Theorists (Play) Flashcards
Leuven scales
Created by Ferre Laevers.
They measure two important components to maximise learning:
Wellbeing (enjoyment, and being at ease)
Involvement (Motivation and concentration, fascination)
Bob Hughes’ Taxonomy of Play (SSS- RRRELIC-CORD-FM)
Bob Hughes’ Taxonomy of Play (SSS- RRRELIC-CORD-FM)
There need to be as many diverse play opportunities as possible to promote brain development of a child between 0 and 9 years of age.
There are 16 types if play ( a child can engage on more than once at the same time)
Symbolic play: e.g., using an object to represent another, e.g. a small ball is an egg
Socio-dramatic play: children are acting out scenes from their experiences (dramatic play: enacting scenes they have seen from others, e.g., the tv)
Social Play: Children interact with one another, understanding different emotions and feelings; negotiation and talk about what they are going to do during play. This in itself is play. For example: “I am going to be the teacher and you are going to be the boy” “but I want to be the mummy” “First you can be the boy and then the teacher. We need a board.
Rough and Tumble Play: allows children to be energetic and explore physical contact with others as they use their whole body, for example chasing, spinning, rolling, wrestling. It allows to build bonds and understand boundaries.
Recapitulative play: play that has to do with discovering rituals, stories, ancestry, for example finding dens, discovering elements such as water or natural materials, gardening. Allows them to be in contact with nature and the human evolutionary stages.
Risky play: children are learning about risk taking in a supervised environment, for example standing on a tall block. They feel the risk but they do it anyway
Exploratory play: children explore their surroundings, going to a new place and go everywhere to explore it. They see a new object so they want to know what can this do? Or can’t?
Locomotor play: children are moving their body, including rough and tumble play (important to learn what their body can do and develop empathy)
Imaginative play: Children role play and act out various experiences, e.g. imaginary dog or friend
Creative play: children express themselves. For example when they make up a rhythm or tune
Communication play: using words, sound and gestures to communicate with peers and see what reaction they are going to get from others. Play with language and words, for example singing games
Object play: children explore and use objects in a different way they are intended to be used. They explore the object and how it feels like to touch it, see what it does, if it makes a noise, etc. it’s the initially finding out what the object is.
Role Play: Play that uses imagination to act out roles they have come into contact with: they imagine what being another person might be (e.g. being the doctor, or being a princess)
Dramatic play: Children decide roles to play
Fantasy play: Children use their imagination to create fantasy play ideas (e.g. monsters, elves, aliens, etc.)
Mastery play: activities where children can be “the hero”, at the end of which they can be proud of their achievement. Children play with something where they feel as the masters, in charge
Reggio Emilia Approach
Children have an innate curiosity to explore and investigate the world.
Three core principles
1 the child is central
2 the environment should be stimulating and accessible (environment is a teacher)
3 the teacher should be supportive and allow them to be independent (take a step back)
Loose Parts Play
Approach from the 1970s. Providing parts and materials that can be combined in different ways to stimulate children’s creativity. This play supports cognitive and physical skills.
Robert Sternberg’s intelligence theory
There are three fundamental types of intelligence that need to coexist in an individual: analytical intelligence (the ability to successfully carry out academical tasks), but also practical intelligence and creative intelligence. Therefore, assessing methods like tests are fundamentally wrong and limiting.
Children should be instead supported with practical and creative tasks (encouraging reasoning, creating, moving, transforming) to fully enhance their cognitive skills. It is important that children are encouraged to question things. Children must be allowed to be imaginative, make mistakes and express themselves/their ideas.
The environment is very important because it support learning.
Enquiry-based approach to play and learning
This pedagogy approach focuses on encouraging children to ask questions and let their curiosity lead their learning. This is hands-on learning and supports critical thinking skills, problem solving and creativity. It could be open-ended and originating from child’s own interests and questions, or more structured which involves providing real-life problems to solve.
