Misconceptions Of Play

[Guest]

As part of finalising my GRTP year I have to host a whole school staff meeting on the misconceptions of early years education from both professionals in education and parents and carers prospectives. I would be very grateful for any feedback from early years practitioners and KS1/2 practitioners. Part of the focus will be the importance of play within the early years curriculum and further on through school life.

 

Many thanks

Jacqui x

[Susan]

hi and welcome Jacquie

 

my first thought is that the value of play is often undervalued, being thought of as purposeless?

[Beau]

Welcome Jacqui.

 

I would also add that there seems to always be a heavy emphasis on numeracy and literacy. A child's emotional and creative development is often undervalued too - particularly by many parents.

 

Good luck with the meeting.

[Guest]

For a parents evening once I asked the question, What do you remember "Playing" as a child, ( answers were mainly outdoor play) This got the "audience" into the required context.

 

I then asked them what they thought they learnt through their play, how motivated were they whilst playing and how motivated were they to return to their play each day. I then gave some quotes of the definition of play by a few theorists. ( please don't ask for these as I know I haven't saved them anywhere, they were written on a flipchart sheet-sorry - I think one came from the FSC guidance book).

 

 

I then asked them to remember what infant school was like for them, what they learnt and how motivated they were.

 

Because most of their answers about own play experiences were outdoors I then went through the areas and aspects of the FSC and linked them to "outdoor" early years "educational" play experiences we offer at preschool.

 

We then went on to practical acticities of play, ( staff explained the learning potential of each acticity and showed posters linking to FSC) when they were engrossed ( after initial shyness) at art table, lego etc I told them all to tidy up ( not finish) because it was time to "Listen" to a story. When they were all huddled on the mat I asked them which they would prefer to do, hear a story or carry on "Playing".

 

The unanimous answer was "Play".

 

You may not have time for all this or it may not be the right "style" for you, but to get the adults to think about their own play experiences really helped with getting the message across.

 

Good luck

 

Peggy

[Guest]

just re-read your post....I also asked parents how often they get to "play" now, to be creative, to explore new learning and to have their own agenda's in what they are doing and what they feel they miss through not having enough time for play.

 

Peggy

 

This helps to think about the importance of play not just through the school curriculum, but throughout life too, right into adulthood.

[Guest]

Thankyou Susan, Carol and Peggy you have given me much to think about and also given me a great start for this meeting. Thanks!

[Guest]

Just catching up with this post, Peggy- love the way you turned the tables on the parents and ask them to remember their own experiences, shame you don't still have the quotes of the definition of play by a few theorists, you can never find them when you want them and when you go on courses they always whip away ot OHT before you have written them down or got the source. Would be a good idea if we all added then on to this thread

Here is an old one that I remember from my training.

"Play is indeed the child's work and the means whereby she grows and develops. Through play the child adds to his knowledge of the world. The healthy, happy child constantly exploring everything around him - first of all with his mouth and later with active touch. He pulls things to pieces and pokes about to see what is inside. He turns the tap, pulls the books out from the shelves and throws his doll on the fire to see whether it will burn.

No experimental scientist has a greater thirst for new facts. By the time children go to school, some of the most important things that ever happen to them are already in the past."

Susan Isaccs, The Nursery Years 1929

[Guest]

Thank you Mimi, I have many quotes relating to the importance of play I will put them together and post them to the sight. I would like to thank Beau also I missed you off my morning reply.

[Guest]

Thank you Tameside I look forward to reading them it will be great to be able to print them all off.

[Guest]

Dear Tameside,

Have you chaired your meeting yet. Let us know how it went. I think one of the best quotes to start off with is that the foundation stage is a stage in its own right ...............

If you have pulled together the quotes I am sure we would all love to see them - as someone else said - you can never find the really good ones when you want them.

Regards

Nikki

Just checked the time must get to sleep - started a new fitness regime - cycling to work, playing tennis a couple of times a week - am absolutely knackered - fell into a deep asleep at 1.00 this afternoon, woke up 3 hours later when my daughter came home not realising where I was or what time it was - thought it was the morning - hence my not being able to sleep now.

[Guest]

Just wanted to share two of my favourite quotes with you which span over three centuries but send out the same message:

 

'The more a child...runs about and plays, the sweeter its sleep, the more easily does its stomach digest, the more quickly does it grow and flourish, both in body and mind' COMENIUS, J.A. (1628) The School of Infancy

 

'The best way to help children to get ready to be 5-year-olds is to allow them to be 3 when they are 3 and 4 when they are 4' NUTBROWN, C. (2002)Threads of Thinking

 

Look forward to seeing other people's favourites.

 

Jane

[Marion]

Just wanted to share two of my favourite quotes with you which span over three centuries but send out the same message:

 

'The more a child...runs about and plays, the sweeter its sleep, the more easily does its stomach digest, the more quickly does it grow and flourish, both in body and mind'  COMENIUS, J.A. (1628) The School of Infancy

 

'The best way to help children to get ready to be 5-year-olds is to allow them to be 3 when they are 3 and 4 when they are 4' NUTBROWN, C. (2002)Threads of Thinking

 

Look forward to seeing other people's favourites.

 

Jane

37927[/snapback]

 

My favourite is a Chinese proverb

 

 

I hear

and I forget

I see

and I remember

I do

and I understand!

[Guest]

We had a problem in our setting of parents thinking that if their child didnt bring home a painting or product then they hadnt been doing anything that day. I decided to use a verse called "Childs Play" and make a display and put it up in the hall. I took photos of the children in our setting taking part in each of the activities it mentions and then linked them with yellow arrows so the parents could follow the verse, the verse if some of you dont know it, is:

 

CHILDS PLAY

Oh what a busy morning I’ve been playing with the dough

And with a little help, upon a card I learnt to sew

I helped my friend nurse Amy to perform an operation

Then put some track together for my train and built a station

I went into the home corner to make a cup of tea

And stood beside the cooker making lunch for 23

I completed three whole jigsaws and played a new board game

Then I went on all the bikes, the slide and climbing frame

I helped prepare and hand around the fruit at our snack time

I listened to a story and sang a nursery rhyme

Now the mornings over and the parents are all waiting

I hope that mine don’t say “I WISHED YOU’D DONE A PAINTING”.

[Guest]

I've put this poem in newsletters before, Tracie, I like your display idea using this poem. There is another good poem on this site called "unity"..

 

ooh just tried to search for it so that I could put in a link, used the word "unity" and 5 pages of posts appeared

 

I'll look later. The poem was about the good relationship between teacher and parent as sculpturers of the childs mind.

 

peggy

[Marion]

Thanks for the poem i am now trying to alter it slightly to fit my reception children

[Marion]

Think this might be the unity poem

 

Unity Poem

I dreamed I stood in a studio

And watched two sculptors there.

The clay they used was a young child's mind

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher, the tools she used

Were books, music and art.

The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand

And a gentle, loving heart.

Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch

That was deft and sure.

While the parent laboured by her side

And polished and smoothed it o'er.

And when at last their task was done,

They were proud of what they had wrought

For the things they had moulded into the child

Could neither be sold nor bought.

And each agreed they would have failed

If each had worked alone.

For behind the parent stood the school

And behind the teacher, the home.

Author Unknown

[Guest]

Think this might be the unity poem

 

Unity Poem

I dreamed I stood in a studio

And watched two sculptors there.

The clay they used was a young child's mind

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher, the tools she used

Were books, music and art.

The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand

And a gentle, loving heart.

Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch

That was deft and sure.

While the parent laboured by her side

And polished and smoothed it o'er.

And when at last their task was done,

They were proud of what they had wrought

For the things they had moulded into the child

Could neither be sold nor bought.

And each agreed they would have failed

If each had worked alone.

For behind the parent stood the school

And behind the teacher, the home.

Author Unknown

38506[/snapback]

[Guest]

38632[/snapback]

 

 

Thankyou Marion what true and beautiful words... I shall use this as part of the staff meeting.

 

Jacqui x

[Guest]

Thank you all for replying to my questions on misconceptions. The staff meeting I felt was successful and the staff present (all 31 of them), throughly enjoyed it and many commented that they had learned an awful lot about EY education. Unfortunately the misconception of staffing ratios did not g down well and I was failed for being too political and for potentially opening a can of worms. I was told this was an opportunity for me to get on my ' soap box'.

 

Thankyou again ... oh p.s. by the way the very next day we had a supply nursery nurse and have had since ... I wonder why?!!!

 

J

[Guest]

Great it all went well and great news about the additional staff

 

 

peggy