Monash University

EDF 4328

Assignment 2

Individual Paper

A Model of Play

Sophie Glover 22357203

EDF 4328: Play and Pedagogy Semester 2, 2013 Monash University Date submitted: Assessors: Dr. Avis Ridgway Word count: 2100

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Table of Contents:

1. Provision of Original Model of Play .. p. 3. 2. Reflection on Active Institutional Practices that led to Concept Diagram . p. 4. 3. Theoretical Discussion linked to Personal Model of Play .. p. 5. 4. Evidence of Play Observations and Planning using Model of Play p. 8. 5. Explanation from Childs Perspective p. 1.

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1. Figure 1: Model of Play Concept Diagram

External Influences
School Home Environment Socioeconomics Values Community Culture Setting Politics Beliefs

Play

Child
Individual Consolidation of new
concepts Deeper understanding

Collective New Knowledge Wellbeing Relationships Creativity & Imagination Social & Cultural Competence Collaboration Shared Experiences Identity

Other

Individual Consolidation of new

concepts Deeper understanding

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2. Reflection on Active Institutional Practices that led to Concept Diagram

Over the course of my studies I have observed a number of incidences in childrens play situations that have influenced my development of a Concept Diagram based on my personal understanding of play from a theoretical perspective. Within this Concept Diagram are three interconnected circles, each representing an element that I have observed to be an essential component of childrens play. In summary, my Concept Diagram aims to show the cyclical processes connecting the child as an individual to others through play; how such play is influenced by external factors; and how these factors in turn have implications on children both individually and collectively. During my fieldwork I have observed the playing child as an individual, which led me to construct the first circle in my Concept Diagram, labeled the Child. As I considered the playing child as an individual, it was impossible to ignore their relationships with others. This led me to establish the second interlocking circle in my Concept Diagram labeled Other. As I understand play, these two circles are intrinsically linked in their cyclical nature. This understanding comes from my observations of children engaging in social and interactive play together, building on one anothers knowledge to construct new understandings across the domains, then practicing, refining, varying, and consolidating these new understandings in individual play. The children then go on to use these new understandings in their play with others, thus corroborating the cycle between individual and social learning through play. For example, as two children play in the home corner together they each express what they know of everyday life. This will be different for each, depending on their unique individual experiences to date. Together, they each build on their understandings of everyday life through sharing these experiences and responding to each others experiences, thereby constructing new concepts, such as the idea of different familial structures and roles. As they develop their social competence through play situations such as this, children are able to collaborate to make sense 4

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of the world by exploring these concepts using their creativity and imagination. As well as developing concrete concepts, I also noted the significance of the developing relationships between the playing children, and their influence on the child as an individual from a wellbeing perspective, where they are able to develop an essential sense of belonging and identity. Such an understanding highlights a further connection between the child both as an individual and in a collective sense. In addition I observed that what the playing child learns from play experiences and consolidates into their individual understandings and identity varies according to a number of external factors that influence the play in several ways. This notion led me to develop the third element presented in the final circle of my Concept Diagram labeled External Influences. Childrens play and what they take away from it is influenced by elements such as their play environment, the cultural artifacts that are made available to them, and the dynamics of their community. The following section addresses the theory behind my Concept Diagram.

3. Theoretical Discussion linked to Personal Model of Play

The previous section begins to explain the active practices that have influenced the development of the components of my Concept Diagram, elements that also relate to several theoretical perspectives. Firstly, childrens relationships, represented by the Child and Other interlocking circles in my Concept Diagram, are a central element of my Concept Diagram. Vygotsky (1978), presents a strong argument for the importance of children's relationships and interactions as a means to their development. More recently the work of Williams (2001), supports this theory and encourages peer cultures that enable children to build strong relationships and share their individual experiences, knowledge and interests. According to Williams (2001), these cultures enable children to make sense of the world, one anothers perspectives and where they fit in. Through establishing such relationships in play children are able to develop their proficiency in social and cultural codes and practices, make choices, decide what is 5

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valid and important to them and pass it on to their peers. This theory, along with Vygotskys (1978), theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, in that children learn or acquire higher levels of cognitive functioning by interacting with more capable others, reflect the link between the Child and Other interlocking circles in my Concept Diagram.

Secondly, there is significant theory that supports the notion of the child as an individual in relation to play, represented by the Child and Other circles in isolation in my Concept Diagram. The work of Piaget (1963; 1969), presents a strong argument for the processes involved in play for the child as an individual. One of Piagets fundamental theories is that children construct their own individual understandings through play. Although Piaget (1963; 1969), recognizes that childrens development is influenced by the interactions, relationships and activities they are involved in, he argues that it is how the child as an individual responds to these elements that is significant. According to Piaget (1963; 1969), children use the processes of assimilation and accommodation to adapt to such factors in their environment. Through these processes Piaget (1963; 1969), argues that children modify their existing knowledge to make sense of new ideas, such as those they learn from others through play. In fact, Vygotsky (1978), bridges child development from both an individual and a social perspective, and acknowledges that childrens learning appears first on a social level, and then on an individual level. According to Vygotsky (1978), the interactive processes of learning through play become internalized by each individual child, and continue to be transformed as their deeper understanding develops. These theories present a strong basis for the cyclical motion between the Child and the Other represented in my Concept Diagram, where each learns new ideas collectively through Play, then consolidates and refines these ideas individually to construct new understandings.

Finally, the External Influences circle of my Concept Diagram is situated within a Socioecological theoretical framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Bronfenbrenner (1979), argues that children develop within different interacting environments.

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According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), these environments present external factors that influence the childs development in different ways and to varying degrees. For example, the childs family, culture, and community are external factors that will have a direct impact upon the child, whereas economic and political factors will have an indirect impact on the child, through their interaction with elements in other environments, such as the community. This understanding is illustrated in my model, in that these external factors also have an impact on play, whether it is on a visible or invisible level. Vygotsky (1978), corroborates this understanding, arguing that all activity takes place within social, cultural and historical settings, and cannot be understood apart from these settings. Rather than these factors simply influencing play, Vygotsky (1978), argues that they are profoundly influential on children's cognitive development. According to Vygotsky (1978), the childs culture creates their cognition as the adults in that culture use cultural tools and practices to steer the child towards the goals that culture values. The External Influences circle of my Concept Diagram represent these external factors of overarching beliefs and value systems that influence how children play, and what children prioritize, perpetuate, and consequently learn through play.

4. Evidence of Play Observations and Planning using Model of Play

Below is a transcript of an instance that shows the use of my Concept Diagram.

12. 09. 2013

Afternoon Group Time

After Beau brought in a book that he had made himself, the children spent the morning making books of their own. Here the children are creating a story on the whiteboard as a group.

Sophie: Who can give me an animal?

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Alex: A zebra. Sophie: Her name was Jodie: Emma. Sophie: Emma was Poppy: Sad. Sophie: Because Tye: She had nobody to play with. Sophie: Emma decided to go for a walk. On her walk she found Harrison: A snow beast. Sophie: The snow beast was very, very angry. He was very, very angry because Imogen: He was furious because he didnt like people to come and annoy him. Sophie: So all the people in the village lived far, far away from him. But when Emma the zebra saw him she said Beau: Will you be my friend? Sophie: The snow beast said Ashton: NO. Sophie: So the little zebra continued to walk and walk in search of a friend. She got to the little village where she found the people. The people said Poppy: Would you like to play with me? Sophie: And Emma said Bailey: Yes please Sophie: So they were all happy that theyd made a new friend. They decided they would play Odesa: Hide and seek. Lucy: The zebra was first to hide. Sophie: The zebra hid Ella: Behind a tree. Sophie: The people searched and found her behind the tree. They said Flint: See you! Sophie: So the zebra came out. Then it was the peoples turn to hide. They hid Bailey: Behind the monkey bars.

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Sophie: Along came Emma the zebra who said Jodie: Found you! Sophie: The sun was going down so Daisy: The zebra and the people went home to sleep. Alex: The zebra went to go to sleep in the woods. Jack B: But the woods are where the beasts are I think. Willow: The people slept in their beds in their houses. Sophie: And then the people and the zebra remained best friends. The End.

The children are dispersed and many adjourn to the arts and craft area where they continue to make their own books, coming up with complex stories of their own.

This example illustrates my Concept Diagram in practice in several ways. Firstly, it makes visible the significance of the interconnection between the child as an individual learner, and the child in relation to others. The childs connection to others in play is evident in the group interaction recorded that shows how the childrens relationships within the group made this interaction and consequent learning possible through working collectively. The child in an individual sense is visible in the way that the children contribute to the discussion with what they know as individuals with their own unique thoughts and ideas. In the book making activity following this discussion the children are seen to shift between both constructs, reflecting the fluid dynamic evident between the Child and Other circles of my Concept Diagram, as they explore play and learning both individually and collectively making books of their own and consolidating what they have learnt through the group story writing discussion, but also interacting with others throughout the

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process. In such processes the childrens creativity and imagination is clear, reflecting two of the central elements of play as documented in my Concept Diagram in the interlocking area between the three circles labeled Play. Another central element indicated here is childrens wellbeing, which is evident throughout this transcript. The childrens participation as they contribute their ideas to the story making both as a group and individually shows their confidence in their ideas and indicates their understanding that their contributions are valued within the group, consolidating their sense of belonging and wellbeing and ultimately adding to their holistic development. Less visible are the external factors acting upon this instance reflected by the circle labeled External Influences in my Concept Diagram. External factors influencing this play situation include the setting, the environment, the childrens individual backgrounds, the values of the teacher, and the preschool culture. These elements are visible in the subtle discourses of the discussion that show how the group shares many of the same cultural reference points as they decide how the story will play out. The way they understand culturally appropriated tools and acceptable social codes of conduct and is evident in the decisions they make for the story, for example Would you like to play with me? (Poppy). These tools are predefined according to the discourses, values, and beliefs prioritized by the teacher, in the childs home life, and in the preschool setting. These in turn are influenced by factors in the wider community, such as its social, political and economic environment.

5. Explanation from Childs Perspective of Why this Particular Model of Play is Pedagogically Sound
From the childs perspective it is understood that play and learning are not separate (Carlsson & Pramling Samuelsson, 2008; Johansson & Pramling Samuelsson, 2009). Through play children learn endlessly as they appropriate the social, cultural, and conceptual tools necessary to navigate their world. In fact, Edwards (2009), argues

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that young children first begin to construct understandings about their worlds, and where they fit in, through play. This occurs in both a social and individual sense, as children experiment with different roles, share their understandings, fears, and anxieties, explore possibilities, test out strategies for dealing with different situations and solve problems in play in a safe way that allows them to feel in control (Jones, 2002). They are then able to internalize their findings, make sense of them, and draw on them as they apply them to future real world situations outside of play (Edmiston, 2008; Jones, 2002). When considering the link between the world of play and the real world from the childs perspective, Vygotskys Theory of Creativity is significant.

Vygotskys Theory of Creativity highlights the significant link between children's real and imagined worlds, in the emotional reality of imagined worlds (Lindqvist, 2003). For example, children might become unsettled when a villain enters their world of play, even though they know that in real life it is only another person dressed up playing a part. This is because, although what children imagine during play might not be real, the emotions that they feel when they imagine these things are real. Vygotsky argues that play is imagination in action, and is a creative process in which imagination takes pieces of the real and the not real and puts them together to form a new reality (Lindqvist, 2003). This new reality evokes emotions, which are real. In fact, it is the imaginary worlds of play that children create that allow them to mediate and interpret real life (Lindqvist, 2001). When it comes to the value of play from the childs perspective notions have profound implications.

From the childs perspective perhaps one of the most critical elements evident in my Concept Diagram is the interconnection between the Child and the Other. Although childrens development in an individual sense has been discussed, it must be emphasized that childrens development does not occur in isolation. From the childs perspective the relationships and social interaction they engage in through play are essential to their development of a sense of wellbeing that will enable them to grow. When it comes to wellbeing in early childhood, the work of Maslow (1968;

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1970), is still relevant today. Maslow (1968; 1970), argues that social needs such as the sense of identity, relationships and belonging that are imperative to a sense of wellbeing, must be met before children can go on to address further achievements. Although it is arguable that the work of Maslow (1968; 1970), is dated, theory and research continue to support Maslows claims. The work of Glasser (1986), extends upon the theories of Maslow (1968; 1970), further identifying the needs of belonging, power, freedom and fun as critical to the development of children's wellbeing. Most recently Roberts (2010), elaborates upon the findings of both theorists, arguing that the need to belong must be addressed as a basis for the development of a holistic sense of wellbeing. In fact, Macmaster, (2011), Williams (2001), and Roberts (2010), all argue that children's relationships and a sense of belonging with their peers are essential to their development of a sense of wellbeing, hence its position in the Play element of my Concept Diagram.

As they mediate their world children are constantly learning through the relationships and events they experience in the culture and environments that they are situated in. However, from the childs perspective, they are simply engaging in Play.

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References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press. Cambridge: Massachusetts. Carlsson, M. A., & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (2008). The playing learning child: Towards a pedagogy of early childhood. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 52(6), 623-641. Edmiston, B. (2008). Forming Ethical Identities in Early Childhood Play. USA: Taylor & Francis. Edwards, S. (2009). Early Childhood Education and Care. Australia: Pademelon Press. Glasser, W. (1986). Control Theory in the Classroom. New York: Harper & Row. Johansson, E., & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (2009). To weave together play and learning in early childhood education. Journal of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education, 16(1), 33-47. Jones, G. (2002). Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Superheroes, and Make Believe Violence. New York: Basic Books. Lindqvist, G. (2001). When small children play: How adults dramatise and children create meaning. Early Years, 21(1), 7-14. Lindqvist, G. (2003). Vygotskys Theory of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 15(2), 245-251. Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a Psychology of Being (2ed.). New York: Van Nostrand. Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality (2ed.). New York: Harper & Row. MacMaster, M. (2011). Building Community Connections. Retrieved Oct 1, 2013 from Gowrie Australia Website: http://reflections.realviewdigital.com/? iid=56501&startpage=page0000016#folio=001

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Piaget, J. (1963). Origins of Intelligence in Children. New York: Norton. Piaget, J. (1969). Science of Education and the Psychology of the Child. New York: Viking. Roberts, R. (2010). Wellbeing From Birth. London: Sage Williams, P. (2001). Preschool Routines, Peer Learning and Participation. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 45(4), 318-339. Vygotsky, L. S., (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. In M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (Eds.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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