A two year and a three year old boy and girl are playing together. One of the children tends to 'lead' the play. Their play is relaxed, being free from adult-instructed or educator-initiated rules or advice. Each of the children are happily engaged in their own play, yet both interact socially.
A boy and girl are running down a footpath together. The boy stops by a building and slides himself along the pavement, while the girl hops around near by him. They both enjoy each other's company and their play is individual, yet co-constructed. Often each child observes what the other child is doing. The children do not always follow each other's play patterns.
The boy is not at all restricted in his play, at sliding, wearing no socks or shoes that may hinder his play. They both observe a large trailer, the girl attempting to push it and then swing on it. The boy moves around beside the girl and then he chooses to run away from her. The girl runs to meet up with him, after he has run off from her. Then the girl pushes the boy on a tricycle, running after him again as he circles around a building. The next action the boy takes is to ride upon a tricycle. The girl consequently chooses to climb inside or a red and yellow plastic car-mobile that is positioned nearby. The boy soon alights from the tricycle, then climbing back onto it, soon after. They play well alongside of each other and each participates in their own chosen course of play. Although the children do not mutually take part in the same activities, they do enjoy each other's company and inspire each other to play at roles that are conducive to their vivid and unrestricted imaginations.
An educator could inspire the children to combine their play efforts in a more cohesive manner. For example, he/she could encourage each child to take turns at riding on the tricycle and the car-mobile. The children could be encouraged to ask questions as to what the trailer that is free-standing nearby, is normally used for. Children enjoy free play and are naturally sociable beings. This is an innate trait within all very young and young children. There are also times whereby children can be challenged in constructive play patterns. As they mix with their peers, they absorb the ideas of their playmates; whether this involves 'free play' or initiated or rote learning by their educators or parents.
When children 'play out' dramas in 'real life', they 'act out' their own made-up dramas.
Taken from Page 7 of 'Teaching Literacy through Drama",
it states that when a child is able to operate in abstract and imagined play-worlds with other children, the time is ripe for teachers and other empathetic adults to move in alongside the children, with a clear learning agenda. Literacy skills are gradually learned as children learn to socialise, despite their playing solitarily, yet alongside of teach other. Adults can act as models for the pretending process and demonstrate how language, gesture and action can be appropriately used to explore and open up a variety of situations. During times of parallel dramatic play alongside another child or adult, children negotiate dramatic play with their peer/s or adults, The end result is that they are participating in drama. At times a child may well begin to play solitarily and dramatically by themselves, until another child chooses to join in, as is the case in the U-tube described above. An adult looking on : (see Page 8), - may observe and support the children's play, interacting with them in their parallel dramatic play. He/she can support and interact in or out of role, providing structure of shared drama experience in or out of role as the children's play progresses. Referring to Page 9 of "Teaching Literacy through Drama". written by P. Baldwin and K. Fleming; Drama invites emotional engagement and a sense of identity as part of a group (this includes parallel play with another peer). Play provides powerful contexts for speaking and listening, provides opportunities for the children to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings. provides a means of understanding symbolism and the juxtaposition of words and silence. Should an educator or teacher have joined in with the children's play, they could have introduced significant opportunities for the stimulation of interactive pupil response, thereby creating a catalyst for communication by the children. The educator or teacher could encourage story-making development in the children's play, involving the creation of imaginary characters, settings and plots. Mathematical development can be learned when a child or children enjoy dramatic play and imagined drama contexts. Both the boy or girl are using their vivid imaginations while playing alongside of each other. They are both engaging in abstract forms which they portray in visual and tactile form. At the same time, the children are finding reasons for thinking mathematically in order to use and apply mathematics in a powerful imaginary context, giving motivating reasons for finding solutions and problem-solving. When the children use the tricycle and the car-mobile, they are exercising mathematical skills and logical reasoning. They both ride their 'vehicles' on the footpath, keeping safe and away from traffic or any obstacles.
Referring to the Early Years Framework for Australia curriculum booklet, play-based learning is described as a context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations. Therefore, the innate and natural abilities and desires of young children to join in aspects of play provides an indisputable foundation and unlimited scope for the development of very young and young children's literacy and numerical skills. The 'free' and non-adult initiated play by the two children who I observed on the U- video website provides this evidence.
References:
Youtube.com - How 2 year old and 3 year old toddlers play together - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_tmbZFSmRQ
Teaching Literacy through Drama: Baldwin P. and Fleming K.: RoutledgeFarmer, 2003
(Creative approaches)
The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia - P46
(Belonging, Being & Becoming)
Barbara Furler.
St. No: 2075318
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