Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 1

Signature Assignment
Ramona Torres-Martinez
Fresno Pacific University

Signature Assignment
Play is natural life-long behavior that is an important component of a childs physical,

social-emotional, and cognitive development. Through play children are able to acquire and

strengthen their developmental skills as they progress through childhood into adulthood. As Van

Hoorn, Scales, Nourut & Alward state, The world of childhood and the world of play are

inseparable (2015). The notion of play drives a childs sense of exploration and discovery to

learn about the world around them. Play activities provide children the opportunity to practice,

learn, and strengthen their skills in various areas of development. To promote a healthy social-

emotional, language and cognitive development in children there needs to be a balance between

academic studies and play activities.

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Play is an innate process that helps children to learn and acquire the skills that will be

necessary to expand their knowledge of other academic concepts. Play is a complex

occupation, requiring practices in dialogue, exposition, detailed imagery, social engineering,

literary allusion, and abstract thinking (American Journal of Play, 2009.p. 123). Children are

exploring and gaining knowledge of complex concepts as they participate in play with other

children. Play provides the opportunity for children to apply their knowledge to basic concepts

and expand their knowledge as they gain new information. Through play children are

developing the essential skills like language, critical thinking, and social development that will

become essential elements to learning about other academic concepts in the elementary grades.

(American Journal of Play, 2009)

As the academic requirements in schools have increased the amount allotted for play has

been impacted with the elimination of important components for a healthy development in

children. The focus of allowing children to learn through play experiences has been altered as

the state standards for academic achievement have increased. Children are spending a larger

amount of time seating in classrooms learning about academic concepts and less time

participating in valuable play experiences that promote a healthy development (Journal of Play,

2009). Most of the essential play activities like art, music, and sports have been eliminated from

school affecting the childrens ability to learn important cognitive, language, and social-

emotional skills through participating in these types of activities. But, the area of development

in children that is being affected the most with the elimination of these play activities is social-

emotional. As Gray (2011) suggests, reduced ability to regulate emotions stemming from play

deprivation may well contribute to the high rates of psychopathology among young people today

(p.456). The mental health of children is being impacted by the limited amount of play

experiences provided at school where they spend a great amount of time each day. With the
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elimination of art, music, and sports in schools children are not being offered the appropriate

opportunities to practice and strengthen their social-emotional skills. Academic work activities

in the classroom do not offer that same social interaction opportunities that extracurricular

activities can. In extracurricular activities children are able to develop important social skills

like relationship building, cooperation, turn taking, and sharing. (Gray, 2011)
The inclusion of art, music, and sports as part of the curriculum in schools is essential in

promoting a healthy development in children. These activities offer children the opportunity to

participate in educational play activities that strengthen all the areas of a childs development.

Art is an essential part of children play because through this type of play children are able to use

the materials to express their emotions and ideas. Art also provides children the opportunity to

incorporate their knowledge and understanding of the world around them in their perspective

(Van Hoorn, Scales, Nourut, & Alward, 2015). One developmental benefit of art is that it

develops student ability to engage in a project and develop creative solutions to a problem

(Sosnowski, n.d.para.3). Through art children are able to develop and strengthen their critical

thinking skills that are an essential part of solving math that will be useful in higher elementary

school grades.
Another subject that is being eliminated from the curriculum in schools that offers great

learning and developmental benefits for children is music. Through music children learn to use

their auditory senses to distinguish the different patterns and rhythms. This type of play activity

promotes language development as music supports the development of the left side of the brain,

which processes language (Sosnowski, n.d.para 4). Children are able to strengthen their

auditory skills that are essential in learning about letter and word sounds. The auditory skills

promoted in musical activities also help children to gain mathematical skills as they learn to

recognize patterns in the musical motes (Van Hoorn, Scales, Nourut, & Alward, 2015).
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Lastly, sports are also an essential element in providing valuable play experiences for

children. As Van Hoorn, Scales, Nourut, and Alward (2015) explain, physical active play

enhances growth by including a childs whole body in practice and skills development (p.336).

Through play in sports children are able to develop their gross motor skills and become

physically active to ensure that they develop a healthy life style. Sports also offer children the

opportunity to develop their social skills as they engage in cooperative play with others by

following the rules establish in the game. Another area of development that is promoted by

sports is social-emotional development as children create a positive self-image and gain

confidence in their physical activity skills (Sosnowski, n.d.)

The theorist Lev Vygotski believed that children learn best when they are providing with

social play opportunities that encouraged children to share knowledge with one another

(Davidson Films, Inc., 1994). As an educator I believe that children should have the opportunity

to experience prolonged periods of play that challenges children to expand on their current

known knowledge and helps them to merge onto the next developmental level. Teachers have

the responsibility of carefully planning activities that will encourage children in engage in child

directed play throughout the school day. One strategy would be as suggested by Vygotsky is to

provide play activities that children can do on their own with limited scaffolding from the teacher

(Davidson Films, Inc., 1994). An example of this would be children playing a counting game

and children counting up to the number that they are familiar with. If the children are having a

difficult time counting beyond a given number, the teacher can provide hints to encourage the

child to advance in their counting. Another strategy that also correlated with the teachings of

Vygotsky is that teachers can be role model and demonstrate to the children how to develop and

expand on dramatic play themes (Davidson Films, Inc., 1994). An example of this would be

children playing in the house area with props and the teacher allowing children to create their
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own theme based on familiar experiences and modeling the use of props in a specific manner if

children are having a difficult time figuring the function of a prop or involving it in their play.
Play is the most important experience that will make a profound and lasting effect in a

childs life during their childhood. As Gussin expresses it is in play where we learn best to be

kind to others. In play we recognize another persons pain, for we can identify with all the

feelings and issues presented by our make-believe characters (Journal of Play, 2009. p.138). It

is the act of play that helps children to develop their personality and confidence that they will

need in the future to build special relationships in their life. Play is the essential core of the

inclusive development of every child and it is guided by their imagination and knowledge of the

world they live in.

References
Davidson Films, Inc. (1994). Lev Vygotskys Developmental Theory: An Introduction [video

file]. Retrieved on February 11, 2017 from http://learning.fresno.edu/mod/url/view.php?

id=694337
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Gray, P. (2011). The Decline of Play and the Rise of Psychopathology in Children and

Adolescents. American Journal of Play, 3(4), 443-463 Retrieved February 11,2017 From

http://www.journalofplay.org/issues/3/4/article/decline-play-and-rise-psychopathology-

children-and-adolescents
Sosnowski, J. (n.d). The Importance of Art, Music & Phys Ed in Elementary School. Seattle pi.

Retrieved on February 11, 2017 from http://education.seattlepi.com/importance-art-

music-phys-ed-elementary-school-3272.html
The importance of Fantasy, Fairness, and Friendship in Childrens Play: An Interview with

Vivian Gussin Paley. (2009). American Journal of Play, 2(2), 121-138 Retrieved on

February 11, 2017 from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.librarycatalog.fresno.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid,url&db=eric&AN=EJ1069216&site=eds-live
Van Hoorn, J., Scales, B., Nourot, P.M, & Alward, K. (2015). Play at the Center of the

Curriculum. (6th Ed.) Upper Saddle River: Pearson, Inc.