Importance of play for babies & children
Play is more than just fun for babies and children. It’s how they learn best, and how they work out who they are, how the world works and where they fit into it. You can read this article in a selection of languages other than English.
Why play-based learning? (free article) - Early Childhood Australia
‘ … for the EYLF to be implemented properly, all early childhood educators need to know what play is, why it is important, how to implement and assess a play-based program and their role in it.’ Questioning practice The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is built on the understanding that the principles of early childhood pedagogy (DEEWR, 2009, pp. 12-13) guide the practice of early childhood educators. Research tells us that an educator’s pedagogy is one of the most important aspects when assessing the quality of children’s learning. So early childhood educators need to carefully consider and question their pedagogy and corresponding practices.
The cognitive benefits of play: Effects on the learning brain
© 2008 - 2014, Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Science supports many of our intuitions about the benefits of play. Playful behavior appears to have positive effects on the brain and on a child’s ability to learn. In fact, play may function as an important, if not crucial, mode for learning. Want specifics?
Listen to Your Mother
Young children face a remarkable challenge in learning to use the language of their culture. Toddlers vary widely, however, in the rate at which they learn new words.1 A team of Harvard Graduate School of Education researchers set out to ask whether and how children's language environment can impact vocabulary development. In their study of mother-child pairs from low-income families, they found that mothers who used many different words (not just many words) had toddlers with faster growth in vocabulary use. During the toddler and preschool years, most children learn to use hundreds of words, combining them into sentences and engaging in conversation with others. From previous research, we know that variation in vocabulary growth relates to child characteristics like gender, and also to parental factors.
Let's Talk
What do babies need in order to learn and thrive? One thing they need is conversation — responsive, back-and-forth communication with their parents and caregivers. This interactive engagement is like food for their developing brains, nurturing language acquisition, early literacy, school readiness, and social and emotional well-being.
10 Types of Play Important to Your Child's Development
Play builds your child's creativity and imagination as well as other skills. Whether it is simply rolling a ball back and forth with a sibling or putting on a costume and imagining she's an astronaut – she's developing important social skills such as learning to take turns, cooperation and getting along with others. Does all play look the same to you?
Symbolic play and language development
Open Access Highlights Longitudinal indication for the link between simple symbolic action and symbolic development. Simple symbolic actions link to babbling and complex symbolic outputs. Frequency at initiation of babbling associated with initiation of complex symbolic behaviors. Results support a direct-path hypothesis and an indirect one, rather than a dual-path hypothesis.
Scientists Say Child's Play Helps Build A Better Brain : NPR Ed
Deion Jefferson, 10, and Samuel Jefferson, 7, take turns climbing and jumping off a stack of old tires at the Berkeley Adventure Playground in California. The playground is a half-acre park with a junkyard feel where kids are encouraged to "play wild." David Gilkey/NPR hide caption toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
Why does my toddler love repetition? - BabyCentre
Paediatric speech and language therapist. It may test your patience when your toddler demands 'Row, row, row your boat' for the 10th time. But there's a good reason for her insistence. Toddlers love repetition because it helps them to learn, and because it's familiar and comforting.
Why does my toddler love repetition?
Paediatric speech and language therapist. It may test your patience when your toddler demands 'Row, row, row your boat' for the 10th time. But there's a good reason for her insistence.
6 Types of Play: How Children's Play Becomes More Social
Play is a serious business. The pioneering developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky thought that, in the preschool years, play is the leading source of development. Through play children learn and practice many basic social skills. They develop a sense of self, learn to interact with other children, how to make friends, how to lie and how to role-play.
I Said I Want the Red Bowl! Responding to Toddlers' Irrational Behavior
Pin It Amelia, told that she can’t have a fifth book before bedtime, shouts: “You are the meanest mommy! You are not invited to my birthday party!” Derek, when offered a choice between carrots and cheese, not ice cream, before dinner announces: “I don’t like the choices you are choicing me!” Alex hurls a bowl of his favorite cereal off the table and screams, “I said the red bowl, not the blue bowl!”
