Play, Development, and Early Education

Book excerpt: Respected play scholars James Johnson and James Christie join esteemed author Francis Wardle in this exciting new text on the theorizing and research of childhood play. Play is the universal language of childhood. In order to converse with new generations of children, today's teachers must prepare themselves and learn how this form of communication can be adapted to the classroom. Play, Development, and Early Education, challenges the reader to discover what play is and how to incorporate it into a curriculum for children from toddlerhood through the primary grades. Utilizing three major ideas--the quality of play in early childhood, play as a means of self-expression, and play as a channel of communication to achieving social sense--the authors examine the beliefs, perspectives, and theories relating to play and what effects culture, media and technology have on play. In addition, the text addresses the role of parents in supporting and elaborating play, the direct connections between research and play practice, and the value of play in relation to the total development (cognitive, affective, emotional, social, and physical) of all children.