CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Virtually
every child, the world over, plays. The drive to play is so intense that
children will do so when they have no real toys, when parents do not actively
encourage the behavior, and even in the middle of a war zone. In the eyes of a
young child, running, pretending, and building are fun. Researchers and
educators know that these playful activities benefit the development of the
whole child across social, cognitive, physical, and emotional domains. Indeed,
play is such an instrumental component to healthy child development that the
American Academy of Pediatrics (Ginsburg, 2007) issued a white paper on the
topic, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (2009)
named play as a central component in developmentally appropriate educational
practices, and the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (1989)
recognized play as a fundamental right of every child.
Play may even be the
cornerstone of society because it requires communication and cooperation among
people playing different roles and following agreed-upon rules. Research has
focused on how our leisure activities can be put to good use in education,
business and medicine, and to improve the quality of life for children and adults
(Goldstein, 2012). Developments in science and technology have broadened
researcher views of play. The flourishing of ‘cognitive neuroscience’ (the
study of the relationships between brain activity, thinking and acting) has led
to new insights into the role of biology and the brain in play and toy
preferences. The importance of play for mind and body has been well-documented
(Goldstein, 2012).
Play
presents children with a particularly strong opportunity for growth because it
meets the needs of the whole, individual child. All domains of children’s
development – cognitive, social, emotional, and physical –are intricately
intertwined. Play benefits each of these skills in direct and indirect ways.
Children learn and practice cognitive skills including language, problem
solving, creativity, and self regulation. Socio-emotional growth can be seen in
children’s ability to interact with others, negotiate, and compromise. They
also practice strategies to cope with fear, anger, and frustration. Moreover,
block building, drawing, running, and jumping all contribute to the development
of fine and gross motor skills. When children have the chance to direct their
own learning through play, they are able to address their own immediate and
developmental needs and find activities that are most conducive to their
individual learning styles. In play, children develop a lasting disposition to
learn. Having control over the course of one’s own learning, as in free play,
promotes desire, motivation, and mastery (Erikson, 1985; Hurwitz, 2003).
Some research just
stops you in your tracks. They found that baby vervet monkeys display sex
differences in play styles and toy preferences that mirror those of human
children. So it is not only parents’ behavior and marketing that produce boys’
and girls’ different toy preferences. Hormones and genes also influence children’s
play. It seems that males, human and nonhuman, are attracted to toys that move.
People play because it is fun. One of the many ways in which
play is healthy is that it results in positive emotions, and these may promote
long-term health in the early stage of the child. Even if it did not do this,
play improves the quality of life children feel good while playing. Play has a
major contribution to make in keeping a littler infant healthy (Geriannme,
Teressa & Rebecca, 2009).Active play has the paradoxical effect of
increasing attention span and improving the efficiency of thinking and problem
solving. Two hours of active play per day may help reduce attention deficits
and hyperactivity of the children in a formal setting. The most striking thing
about hi-tech toys is that the technology does not in itself drive play. Some
modern toys can interact with other toys, with iPads and computers, and can
recognize your voice and learn your commands. Yet much of their potential is
overlooked by players (Zlatka, 2011). Many children play with these toys in
traditional ways. In this they resemble adults who make limited use of their
computer software, learning how to do what they want to do with their computers
and ignoring the many features that are of less interest. Children
also learn how to seek out knowledge; play involves exploration, hypothesis
testing, and discovery. What is more, all this is done in a safe, anxiety- and
risk-free environment where children are free to test the limits of their
knowledge and abilities with relatively few repercussions (Hirsch-Pasek &
Golinkoff, 2003). They learn to have confidence in their ability to solve a
problem, and they become resilient in the face of a challenge (Erikson, 1985;
Hurwitz, 2003; Pepler & Ross, 1981). Play builds the foundation for a
lifetime of learning.
In the Western world, nearly everyone believes that children
benefit from free play. Research confirms that children’s self-initiated play
nurtures overall development, not just cognitive development (such as learning
to name colors, numbers or shapes). Abundant research has shown that play
during early childhood is necessary if humans are to reach their full
potential. Parents, teachers and government bodies all recognize the value of
play (Peter,2011).Yet opportunities for play continue to diminish, with fewer
play spaces, less freedom to roam outdoors, and decreasing school time for free
play. The case for play is clear, now the question is what we do to ensure that
children get the play they need and deserve. Due to the importance of play in
aiding the development of children in their Holistic development. This study
will add to the compendium of knowledge by investigating into the content and
procedures of Play Strategies for Holistic Development in Pre-School Children.
1.2 Statement of
Problem
Over
the past few decades, researchers in the fields of education and child
psychology have amassed significant evidence for the necessity of play in
children’s lives. There is no denying that play is fun, and certainly fun is its
biggest draw for children. However, as children play, they also develop
critical cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills. Play even
contributes to proper brain development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). In
this way, play is an important end in itself; it is also a means to other ends.
The skills children learn through play in the early years set the stage for
future learning and success from the kindergarten classroom to the workplace.
Yet,
while experts continue to expound a powerful argument for the importance of
play in children’s lives, the actual time children spend playing continues to
decrease. Today, children play eight hours less each week than their
counterparts did two decades ago (Elkind, 2008). Under pressure of rising
academic standards, play is being replaced by test preparation in kindergartens
and grade schools, and parents who aim to give their preschoolers a leg up are
led to believe that flashcards and educational “toys” are the path to success.
Our society has created a false dichotomy between play and learning.
Based
on this discrepancy of thoughts this study intends to fill the gap by
investigating the value of content and procedures of play strategies for
Holistic Developments in Pre-School Children.
1.2 Objective of the Study
The
broad objective of this study is to investigate the value of content and
procedures of play strategies for Holistic Development in Pre-School Children.
The specific objective includes
1. To
examine play strategies aid Pre-School Children Academic Development
2. To
investigate if play strategies improve the emotional and mental capacity of
Pre-School Children
3. To
mirror out if play strategies stimulate teachers performance on Pre-School
Children.
1.4 Research Question
The
following research question include
1. Does
play strategies aid Pre-School Children Academic Development?
2. What
are the play strategies that improve emotional and mental capacity of
Pre-School Children?
3. Does
play strategies stimulate teachers performance on Pre-School Children.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
Hypothesis
One
H0= Play strategies and Forms has no
significant influence on Children Academic Development
H1= Play strategies and Forms has
significant influence on Children Academic Development
Hypothesis
Two
H0= Play strategies and Forms has no
significant impact on Emotional and Mental Capacity of Children
H1= Play strategies and Forms has
significant impact on Emotional and Mental Capacity of children.
Hypothesis
Three
H0= Play strategies and Forms has no
significant effect on Teacher Performance on Pre-School Children
H1= Play strategies and Forms has
significant effect on Teachers Performance on Pre-School Children
1.6
Significance of the Study
The study would be relevant for the following
stakeholders which include;
Teachers, Guardians and School Owners and Management.
Teachers
will from the findings of the study, have the knowledge to implore on the
method that will aid them on the strategies and forms of playing they will
engage their children, so has to improve their academic development both within
the formal settings and informal settings.
Guardians
will from the findings of the study, know and employ the use of play in
development modes of the children. The guardians will from the findings of the
study have a balanced knowledge on the method of strategies of play that must
be opened to their children in their infant stage in lives.
School
Owners and Management will from the findings of the study have a policy
inclination change to implore more the use of play in curriculum of children in
the crèche and nursery school.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This
study will employ the descriptive survey design. The study will selects 10
nursery and primary school located in Victoria Island Environs. The study
respondent will be teachers teaching the Pre-school student. The study will use
the questionnaire and direct interview to collect the needful information from
the respondent. The study will use the purposive sampling technique for the
study. The study will use the frequency distribution for the sub-question and
simple liners regression technique for the inferential statistics.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Play:
This is a social and educational activity to get pre-occupied from a task.
Strategies: This
is a road-map in getting a task attained
Development:
This is physical, emotional and biological development in a child or
individual.
Pre-School Children: This
are infant within the age of 1-3, prepared for school period.