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Research on Value of Play
September 10, 2007
The environment, after all, is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.
-Lady Bird Johnson
In one article in the Exchange book, Play �" A Beginnings Workshop Book, Doris Fromberg reviews research on the value of play and spells out implications for teachers and administrators. In this article she reports…

“Cognitive development takes place during pretend play. When teachers or parents have intervened by playfully modeling, providing varied props, and raising play-related questions, young children have become more flexible planners, used more expanded language, and sustained play for longer periods of time. Researchers have found a relationship between enriched adult play intervention and children’s academic skills, as well as I.Q. with an improvement in systematic and processed-oriented problem solving. There is also evidence that the use of low-specificity toys is related to more interactive play and a longer shared play script.”





We have bundled together a variety of practical resources on play and are selling them at a discounted package price. Our Play Tool Kit contains the following items:
  • Play �" A Beginnings Workshop Book
  • The Power of Play: How spontaneous, imaginative activities lead to happier, healthier children by David Elkind
  • Exchange Article Collection #8 �" Play
  • Plus three Out of the Box Training Kits…
      �" "Play and the Outdoors"
      �" "But They’re Only Playing"
      �" "Supporting Constructive Play in the Wild"

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Comments (2)

Displaying All 2 Comments
Amy C · October 14, 2007
United States


Play is one of the most important aspects of a quality early educational program. I feel there must be adequate time given to children in order to play and explore their surroundings and environment. Play is necessary to development because it contributes to all areas of growth (coginitve, physical, social, and emotional) within the child. Play also gives both the children and the parents or teachers opportunities to engage in activities with one another, which is a teaching and learning lesson all in itself.

Through play, one can learn a lot about a child because they naturally share what they are feeling and or going through. This gives the educator an idea of what the child should be exposed to, and therefore can help meet the needs of each individual child through teaching topics and ideas that are important to the children.

Because play is important for healthy brain development, I believe it is each child's right. More emphasis should be placed on allowing children to play and fully develop, rather than what standard is going to be met.

Judi · September 10, 2007
United States


I especially love the quote. FYI, there's a special Play session at NAEYC in Chicago!

How play works: The role of child-initiated learning in early childhood programs
Edward Miller, Alliance for Childhood; Vivian Gussin Paley, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (retired); Gillian Dowley McNamee, Erikson Institute; Larry Schwein-hart, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation; Lilian Katz, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign



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