Personal Framework of Play

Throughout this course, you have evaluated the relationship between play and learning for young children. For this Final Paper, you will assume the role of an early care provider or administrator. In this hypothetical role, you have become aware that several parents are critical of your decision to provide time for children to engage in activities such as dramatic play and peer-to-peer conversations. Most of the parents do not understand the developmental value of these activities; they tend to believe that a quiet classroom is one in which students are engaged in "real" learning. The parents are requesting that you spend more time on "academics." Your goal is to construct a paper that presents your framework of play and learning for the young child so you can effectively communicate with family members about the need for play as an integrated part of the curriculum. The prompt for this assignment was adapted from Charlesworth.

Note: For the purposes of this course we use the term parents; however, this may also include primary care- givers, family members, and parental guardians.

Create your Paper to meet the content and written communication expectations stated below.

Content Expectations

Introduction: Provide an introduction that includes a brief discussion of your personal framework of play and learning for the young child. In your introduction, provide a succinct, relevant, and clear overview of the information that will be covered in your paper.

Stages of Play Summary: Include a chart and a brief narrative of the stages of play throughout the developmental continuum. In the chart, list the identified stages of play. Next, provide a narrative summary of the stages and development of play that are identified in the chart as represented in the literature.

Stage of Play

Identify the stages of play: unoccupied, solitary/independent, onlooker, parallel, associative, cooperative, etc.

Description of the Stage

Include age range and characteristics of children in this stage. Do children play alone or with others at this stage?