What a pleasure it was to participate in a conference in Arizona by TASP, The Association for the Study of Play. Every presentation was related to understanding play in human development and learning, and links with play in animals.
As I discovered, there are concerns in the US around the low status of play, especially in schools. There, too, a target-driven ethos has diminished the value of that which cannot be measured. There are battles to save 'recess' or playtime as we would call it, which has been given over, in an increasing number of states, to 'engagements' with literacy and numeracy. I say 'engagements' because there are those in the US who, as here, do not agree that extended exposure necessarily means effective learning, especially when motivation and age-appropriateness seem not to have been factored in.
The Early Years Foundation Stage clearly aims to raise the profile of play within our early years settings in England and this is to be welcomed. The practice guidance says: 'play underpins the delivery of EYFS' (1.16) and 'play underpins all development and learning for young children' (1.17). Playful images and activities are depicted and described in the practice guidance cards. Section 4 of the cards reinforces the experiential and active nature of playful learning.
But is this enough? No, I don't think it is. Play is not a tool for curriculum delivery; it is a deeply meaningful way of learning for children. But play is not easy to understand; the meanings children make through play are not always accessible to observing adults. There is a real danger of underestimating the complexity and richness of play by describing it as 'natural and spontaneous'. Play IS early education when it is facilitated and understood by the adults in the setting, but we have to work hard to understand how children learn through play in order to facilitate it. My hope is that, along with the documentation, all educators are supported in deepening their understanding and that they can be brought together to share their own knowledge and insights into playful learning.
- Pat Broadhead is Professor of Playful Learning at Leeds Metropolitan University and chair of TACTYC (www.tactyc.org.uk).
