Running head: the benefits of play in early childhood education

The Benefits of Child-Centered Play in Early Childhood Education

Karina M. Sapon
University of St. Thomas

the benefits of play in early childhood education

Abstract
The author discusses the benefits of child-centered play in early childhood education. The author
highlights the importance of child-centered play as an essential element of childrens learning
and how it can increase their language development and the motivation of the students through
differentiation and self-exploration. Furthermore, with the implementation of the No Child Left
Behind Act, the United States has stressed the importance of drilling, testing, and accountability,
removing child-centered play from the curriculum. In accordance with the literature of Weisberg,
Zosh, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff 2013, the author defines play as being led by the interests of the
student yet including subtle support from the teacher in order to meet learning expectations.
Accordingly, the author persuades the reader that play is the ideal method for learning for the
present day because it emphasizes the interests of children without compromising the importance
of subject content.

the benefits of play in early childhood education

The Benefits of Child-Centered Play in Early Childhood Education

The role of play in early childhood education has gradually diminished due to a common
misconception that playing is not learning because students are not acquiring new knowledge.
Although it is difficult to separate play from other recreational activities such as, recess and
spontaneous children games, it is crucial to distinguish elements of play from being just playful.
By definition, child-centered play is led by the interests of the students with subtle support from
a teacher in order to meet a learning objective (Weisberg, Zosh, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff,
2013). In this context, children are not carelessly playing without a purpose. They are socializing
with peers and adults, in which ever manner they enjoy most, in order to aid specific student
learning elements. Play not only enhances and facilitates the academic learning of young
children but, is also significant to their development of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical
traits that cannot be directly taught by adults. Since the establishment of the No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) policy, elementary schools have disregarded play in their curriculum in order to
teach students the skills they need to test well in reading and math (Bianchi & Lancianese, 2005).
By incorporating play in early childhood curriculum, teachers will be able to benefit a childs
language development, differentiate through group play, and raise students motivation in order
for students to acquire the cognitive skills they need to become proficient learners.
Childrens Language Development
Incorporated play, requires a great amount of socializing in which children are
encouraged to use language. According to, Weisberg et. al. (2013), research found that by talking
during play with their peers, there was a significant improvement in comprehension and
production linked to an increase in a childs vocabulary. Through engaging and meaningful
interactions, children acquire the fundamentals of language. Furthermore, Weisberg et al (2013)

the benefits of play in early childhood education

stated that students are more prepared to begin school and to be socially and academically
successful when they establish the fundamentals of their vocabularies and syntactic skills in
their early years. In other words, the amount of language that children are exposed to through
play, contributes to an increase in their linguistic skills, setting them up for academic success in
the future.
While people may disagree with the notion that play is linked with positive linguistic
acquisition, they should consider the contributing elements of play that students engage in which
stimulate development. For example, the quality of time students spend communicating with
their peers during play, increases their vocabulary and is likely connected to substantial amounts
of early literacy (Roskos and Christie, 2013). Therefore, play is significant for language
development because children are engaged and participate in communication that interests them.
Differentiation through Group Play
Activities that incorporate group play are significant in the development of language.
Children gain insight from their classmates point of views and in return, acquire more
significant understanding than they would from their own teacher. According to Lev Vygotsky
(1978), children developed within their zone of proximal development (ZPD) through
cooperative learning. By collaborating with a more knowledgeable peer, students develop skills
and strategies more effectively. Group play provides the appropriate accommodations for
students to learn within their range because, they receive support from their peers to achieve
proficiency without the interference of a teacher. Group play fosters a constructive learning
environment where students are able to grasp deeper concepts and create meaningful experiences
(Ortlieb, 2010).

the benefits of play in early childhood education

Motivation
The settings of play, whether independent or parallel to their ZPD, are successful when
students are engaged and meet their learning objective. Students are afraid to fail in todays test
driven society, [therefore], it is a perfect time to implement play so [they] can learn through their
own experiences (Ortlieb, p. 244). Administrators would agree with this notion but, due to
testing and accountability, digress the importance of play in the curriculum. However, childcentered play is an important standard of acquiring knowledge because it intrigues students and
in return, they are motivated to be successful in their learning. Students gain critical thinking
skills that enable them to solve problems instead of memorizing information directly from
textbooks or worksheetswhich only allow students to temporarily recall learning concepts.
There are a range of essential characteristics that are stimulated by play that nurture language
development. Critics would argue that these characteristics are not exclusive to play. However,
according to Miller and Almon (2009), child-centered play is an alternative to the current
education practice adopted by the United States, due in part to the implementation of NCLB,
which stresses drilling and testing. Play would be the ideal medium for expanding and enriching
the minds of todays learner because it acknowledges the interests of children without sacrificing
important subject content.
For example in the Netherlands, there is much concern with governmental policy that
controls education and regulates the decisions of schools, similar to the U.S. and NCLB.
However, the approach to early education of the Dutch citizens has given way to Developmental
Education, which comes from the theories of Vygotsky and the importance of play to childrens
development (Van Oers, 2013). Van Oers (2013) describes how education has been approached
through different methods that emphasize the development of children through active, hands-on

the benefits of play in early childhood education

learning experiences that focus on language development. Teachers encourage students to set
goals they want to accomplish during play and after the tasks have been completed, the student
concludes by reflecting on the learning experience. By reflecting, students process and evaluate
the activities and their actions to help them acquire new knowledge. Students start to form a
deeper understanding about their learning experiences.
In conclusion, what is the connection between play and language? The language skills of
children are benefited through play because it provides a supportive context for their acquisition
of language (Weisberg et al, 2013). Learners receive help from their peers through their ZPD in
order to meet learning expectations and gain motivation along the process. In their review,
Weisberg et al (2013) showed that students demonstrated an improvement in their language skills
when they engaged in play with peers or adults. Child-centered play enriches the literacy
development of children, significantly increasing their motivation, and preparing them for
success.

the benefits of play in early childhood education

References
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Miller, E., & Almon, J. (2009). Crisis in the kindergarten: why children need to play in school.
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