I would like to compliment you on the feature 'Hospital corner' (20 September) and the magazine's focus on role play in the early years. This aspect of young children's learning is often overlooked and the emphasis is placed on more formal areas of the curriculum such as literacy and numeracy. However, role play provides a wealth of opportunities for development and self-expression. I would like to share my recent exploration of role play with you. To introduce the topic of an optician we encouraged the children to create their own spectacles using a simple cardboard design. We transformed the role play area into an optician's by providing items including eye charts, Braille books, picture books with eye parts, a telephone, chairs, notepads and small pen lights. During the group time we charted the children's eye colours and then blindfolded them so they could experience what it feels like to lose one's sight. This exercise showed how important sight is to our lives and the Braille books helped them understand how blind people live.
I would like to compliment you on the feature 'Hospital corner' (20 September) and the magazine's focus on role play in the early years. This aspect of young children's learning is often overlooked and the emphasis is placed on more formal areas of the curriculum such as literacy and numeracy. However, role play provides a wealth of opportunities for development and self-expression.
I would like to share my recent exploration of role play with you. To introduce the topic of an optician we encouraged the children to create their own spectacles using a simple cardboard design. We transformed the role play area into an optician's by providing items including eye charts, Braille books, picture books with eye parts, a telephone, chairs, notepads and small pen lights. During the group time we charted the children's eye colours and then blindfolded them so they could experience what it feels like to lose one's sight. This exercise showed how important sight is to our lives and the Braille books helped them understand how blind people live.
We also made the home corner into a dental surgery. Props included parcel-packing blocks of teeth-shaped foam, play dough and a play drill to let the children pretend drilling and filling teeth.
Role play certainly has its place in the nursery and classroom environment as a vital part of a balanced curriculum. 'People who help us' is always one of our children's favourite themes.
So keep up the articles and activity ideas on this aspect of the early years. You can never have enough ideas.
Allison Hedley, Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear
