Final Reflection

Final Reflection

Children play by creating imaginary situations, accepting specific roles, and following predetermined instructions. This approach makes children eager to interact with the immediate world around them, and this is done through play. I believe that it is essential to involve children in play from the time they are conceived since it improved their learning abilities, compared to direct instructions. Learning among children is the responsibility of both the parent and the teacher, and they should ensure the child is modeled correctly to enable them to interact with other students in the right manner. This paper aims to reflect on what learning means and involves, as well as how it occurs, especially among young children.

The Purpose of Learning and what it involves

Learning is a vital process in growth, and it significantly involves play. Learning and play complement each other, and research shows that learning that is derived from play motivates students more compared to learning that is thrust upon them. I think that playful activities and interactions are essential in meeting language goals, motor goals, and social goals among children, and it is recommended among all growing children. The purpose of learning and play can be seen as children can benefit from having a constructive and personalized understanding. This ability enables active and playful children to outperform other children who do not engage in plays; indeed, all work without play makes Jack a dull boy. Generally, I agree that play and learning are an important aspect of children’s growth since it enables them to learn the environment surrounding them, through the guidance of teachers.

Children are naturally curious and therefore have a built-in desire to explore and learn about everything around them. Children’s learning begin from the moment they are born. Moreover, early brain development tends to have a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and thrive in both school and life in general. To help build a child’s brain, one needs to interact with them through play. It is thus such a critical read, sing and play with children from the moment they are born. It is also important to note that using play as a teaching method tends to yield better in students compared to the instruction-directed method.  This is because play tends to motivate children to attend school and, at the same time, enhances their creative thinking compared to using explicit instructions. I also firmly believe that it further enables children to generate more flexible solutions and outlook.

Though play in children tends to involve adults, it, however, should not be controlled by children. Essentially, undirected play is critical in enabling children to learn in groups, to negotiate, interact, to resolve conflicts, share, and gain self-advocacy skills.  This is because kids tend to acquiesce to adult rules and as a result, lose some of the profits plays provides them, especially in enhancing creativity, leadership, and group skills. Encouraging unstructured play is an excellent way of increasing physical activity levels in kids.

Generally, from the reading, I agree with the fact that those children often learn best when they are effectively engaged, and the materials are significant. This simply implies that through interaction during play children learn to generate and explore their world, master and conquer any existing fears. At the same time, develop new competencies that eventually boost their confidence and resilience in life. Perhaps above all, using play as one of the key learning methods in children’s education is simply creating a cherished part of childhood.

Guided Play in Children Learning

I think that it is essential to consider guided play and the roles it plays in children learning by appreciating and acknowledging it. Guided play refers to a form of play that enables children to explore within an environment prepared by adults under their guidance. Guided play involves adults choosing the correct play material that promotes specific explorations that shape the child’s growth. It is true that guided play as a teaching method improves the academic excellence of students, motivates them to love school, and improves their creative thinking abilities.

On the contrary, teaching through explicit instructions may not be equally effective compared to guided play since it can limit the ability of the child to explore, learn, and be creative. I strongly agree that teaching through direct instructions may also fail to bring the desired results since the children will have reduced confidence and less enjoyment hence making them show more stress as well as inattention to what surrounds them. Teachers can support guided play by giving children the security and freedom to explore and ask open-minded questions.

Teacher’s Role in Children Learning

Teachers play a vital role in children learning and are responsible for ensuring the child develops in the required manner by creating a conducive environment for safe and conducive learning. Among the roles that teachers play in children learning include being a recorder, participant, facilitator, and mediator. The teacher’s involvement as a participant can facilitate and model appropriate playing, which enhances play and promotes the child’s growth. Apart from the teacher’s involvement with children, I also believe that they can make a connection between what the children already know and what they are learning at the moment. Stopping child conflict and modeling them to share and interact with other peers are also part of the teacher’s role in children’s learning.

How Play and Learning occurs among Children

            Learning among children happens through play, and this enables children to relate what they already know to what they are thinking presently hence allowing them to construct new knowledge. Play, on the other hand, occurs when children feel emotionally positive and are eager to interact with the surrounding environment. It is true that as children play, they create imaginary situations and accept to play certain roles that correlate with predetermined rules, and this enables them to learn from each other through their interactions. Moreover, I believe that children also create shared emotions and language to play, and this enhances their social skills, including sharing, following societal rules, and taking turns. Expressing their feelings and understanding those of their peers is vital in helping children regulate their emotions and fit in certain roles in the process. I learned that children also encounter issues and problems as they play, and in the process, they learn how to resolve them in the best way possible. I think that adults, therefore, have an obligation to create an appropriate environment that supports positive learning and be ready to model the children to emulate the expected behaviors in society. Through play, children benefit from developing vocabulary and language, which are essential aspects of the learning process.

Conclusion

In summary, learning is an essential aspect of children’s growth, and it actively involves play, which is critical in enabling a holistic growth. I agree that learning and play complement each other directly, and they have the power to influence children’s holistic growth, compared to learning through direct instructions. Learning among children mostly occurs as they interact with their surroundings through play, and this enables them to build their vocabulary and language as well as understand how to follow the rules in society. Teachers have the responsibility of creating a conducive environment that supports creative and interactive learning among children, as well as model them to emulate the correct behavior and interact with other peers correctly.