English In Early Childhood The Importance Of Play

In this video, James Nottingham talks about the importance of play in a young childs development and education. Play is fun, all children love playing, and children learn so much through play without even realising it. So we need to give children time to play, not just ten minutes when they finish their work. When children play, they are experimenting with ideas, testing hypotheses, mastering skills, using their imaginations and representing their world. If you cut out play when teaching English you are removing a vital step in childhood development. Here are a few examples of the different types of things children are learning and developing as they play. When playing with plasticine children develop their fine motor skills. Children are working on handeye coordination and building up the muscles in their hands and fingers when modelling plasticine. These are valuable prewriting skills, as good muscle strength and handeye coordination will help children hold and use writing tools properly later on.