4 th Biennial Jolyn Beeman Memorial Lecture Series

Play in a Stressful World

April 2, 2004 Madison, Wisconsin Mary L. Peters

PLAY Every Day!

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 2

What refusals have I postponed?

What do we

What am I willing to commit?

want to

What is my contribution to the current problem?

create together?

What price am I willing to pay?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 3

Be Friend.

Do Your Work.

Play Every Day

.

MLP Classroom Rules

loving.

working.

playing

.

Elkind: “Thanks for the Memories article

PLAY = Personal Experiential Value • Having fun • Being outdoors • Choosing freely • Not working M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 • Pretending • Enacting fantasy • Drama • Playing games Elkind: “Thanks for the Memory” article (from Brian Sutton Smith) 6

PLAY

• Enjoyment • Pleasure for its own sake • “Here and now ” Elkind: “Thanks for the Memory” article M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 7

Developmentally Appropriate Practices 1. Universal 2. Individual 3. Contextual M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 8

Responsiveness • Knowledge of child development UNIVERSALS • Relationship with individuals INDIVIDUAL • Respect for culture and community CONTEXTUAL M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 9

Children need to know 1. The world is a safe place 2. Their needs will be met 3. They will be cared for and protected by adults in their world The Hurried Child p. 105 10 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004

Reflect • What do you do to give a sense of reliability and predictability to a child’s day?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 187 11

Reflect • How do you help children feel good about themselves?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 195 12

Reflect • What do you do to support secure relationships?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 74 13

Reflect • How do you help children develop a sense that success is possible?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 195 14

Reflect • How do you honor spontaneous play?

allow model observe enjoy M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 33 15

Reflect

A sense of initiative

• How do you give children time to explore and investigate?

• How do you provide a responsive environment?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 16

Children need • Opportunities to interact as equals from a base of reciprocal needs and interests.

128 17 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004

Reflect

•How do you provide shared experiences?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 18

Children need “Family is a school of human relations in which children learn to live within society” School is a family in which children learn to live within society.

143 19 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004

Supporting REAL learning • Class size • Continuous flow of activity • True individualization

Involve children

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 179 20

Reflect

•How do you support real learning?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 21

Involve children through approaches that are

Responsive Cooperative Constructive

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 22

Reflect What competes with play?

• In the child’s home • In your setting • In the larger context of society 183 23 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004

Play is the most important discipline!

Children need time.

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 181 25

Reflect

How do you allow… •Personal expression •Aesthetic perspective •Imagination

219 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 26

“Childhood is the most basic human right of children.” 221

PLAY is the most basic right of life.

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 27

Reflect • How do you protect children from information overload?

• How do you protect children from emotional overload?

181 28 M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004

Protect the child’s right to play!

Assert your right to play!

Consider Something you are currently learning to do… How is this NOT play?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 31

Remembering childhood phrases • Come out to play… M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 32

Consider

Think of a time YOU played….

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 33

Consider

Think of a time you observed a child in joyful play….

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 34

Play first!

From Peter Block The Answer to How is Yes What refusals have I postponed?

What do we want to

What am I willing to commit?

create together?

What is my contribution to What price am I willing to the current pay?

problem?

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 36

4 th Biennial Jolyn Beeman Memorial Lecture Series

Play in a Stressful World

April 2, 2004 Madison, Wisconsin

Resources

• Books: Elkind, D. 3 rd ed. 2001.

The hurried child: growing up too fast too soon.

Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press.

• Block, P. 2002.

The answer to how is yes: acting on what matters.

San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

• Handout Elkind, D. 2002. Thanks for the memory: the lasting value of true play.

Mary L. Peters Early Childhood Consultant – Special Education Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction [email protected]

M. L. Peters --"Play in a Stressful World"--April 2004 37