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Whole Child Development

Enchanted Learning: The Benefits of Fantasy Play for Children

by Filed Under: Create, Learning through Play and Experience 3 Comments

I’m sharing some of my old favorites while I’m away this week.  This one was originally posted July 6, 2010.

Many parents have come to their child’s preschool teacher with the same concern.  “It seems like my child plays dress-up all day at preschool.  What could he possibly be learning from that?”  The question is understandable – what does he learn from leaping around with his cape fluttering behind him?  And yet, the question is somewhat ironic, as these very parents likely spent much of their childhood engaged in the same kind of play.

I personally still have vivid memories of my own childhood, as my playmates and I snuck past sleeping giants, swung through the trees in the Amazon, and set sparkling lures for fairies.  In fact, my playmates themselves included one conjured character named Cheney, a girl who lived in the clouds.

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Magic Words for Guiding Behavior: "Let's Pretend"

by Filed Under: Building Readers, Child Development & DAP, Create, Positive Guidance and Social Skills Leave a Comment

In Vivian Gussin Paley’s book, A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play, she mentions the opportunity to use fantasy play as a tool for classroom management or child guidance.    I found this interesting, and it caused me to think about that premise, the ways I have used it in the past, and the ways I could use it to smooth out difficult situations.

As she states, “Conversations with children may arise out a ‘last straw’ annoyance, in other words, or from a sense of dramatic flow.  They can come from concerns over decorum or from respect for our imaginations.  Both approaches will manage a classroom, but one seems punitive and the other brings good social discourse, communal responsibility, and may have literary merit.” (pg. 74)

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Magic Words for Guiding Behavior: “Let’s Pretend”

by Filed Under: Building Readers, Child Development & DAP, Create, Positive Guidance and Social Skills Leave a Comment

In Vivian Gussin Paley’s book, A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play, she mentions the opportunity to use fantasy play as a tool for classroom management or child guidance.    I found this interesting, and it caused me to think about that premise, the ways I have used it in the past, and the ways I could use it to smooth out difficult situations.

As she states, “Conversations with children may arise out a ‘last straw’ annoyance, in other words, or from a sense of dramatic flow.  They can come from concerns over decorum or from respect for our imaginations.  Both approaches will manage a classroom, but one seems punitive and the other brings good social discourse, communal responsibility, and may have literary merit.” (pg. 74)

[Read more…]

A Part of Their World: Adult Roles in Child's Play

by Filed Under: Learning through Play and Experience 9 Comments

I wrote yesterday about the importance of dramatic play in the development of the whole child.  It is true that a large part of the benefit from this type of play comes from the fact that it is intrinsically driven and self-guided.  However, sometimes there is a need for adult interaction or intervention.  While joining in is a natural way to  scaffold the child’s play, helping him to become more competent in the skill, it’s also a lot of fun, and a great way to build a good relationship with kids!

[Read more…]

A Part of Their World: Adult Roles in Child’s Play

by Filed Under: Learning through Play and Experience Leave a Comment

I wrote yesterday about the importance of dramatic play in the development of the whole child.  It is true that a large part of the benefit from this type of play comes from the fact that it is intrinsically driven and self-guided.  However, sometimes there is a need for adult interaction or intervention.  While joining in is a natural way to  scaffold the child’s play, helping him to become more competent in the skill, it’s also a lot of fun, and a great way to build a good relationship with kids!

[Read more…]

Enchanted Learning: The Benefits of Fantasy Play for Children

by Filed Under: Learning through Play and Experience 26 Comments

Many parents have come to their child’s preschool teacher with the same concern.  “It seems like my child plays dress-up all day at preschool.  What could he possibly be learning from that?”  The question is understandable – what does he learn from leaping around with his cape fluttering behind him?  And yet, the question is somewhat ironic, as these very parents likely spent much of their childhood engaged in the same kind of play.

I personally still have vivid memories of my own childhood, as my playmates and I snuck past sleeping giants, swung through the trees in the Amazon, and set sparkling lures for fairies.  In fact, my playmates themselves included one conjured character named Cheney, a girl who lived in the clouds.

[Read more…]

Eric Carle Author Study: The Very Busy Spider and The Very Lonely Firefly

by Filed Under: Building Readers, Create, Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience 3 Comments

 The Very Busy Spider

Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider will always be one of my favorites because it was one of the first books I regularly read to my first son.  It’s a simple story of a spider slowly building a perfect web as the barnyard animals come one by one to invite her to play.  By the end of the story, the web is finished, the pesky fly has been caught, and the spider is ready for a good night’s sleep.  The patterned text is great for reading with young children – invite them to join in with you! 

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Welcome to the Pizza Shop! Prop Ideas for Preschool Dramatic Play

by Filed Under: Building Readers, Learning through Play and Experience 6 Comments

Melissa & Doug Pizza Party

Pizza Shop, Pizzeria, Pizza Restaurant, whatever you like to call it, it’s a perfect dramatic play scenario for preschoolers.  I would venture to say that most preschoolers have experience with pizza.  It’s something familiar and almost universally enjoyed.  Here are some prop ideas for creating a great pizza shop themed dramatic play area that will have your children ready to serve you up a slice!

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