Test 2 Flashcards
Importance of play
why is indoor and outdoor play VERY IMPORTANT
Children learn through play
For children, play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.
What can be said about this
For children, play IS serious learning
How do you define play
through the characteristics of play
Why is defining play not an easy task
it’s easy to recognize but hard to define
Characteristics of play (5)
- Play is voluntary + chosen by the child
- Play is meaningful to children
- Play is pleasurable and enjoyable for the child
- Play involves make belief/pretend
- Play is fun
Context of play (3)
Social, temporal, and physical
Social (context of play)
with whom he plays (siblings, parents, and classmates)
Temporal (context of play)
time to do the negotiating, planning, and development required for play
Physical (context of play)
where he plays; a classroom, a playground or at home
Continuously keep playing; a matter of ____________ for children
Continuously keep playing; a matter of relaxation for children
What can be said about the floor plan
Don’t divide randomly → use the formula
Ancient theories of play (4)
- The surplus energy theory
- The relaxation and recreation theories
- The practice theory
- The recapitulation theory
The surplus energy theory
play is a mechanism for burning off excess energy
The relaxation and recreation theories
play meets an adult’s need for relaxation after a hard days work.
The practice theory
play allows children to practise adult activities
The recapitulation theory
Children are the link in the evolutionary chain between animals and adults
- In play, children go through or recapitulate all the steps humans passed before reaching their current evolutionary stage.
Freud’s theory of play (3)
- play has an anxiety release and wishful fulfillment functions
- Allows the child to release from the real world + opportunity to express impulses and wishes that are not acceptable in the real world
- Play is healing → permits children to relieve frustration and express their emotions
Play therapy evolved from the who’s theory of play
+ what can be said about it
the Freudian view of play
+ remains a common and powerful tool in therapeutic and Hospital settings
Piaget’s theory of play (2)
- Saw play as pure simulation
- In play, the child assimilates a person, an event, or an object into current schemes or ways of thinking
Piaget’s theory of play: Play changes with age (3)
- Practice play (birth to 2 years)
- Symbolic play (2 to 7 years)
- Games with rules (7 to 11 years)
Practice play (birth to 2 years)
(4)
- Play is physical, not symbolic
- Practice play → the term used to describe the repeated actions of the infant
- The infant repeats the behavior that once was difficult + takes pleasure in mastering the skill
- As motor development becomes refined → babies use practice, trial and error + experimentation to gain control over the environment
Symbolic play (2 to 7 years)
- Symbolic play becomes possible as the children can mentally represent objects, events, and people
- pretend play common during this period, and it becomes more social in nature, progressing from solitary to group pretend play
Games with rules (7 to 11 years)
- Games with rules become possible once concrete operations are achieved in children
- Initiate an interest in organized games with simple rules
- The rules become more complex as a child’s cognitive capacities become more advanced
Vygotsky’s theory of play
- Saw the emotional side of play, the imaginary, illusory realization of unrealized desires
- Like Piaget, also side the cognitive side of play
Imaginary play does not emerge until around _____ years
three years
Plays is the source of _________ + a major factor __________
Plays is the source of development + a major factor in language development
What is play
Play is described as a sequence of four activities young children engage in when they encounter new objects and situations
4 parts of play + explain
Exploration → an investigation of the situation
Manipulation → familiarization with features and properties
Patience → experimentation
Repetition → mastering skills relative to the object/situation
Definitions of play
- Definitions of play have abounded over the years → most satisfactory ones focusing on play as an attitude
- Children + adults enter into play with an atitude that is different from their auitude when they work or study
- That attitude distinguishes play from other forms of activity
Parents social theories (4)
- Unoccupied behaviour
- Solitary play
- Onlooker play
- Parallel play
Unoccupied behaviour
- Child moves around the classroom going around from one area to another, observingbut not getting involved
Solitary play (+age)
- Child plays alone, uninvolved with other children nearby
- Done by children of all ages, more complex in older children
Onlooker play (+age)
- Watching others nearby, without joining in
- Common among 2 year olds
Parallel play (+age)
- Most social form + involves children playing togeher in a shared activity
- Typical of older preschoolers
Cognitive play (4)
- Functional play
- Constructive play
- Dramatic play
- Games with rules
Functional play (+age)
- Repetitive, used to explore what object are like and what can be done with them
- Infants and toddlers
Constructive play
Creating something with the play objects
Dramatic play
Child uses a play object to substitute for something imaginary
Games with rules (+age)
- Involves accepted, prearranged rues to play
- More typical in children
Superheroes (good+bad)
- Superhero play has been criticized but it has been pointed out that children benefit from these play experiences in many ways
- Children:
a) Are empowered
b) Experience positive emotions (courage, strength…)
c) Gain confidence in themselves
d) Can role play in a safe practice problem solving + decision makin
Why is guidance important?
- Every time you help a child to look at his or her behavior and to evaluate its appropriateness → shaping future behavior
what can be said regarding time and guidance
Doesn’t happen in one instance → Takes time and patience
Explaining = ________
Explaining = Guiding
Guidance = __________
Punishment = ____________
Guidance = positive discipline
Punishment = negative discipline
Guidance is _________ not __________
Guidance is positive discipline not punishment
Positive discipline helps children achieve __________
Positive discipline helps children achieve self-discipline
What is Punishment
Punishment emphasizes what the child should not do, without giving any indication of what the desired behavior is
Punishment focuses on ____________ rather than ____________
Focuses on obedience rather than development of self-control
why do we say what punishment undermines self-esteem?
because it makes decisions for the child rather than allowing the child to think through a solution
why can physical punishment increase undesirable behavior such as aggression
since it models the very behavior it intended to discourage
why do ECE experts discourage punishment
because of its long-term ineffectiveness in changing behavior
what do we call the behaviors we expect of young children
Goals (pro-social qualities)
What behaviors do we expect of young children
Friendly, sociable, responsible, helpful cooperative, and considerate, and who acquire a conscience
where are prosocial behaviors most likely to appear
children who live in a nurturing environment (Where understanding and caring are modeled
Where responsibility is expected
Where inductive reasoning is used)
You can guide children to gain prosocial qualities behaviors through ________
You can guide children to gain these behaviors through the act of play
Induction
an approach in which adults help children see through logic and reasoning the consequences of their behavior for other people
Morality of autonomy
based on inner sense of integrity
Morality of obedience
based on doing what one is told to do
To achieve morality of autonomy
Children need, from an early age, many opportunities to develop a sense of personal values
Internal control
The development of values comes from the opportunities to exchange viewpoints with others and opportunities to make decisions
_____ rather than _____ control is critical
Internal rather than external control is critical
What does this mean
Internal rather than external control is critical
Means that the child does what is right, not because they might be responsible to do it, but because it’s the right thing to do
inner control and morality of autonomy - which is the key term
Inner control is the key term - mortality of autonomy deals with inner control
Morality of obedience deals with ______
Morality of obedience deals with external control
Eclectic approach to guidance
(both sides)
- If you were raised by a family that used fitness and fairness –> Will most likely bring your own experiences to the task of guiding young children
- If your family was an authoritarian - you were expected to follow rules - then you will need to examine whether you carry this attitude into your work
Eclectic approach to guidance - what should you keep in mind
As you explain your own values, keep in mind your aim in working with the children whose parents have entrusted them into your daycare
Eclectic approach to guidance
Review your style, why
Review your style → if it is not appropriate or practical then you change it
Model
Children are likely to imitate those they admire and like
Guidance techniques (7)
- Model
- Focus on “Do’s” Instead of “Don’ts”
- Listen
- Stay calm and gentle
- Know the children
- Provide choice: Autonomy vs. obedience
- Use redirection and distraction
Guidance technique
Focus on “Do’s” Instead of “Don’ts”
Stop running in the hall –> Walk in the hall, please. You can run when we go outdoors
Guidance technique
Listen
Listening is important –> It is a process: listening, understanding, remembering, evaluating and responding
Guidance technique
Stay calm and gentle
As a teacher remaining calm + not allowing stress to interfere in your judgment is critical to keeping others calm
Guidance technique
Know the children
Know what triggers certain children’s behaviors (ex. A child who hits children when the room is crowded; make sure that he has more space)
Guidance technique
Use redirection and distraction
- distraction through humor → used very effectively by some teachers in “Me Against You”
- Fun to use humor; helps prevent power struggles
Guidance technique
Reinforcement and bribe - difference
- Reinforcement → Follows the behaviour - Technique used to manage behavior
- Bribe → The promise of reward comes first, followed by the behavior
Guidance technique
Reinfocement - what can you do for more powerful reinforcement and when
Behaviorists may result in more powerful reinforcement; Food, toys, tokens or privileges to reward a child –> Only if that child does not respond to social reinforcement
While positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool, ________ or general statements like “ good boy, good job” → actually be _________-
While positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool, ineffective praise or general statements like “ good boy, good job” → actually be counterproductive
Effective praise
focuses on the activity and process, allows children to evaluate their own work
what to keep in mind with praise
Praise immediately
Provide attention
Helps build trust
Relaxation techniques
*children
One approach to relaxation is to experience muscle tension followed by muscle relaxation
- ex. for children: Children instruction instructed to make themselves Stiff as a board, then to become as floppy as a doll
What type of behavior deserves timeout?
When the behavior is serious, the child is taken to an identified location
purpose of timeout
Method used to eliminate undesirable behaviors
time out - how can it be considered just punishment?
If you just put them in the corner and say nothing as to why → punishment
(deprive the child of being with their friend)
Time out - punishment or guidance?
If you put them in the corner and explain to them why they are there:
- The act of bringing them there → punishment, but…
- Explaining why → is a form of guidance
→ combination of both
Time out and time
Two minutes or less!!
Leave a kid for 5 minutes → an abuse
Curriculum
Curriculum is a lesson plan. Curriculum = for children: should be flexible
Curriculum vs. lesson plan
- The term curriculum is used when discussing programs for preschool children
- The term lesson plan is more used when discussing school children
Elements of the Curriculum
The ECE Curriculum is the result of both long-range and short-term planning + children’s developmental levels
What type of planning - infants
short term planning
Long-term planning → inappropriate for infants and toddlers
Change so quickly - almost daily
Curriculum has to be really related to several important factors (4)
- Philosophy
- Learning outcomes
- Observation
- Evaluation
Program philosophy and curriculum
(2)
- Curriculum takes its direction from the overall philosophy of your program
- The children in your program + your assumptions about how best to meet their specific requirements will also affect the curriculum
Standards, learning outcomes, and curriculum
- Objectives/goals stem from a program’s philosophy → are standards you aim to achieve
→ translated into concrete learning outcomes
Standards + learning outcomes
expectations about what we want a person to know and be able to do
Observation and curriculum - why
Would be impossible to determine if your outcome was appropriate without observation
Observation and curriculum:
Observations must be _____ and _______
Observations must be describable and measurable
Assessment, evaluation, and curriculum
- A curriculum has to be closely matched to the needs of the children + the program
- Evaluation is an important element in curriculum development
Children’s development and curriculum
Curriculum that does not accommodate and adjust for the comprehension levels, abilities, needs and interests of the children is meaningless
To plan an appropriate program requires knowledge (4)
- Individual variation among the children
- Age group of your class
- Family characteristics
- Backgrounds
Curriculum content
Best way to find what is appropriate in a curriculum → say it should be derived from (3)
- The children’s life experiences
- Based on what is concrete
- Tied to their emerging skills
Children as the focus of the curriculum
- Most crucial attributes children need to face the future → feelings of self-worth + competence
- Self-understanding comes from learning about oneself
- Children enjoy learning about themselves → focus on children as a part of the curriculum
The family as the focus of the curriculum
Family is vitally relevant to the children + provides another basis for curriculum topics
The community as the focus of the curriculum - why
- Can help children build an understanding of a community as a social system by focusing on the interrelatedness of the people who live and work in
The community as the focus of the curriculum - how
From the community + the people that work in it, children can learn through projects: About local forms of transportation, health services, local recreational facilities…
Planning the curriculum - Preschoolers and school age children
Plans + objectives may cover a longer time span
Planning the curriculum - Primary school level
Flexible long-term objectives are appropriate
Planning the curriculum: Activities
- The play in which children are involved → as important as any planning
- Children at play → constructing new knowledge, for which we could not possibly plan
Planning the curriculum: Environment
- An environment that is designed to promote play + learning opportunities facilitates children’s propensity to explore and investigate
- Peaks their curiosity + desire to find out more; which generates questions
Planning the curriculum: Team Planning
- Planning for an individual child or class without regard for the system to which they belong → useless
- The school as a whole must buy into the philosophy, goals, + curriculum
