2S) CDL-2nd A- Play (28-03-2017) Bharghava Shyam

Name: A.N. Bharghava Shyam

Admission Number: MAE15007 (28-Mar-2017)

Question: 1

A brief write-up (750 words) on the various theoretical perspectives, types and importance of play drawn from the suggested readings.

Answer: 2

Play: Play is an engagement in an activity for enjoyment and refreshment.

Faulkner’s Central Idea on Play

A.S. Neill believed fantasy play (A Imagination unrestricted by reality) has great importance in developing children’s social, moral, and intellectual development.

Susan Isaacs claimed that play is children’s work by which they develops a lot.

Many of psychologists agree that, play is important for children (especially for early childhood Children) for their development. But Peter Smith say that, the view of play for development is still controversial; many of the parents and teachers do not agree to the idea of play, after the start of formal education.

Most of the researchers focused on the cognitive development of children through play, this research is focused on social development of children through play.

Is play necessary for children’s social development, for this Peter Smith saw three positions, they are

1)  “Play has major casual role in development”. Children will learn the things casually by more social interactions.

2)  “Play has its place in development”. Not only play but also other social things are equally status in their development.

3) “Play itself is of little consequence for social development’’, we can’t say only through play child will not be developed. It have a part in children’s social development.

Types of Play categorized by Peter Smith.

1) Solitary Independent Play: It’s a child’s independent play. Without any help of others, in this they are in their own world

2) Parallel activity: In this also children will play individually, but they are not involve in another’s play even though they are in a group.

3) Associate play: In this children will play with other children sharing common interests,

4) Organized supplementary (or) Cooperative play: In this the children will play with another people by keeping some rules and regulations and as a goal-oriented play.

These all categories are describing Participation in play, but he didn’t described what they do and what they feel when they are playing that he didn’t explained about this it’s a critique on this categorization.

Piaget's Central Idea on Play (Theoretical Accounts of Play)

Piaget’s theory was based on his observations and interviews in schools. His theory is related to intellectual growth from infancy to early adolescence. And his theory also tells about moral development which describes how children will understand the functions. And he proposed two activities that are Play (Product of assimilation) in which they get Happiness and second one is Imitation (Product of accommodation) in which children will not get enjoyment.

Piaget Play stages (Resources of Play)

1)      Mastery stage (1 and 2 years): This stage is in Sensorimotor Period of development. In this type of play is Solitary play. In this s/he individually involves in play by repetition, practice, mastery behaviors which they acquired from imitation (Sensorimotor Play)

2)      Play Stage (3 to 6 years): This stage is in Preoperational Period of development. In this type of play is pretend play. It is ego centric in nature. They don’t play by imitation, but they play symbolically ex. By taking small box play that like train. (Symbolic or Representational Play)

3)      Game Stage (7 years and older): This stage is in Concrete operational period of development. In this type of play is Co-operative play, in this they overcome from egocentrism. In this stage they develop reversibility and develop their mental operations. By this they can understand rules and regulations of the game//play (Game with Play)

Vygotsky Central Idea on Play

Vygotsky central idea on play is Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Play was created by ZPD. In this Zone of proximal development Vygotsky distinguished the difference between Child’s actual development and Child’s potential development. In his/her actual development they understand their ability to use ideal and concepts without help of others. In potential development they get more ideas and concepts with help of others, the potential development of child is called Zone of Proximal Development. He observed the play between children those who are under ZPD their development is higher than actual development. Zone of Proximal Development contains Guided participation from elders, Apprenticeship, Scaffolding, Inter subjectivity, etc.

Mead’s Central Idea on Play

His Idea is also similar to Vygotsky, He also focused on social interactions of child and also he focus on the importance of language and these two help the child in getting the idea of self through play.

He described the development of self in his theory in three stages the preparatory stage, the play stage, and the game stage.

Catherine Garvey Central Idea on Play

Catherine Garvey trying to explain on play as “Play is systematic, rule-governed nature, which is the product and trace of Human biological heritage and his/her culture creating capacity”. Garvey said that it’s difficult to define Play, he compared play with god.

His Descriptive Characteristics of Play is (Inventory)

(1)   “Play is pleasurable, enjoyable. Even was not complained by signs, it is still valued by the player.

(2)    Play has no extrinsic goals. Its motivations are intrinsic and serve no other objectives. It is a most enjoyable movements and efforts devoted to some particular end. In other words it is inherently unproductive.

(3)    Play is spontaneous and voluntary, it is not necessary but is freely chosen by the player

(4)    Play involves some active engagement on the part of the player.

(5)   Play is certain systematic relations to what is not play.” (Garvey 1990)

Question: 2

The collection of your key observations/materials/items/reflections arranged date wise.

Answer: 2

My Observations in Practicum School:

Observations in Practicum school, 

1)      One 7th standard girl is playing with two books by keeping one paper from one book another paper from another book in classroom when we were interacting with them in their classroom.

Context: We are taking class (interacting) we only told that please free in class and do whatever you want, with that we started interacting with them, With our instruction only she played with books

Reflection: I can say this as Parallel Play, along with her some others also playing, but no attachment is there from another. Her age is around 12 year. She will be in concrete operational period (7 years to older), in this they have to be at game stage with some rules and regulations, but here in classroom context she is playing lonely, after class hours she will be game stage. Here Piaget didn’t much explained when children are alone. It’s a criticism on this Piaget.

2)      One other 7th Standard girl is playing with pens by hitting those two pens

Context: When are interacting with them in classroom

Reflection: She also playing lonely without any other members, I thought that she playing for the fun to just time pass.  

3)      One other 7th Class girl is playing with eraser on the table by drawing and erasing

Context: When are interacting with them in classroom

Reflections: She is also playing in class lonely with eraser, I thought that she is feeling bore in class

In all these contexts they are playing in solitary and parallel play (According to Smith) these are overlapping in this 3 contexts. According to Piaget they are Game stage. These all plays I also experienced in childhood as well as in adulthood also. I remembered my childhood memories by seeing these activities by children. In my school day we use to play with pens by keeping nib on the table and to rotate the pen, also making paper and pen guns throwing to other side. These all I did when I was at 6 and 7th class.

 In our Practicum school there is no playground, but they have terrace there the children will play on Saturday. In our practicum we just discussed about play with children. We asked them to tell about play, they all told us play in the form of game. (Means having rules and regulations etc.)

In  Practicum school we didn’t arrange much time for discussing about play, just take on session from our practicum visit, (Photography is restricted there in that school)

{Q-3.1} My Analysis from my childhood days (From School setting)

When I was in Childhood there is no differences between the genders in most of the contexts of play, but in games there is difference, girls and boys have running, throw ball competitions differently. (Girls also have equal opportunity to play, but they use to play separately). Instead of competition we both use to play together in that there is no difference. In school in game periods and in near the home, we use to play casually with some rules and regulations (Co-operative play). It’s in 6th and 7th class.

In classrooms we use to do solitary play and parallel play both are overlapping each other when classes are going.

In late childhood, I played most of time with  Symbolic and representational play, in that I use to make room as bus, chairs as seats & stool as steering, paper cutting as tickets and in night time cot as sleeper coach and soap wafers as reservation tickets we (Me & My sister) use to play with parents and grand-parents. This we got through social interaction (Lot of exposure in exploring places). We also make fort & home from Mud & Sand. We use to cook from cooking toys these all we got from Zone of Proximal Development. (Guided Participation, Scaffolding, etc.) In Late childhood for symbolic play gender, class idea is not there for me we just imitate the elders. I think age social stratifications will not enter into the child’s mind.  We use to follow the rules based on my own observations and social experiences its change from individual to individual. But based on their own observations and social experiences only children will play their symbolic and representational paly.

Examples photos of my relatives

This is imitative (Symbolic) play of this child, imitated his Grandfather meditation.

This is parallel play of children, without disturbing others

This is also an Imitative play, and Curious to know what is there.

This is also parallel imitative play, there every one is try to imitate others at the same time they are playing parallel.

 

My Observations of play from Research Site

4)      Group Play of 9th Class students

Context: In their Lunch period (We arranged this play to make rapport with them)

Reflection:  In this they are playing for fun, without any rules and regulations, it’s an associative play, Game stage Play, Imitative play. According to Piaget play is for happiness & imitative play will not give that much satisfaction, but here they satisfied by their playing.   

5)      Group play of Children (Co-operative play )

Context: Lunch Time

Reflection: We played like a game with some rules & regulations. In this they are at Cooperative stage or organized supplementary stage.

6)      Group Play of children (Associate play & Game Stage)

Context: children are playing casually

Reflection: If we want enjoy the game, we just need to play, creating an environment for child to play & Playing with kids gives happiness. In this, children are at the late childhood, they are coming to overcome egocentrism. In this also they are imitating but they are also happy

{Q.3.2} According to me play is activity either by physical or psychological, there is no age limit for this. Now also sometimes I play symbolic play for fun, these all theories are right (But most are overlapping each other, sharing their another parts), but human psychology is ever changing, by physical and biological they may mature, but their mind will surely come child level surely. Age restrictions can be true for physical and biological play, but psychologically age restrictions are not necessary.

This is my understanding from play

References:

Catherine Garvey (1990) “What is Play”,

Dorothy Faulkner (1995) “Play, self and social world”

Peter Smith “Personal, Social and Emotional Development”

Grade: A- 

Good job Shyam! Well done. A deeper analysis and some more examples of play would have added more value to the portfolio.