Promote learning Essay

In this area of play I believe it should be stressed that children should be praised as they have put a lot of work into something even if it is totally non-recognisable as anything, considering some of the most famous artists drew/painted in abstract and their work is widely appreciated. At this age creative activities will be greatly influenced by key stage one requirements. They will have creativity incorporated into the learning of other topics. They will be beginning to learn some creative skills and follow instructions to carry them out. Also children will be developing a wider concentration span and more advanced fine manipulative skills. Tassoni and Beith (2002 p375) state that between the age of four and six ‘Children are more interested in creating things e. g. making a cake, drawing cards and planting seeds. They enjoy being with other children although they may play in pairs. Children are beginning to express themselves through painting and drawing as well as through play. They are enjoying using their physical skills in games and are confident when running and climbing. Materials that can be used in creative play and that will also promote learning: sand and alternate materials, water, painting and drawing materials, malleable materials, adhesive materials, construction and scrap materials. At the beginning of the Foundation Stage children use their bodies to explore texture and space, this will develop towards the end of the Foundation Stage to children exploring colour, texture, shape, form and space in two or three dimensions. (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage curriculum early learning goal for exploring materials p121). At the beginning of the Foundation Stage children show an interest in what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel and towards the end of the Foundation Stage this develops to the children responding in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage curriculum early learning goal for responding to experiences and expressing and communicating ideas p127). 2. Imaginative play- imaginative play is a lot to do with role-play, it can be carried out for enjoyment purposes in everyday play and it can be incorporated by practitioners so the children can explore different situations and fantasy worlds and acting. At the beginning of the Foundation Stage children use isolated words and phrases and/or gestures to communicate with those well known to them and towards the end of the Foundation Stage children develop to speak clearly and audibly with confidence and control and show awareness of the listener. (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage curriculum early learning goal for language for communication p 55). 3. Physical play- ‘The term ‘physical play’ is a term that can be used to describe the type of play in which children use their large muscles and exercise their whole body. They learn to control large and small muscles and develop co-ordination and surplus energy is expended’ (Tassoni and Beith 2002 p 382). Physical play is where children are using their muscles (large and small)) for enjoyment purposes. There is a less called P.E (physical education) in which children can develop and refine their skills and muscles in different e. g. dancing, athletics, and climbing apparatus. During self-directed play, children can be physical in the following ways, rolling, balancing, skipping, sliding, hanging, running, kicking, jumping, hopping, pushing, pulling etc. there are ten areas of co-ordination in which children develop in: At the beginning of the Foundation Stage children should be able to negotiate an appropriate pathway both indoors and outdoors this will develop to the children showing respect for other children’s personal space when playing among them. This will eventually at the end of the Foundation Stage develop into the children showing awareness of space, of them and of others. Stage curriculum early learning goal for sense of space p109). Example of the three types of play and how they promote the desired learning 1. For an example of creative play, I am going to describe a play opportunity for this age group. Gloop is a mixture made simply from mixing corn flour and water in a bowl. A few additional resources that could be used are, smaller bowls, cups, plastic utensils (all of different shapes and sizes). It is a strange substance that can be made to different consistencies. When made with a lot of water it will be in liquid form when left dormant and will run through fingers when scooped up but when rolled between hands it will become solid and return to liquid when stopped. When made thicker it will be able to be sliced and it will slowly return to the original form. It can be picked up in a lump and will slowly drip/run. This activity I think is suitable for all ages that are a school, I have tried it with the following age groups, five, seven, ten and thirteen and was also enjoyed by adults. Children will begin to understand liquids and solids, shapes and sizes (through cups, bowls etc) and texture. The play opportunity ‘Gloop’ will help to encourage creative skills because it takes many forms, the children can experiment and explore the texture, the consistency and the properties of it. It uses a lot of fine motor skills, using the fingers and hands to pick up and roll, squeeze through and transfer to other containers. This will promote in the way of experience, the children will learn by doing. 2. An example of imaginative play. Creating a home corner would encourage child-led imaginative play. A home corner can be adapted to suit a subject that is being taught. In the home corner or separately there could also be dressing up clothes to assist in role-play. For this type of play this is an example of an imaginative play opportunity. The subject being taught is animals; the home corner is rearranged and decorated to resemble either a jungle or a zoo. This could also be linked with asking children questions about animals and what they’re characteristics are, they could also take turns in groups acting in general about the subject. A home corner would improve imaginative skills in children by encouraging them to participate in role-play activities. The children can make up their own games and enforce their own rules for the game. The children can work in groups or alone and can also dress up and use props to assist their game. Imaginative play can be linked with social skills as the children will be working in groups and pairs in child led activities and in structured activities led by an adult in the setting. These skills will be helpful in later life for the children to make healthy relationships. 3. One play opportunity for physical play is swimming some schools have pools on the property and use them for regular lessons, however for schools that do not have this facility can organise to go on weekly trips to the local pool or just as a one off. Swimming is a great way of exercising as well as good physical fun. Swimming uses all of the muscles in the body and can be developed and refined. Swimming can link with all of the ten areas of co-ordination. It is suitable for all ages particularly because there can be different classes for different abilities and there is always room to progress. Children with any sort of impairment can also join in as there should be helpers available and equipment that would aid them getting in and out of the pool. Swimming would improve physical skills in children by working all of the muscles at the same time and progressing at this. It will strengthen muscle including the heart; maintaining and developing bone density. It allows the children to exercise their whole bodies inside and out! There is also opportunity for fine motor development in the form of bricks and bands, which are thrown to the bottom of the pool at different depths, which the children have to collect. It is important to encourage children but not pressure hem as it may have adverse affects later in life. The role of the adult in all of the play opportunities is to supervise the children; it is also to provide any materials or equipment that will be needed. The adult will have to think about health and safety for the activity to make sure that no harm comes to the children. The adult will be there to explain what to do initially and be there to answer any questions the children may have. The adult will also ask questions to encourage the children to think about the subject more deeply; these questions will normally be open ended so the children’s answers will not be one-worded. The adult will also encourage the children to stick at the activity for a decent amount of time and to help the children to think up new ways of playing the game and to plan different rules.