Transcript Learning Through Play

Affording Children
Access to Play
Using Assistive
Technology Supports
Let’s Play! Projects
• US Dept of Education funding since 1995
• Projects focus on play needs of families
with children with disabilities
• Projects provide research & education to
parents, caregivers and professionals who
work with these families
• Collaborate with toy manufacturers/
vendors to utilize universal design features
How is Play Like a Slinky?
• It morphs and constantly changes
• There is no “right” way to do it
• It becomes, evolves, builds on
experiences
• Defines and is defined by “self”
• Life-long
When Children Play, They.....
• are intrinsically
motivated
• are active
• make play up as
they go along
• start and stop when
they want to
• they have fun!!!!!!!!
When Children Work,
They May Not…
• be intrinsically
motivated
• be active
• make play up as
they go along
• start and stop when
they want to
• have fun!!!!!!!!
Play is the work
of children
Why Focus On Play?
Play Influences Development
• Physical
• Language
• Social
• Cognition
• Emotional
• Imagination
Play is what kids do…..
• Children learn through play - the
primary activity for healthy
development of young children.
• All the skills children need originate
from play: literacy, creativity, selfesteem, mathematical reasoning &
social skills.
When I am Building + Sorting…
• I learn about height,
length, depth and weight
• I learn to cooperate, share,
plan and negotiate
• I experience symmetry,
balance and patterns
• I gain feelings of
competence
• I use my imagination
and creativity
When I Look at Books…
• I make friends with books; identify
favorites + familiar stories
• I learn that printed books have meaning
• I learn about other people and places
• I develop important reading and listening
skills with an adult
When I Play “Pretend”...
• I practice what I see and
hear; learn to understand
and master adult roles
• I practice math, social &
language skills
• I am organizing and using
ideas
• I symbolically use
materials in meaningful
ways
How Do We Know….. Theorists
• Jean Piaget- describes learning that
happens during play
– Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood
(1962)
• L.S. Vygotsky- children develop cognitive
abilities through social play
– Mind in Society (1978)
What Research Says
• Cognitive potential/ability is reflected
through play
• Using imagination in pretend play
leads to improved school readiness
• Connections exist between play and
emergent literacy + language
• Play provides opportunities to negotiate
• Good players become good problemsolvers
• The more a child is spoken to, sung to,
read to, danced with, exercised, played
with, encouraged to explore in a safe
environment - the more the brain and
body will develop.
Play + Brain Development
• Brain development - the brain nearly triples in
size within the first year of life.
• Play appears to improve brain development
– Activity increases brain engagement
– Reinforces neural connections
– Decreases stress and reduces levels of cortisol
• Brain development is vulnerable to
environmental influences. This includes not only
nutrition but also the quality of interaction, care
and stimulation
But… Anti-Play Influences
Abound
• Working parents have less time and energy to
devote to fostering a playful childhood for their
children. (i.e. clean clothes!)
• Barriers to play include over-scheduling+ an
over-emphasis on early academic achievement
• Schools increasingly eliminate the "playful" part
school; curtailing recess, gym, sports, and arts.
Playing for Keeps 6/2003
• With parental safety concerns, unsupervised
outdoor play is restricted -especially for young
children.
– Not all kids have playgrounds in their
neighborhoods or homes with usable toys.
• Programs for children with disabilities undervalue the importance of play
• Cultural, socioeconomic and disability issues
threaten to create yet another generation of
adults who don't know how to play together.
Let’s Look at Play!
How to promote
successful play
opportunities for
ALL children
Is Play Important?
“When a child cannot play, we should be as
troubled as when he refuses to eat or
sleep”
(Hartley & Goldenson, 1963)
“Play is so integral to childhood that a child
who does not have opportunities to play is
cut off from a major portion of childhood”
(Musselwhite,1986)
Is Play the Same
for All Kids?
Play of Young Children With
Disabilities
• Use little language
• Play is less
• Engage in less
sophisticated,
group play; play
– less organized
alone more often
• Use toys in more • Often have low
functional and
social status; are
ritualistic ways;
perceived as less
appealing play
– less pretending
partners
(Linder, 1994)
Kids with disabilities may
not experience the same
gains from play if their play
is limited
How do Play and Therapy or
Education fit together?
PLAY
Therapy or
Education
Uses of Play
1. As a therapeutic/
educational
modality
– Toys are used to
distract or motivate
Uses of Play
2. To improve skills
– Toys are selected
to develop specific
abilities
– Emphasis is on the
“right way” to play
Uses of Play
3. To promote Playfulness
(A. Bundy)
- Play characteristics such as
engagement, exuberance,
persistence, use of
mischief,
pretense, initiating, sharing,
giving and responding to
cues
- Emphasis on promoting
fantasy play
Balancing Intervention + Play
Intervention
PLAY
Make room for both in the day and life of
the child and his/her family!
A Mismatch???
• Play in the lives of
typically developing
children...
– critical to
development
– effects all growth
domains
– valued as the
“occupation of
childhood”
• Play in the lives of
children with disabilities...
– used as a therapeutic/
educational modality
– seen to develop
specific skills
– seldom seen as an
IFSP outcome
What Does This Mean?
Kids with Disabilities Need
Opportunities to Play for the
Sake of Play
Looking at Play
VIDEO
Allison and Dominic – at 3 years old
Is Play Happening?
• Intrinsically motivated?
• Active?
• Make play up as s/he goes along?
• Start and stop when s/he wants to?
• Having fun?
What We’ve Observed About
Play & Kids with Disabilities
• Kids perform
optimally when
they are playing
• Unforeseen
outcomes often
emerge
• A tendency
towards learned
helplessness is
diminished
• Supports should
be considered at
“typical” ages –
don’t wait!
• The intervention of an
adult as an initiator,
modeler, participant &
enhancer of play
repertoires may be
understated
• Encouraging early
access to play
empowers families to
see the “child inside”
• Adaptations to play
materials and play
strategies are
necessary
• Inclusive play
opportunities benefit
kids + adults!
What Can Providers Do?
• Validate the importance of play
– Discuss development during play
– Give families “permission to play”
• Recognize + share positive play
supports and outcomes
• Incorporate play into your
services; suggest ways to
extend play
• Encourage more child and family play
http://letsplay.buffalo.edu
FREE!!!
Let’s Play! Products
• How We Play!
• Playing with Switches
• Computer Play with
Young Children with
Disabilities
• Creating Play
Environments
• Let's Play Sheets
• Collection of Articles
• A Guidebook for
Developing and
Maintaining a Play &
Assistive Technology
Lending Library