Early Childhood: Philosophy, Research, And Theory

It is without a doubt that children of all ages love to play. Riding a bike, building with blocks, pretending to own a restaurant, putting on a puppet show, and climbing on the jungle gym are just a few of many ways that children play. Free choice time in classrooms and recess out on the playground are two of the favorite times of day for a lot of children. From the busyness of their little bodies while playing a game of tag to the quiet and concentrated faces while putting together a puzzle, children are almost always in a constant state of learning. And often times, children don’t even realize they are learning while playing. Play has been simply defined as And that why play is so powerful in the early lives of children.

Historical

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It is one of the least differentiated in the levels of education. The philosophical founders of Early Childhood are John Amos Comenius, John Locke, and Jean Rousseau. More recently, the theories in Early Childhood were provided by Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, and Erik Erikson. There is one common theme when it comes to these people, and that is their priority to have curriculum and teaching methods be revolved around the interests and needs of interactive learning through play (Elkind, 2010). There a handful of theories that support the play based curriculum as well. The modern theories include the Psychoanalytic theory, Arousal Modulation theory, Metacommunicative theory, and Cognitive theories. The modern theories are very directed towards the development of children. Additionally, they explain why and how the current lives of children affect play behavior (Saracho, & Spodek,

Rachel White, a child psychologist at the University of Minnesota, states that “under pressure of rising academic standards, play is being replaced by test preparation” (White, 2012). White also states that “while experts continue to expound a powerful argument for play, the actual time children spend playing continues to decrease” (White, 2012). Many studies and research are being conducted in an effort to bring awareness of the importance of play in young children’s lives. A recent study conducted by the Minnesota Children's Museum shows that guided play can provide a solid foundation to learn. When adults guide children through play, they can initiate the context of the play, and then set goals that can then be met through interactions between the adult and child while actively playing together. The level of interaction varies depending on the needs of the child. Some children only need to be provided with materials and instructions while others need their play to be laid out step by step. It is not the quantity of adult interaction, but rather the quality. When guiding play, it is important to remember that a child will not learn while playing if he/she isn't interested in engaging with the play from the start. Adults need to keep the play centered around the child interests in order for them to want to actively participate. Studies have proven that “play should stem from the child’s own