragraph (5 pts)
- Total Points – 100 points
Video (Children playing) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9tJBluH1Zw
Include observation notes and link of vdieo in essay.
About the Benefits of Play Analysis and Observation Midterm Paper
The development of play is an important milestone in early childhood. Play holds a crucial role in providing a safe, caring, protective, confidential, and containing space where children can recreate themselves and their experiences through an exploratory process (Winnicott, 1942; Erikson, 1963).
During this stage, pretend play is a great way for children to express their thoughts, emotions, fears, and anxieties. Early childhood play can be understood by observing the elements of fantasy, organization, and comfort. Fantasy, the process of make-believe, is an essential behavior the child engages in during pretend play; organization helps the child to structure pretend play into a story and to utilize cause-and-effect thinking; and comfort is used to assess the ease and pleasure in the engagement in play.[3] (Links to an external site.)
As children progress through the stage of early childhood, they also progress through several stages of non-social and social play. Stages of play is a theory and classification of participation in play developed by Mildred Parten Newhall in 1929. Parten observed American children at free play. She recognized six different types of play: