Play is an essential component of a child’s education. Play contributes positive effects to all areas of education. From the academic side, to the social and physical side, play affects education in a positive way. Numerous studies have been performed since the 2000’s and each one has driven to the same point, play is good.
In 1990, Jane Healy wrote a book entitled “Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think and What to Do About It”. The problem that Healy was attempting to address is children’s inability to process information. It was determined that the source of the problem was, and is, time spent playing video games, surfing the internet, and other electronic devices that decrease a student’s ability to think.2 The study is not saying that those devices have no business being around children, however it is saying that more time should be spent performing physical activities.
Academically, it is extremely difficult to get a child to focus for an extended period of time. Many children today are being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. The problem for many of these students is that they have so much energy built up and no way to expand it. Play allows children to get rid of high levels of energy which translates to increased focus in the classroom. Socially, students learn how to interact with others during play. Play is one of the few times during the day when students have the chance to really interact and learn to get along with peers.
As far as Physical Education goes, play is a crucial part of the curriculum. The goal of play should always be to develop proper motor skills and improve health and physical development to create a lifetime love for physical activity. The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, what the state expectations are for students) below should give a clear demonstration that play is involved in all areas of P.E.
“(1) Movement. The student demonstrates competency in fundamental movement patterns and proficiency in a few specialized movement forms. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate an awareness of personal and general space while moving at different directions and levels such as high, medium, and low;
(B) demonstrate proper foot patterns in hopping, jumping, skipping, leaping, galloping, and sliding;
(C) demonstrate control in balancing and traveling activities;
(D) demonstrate the ability to work with a partner such as leading and following;
(E) clap in time to a simple rhythmic beat;
(F) create and imitate movement in response to selected rhythms;
(G) jump a long rope; and
(H) demonstrate on cue key elements in overhand throw, underhand throw, and catch1.”
1(1998). Chapter 116. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Physical Education
Subchapter A.Elementary.
2Roberta J. Park (2014). Play, Games and Cognitive Development: Late Nineteenth-Century and Early Twentieth-Century Physicians, Neurologists, Psychologists and Others Already Knew What Researchers Are Proclaiming Today, The International Journal of the History of Sport, 31:9, 1012-1032, DOI: 10.1080/09523367.2013.877448
I like how you hit all the aspects of "play" in your blog. I wrote a similar blog about the differences between physical activity and physical education in my blog 8, but I focused primarily on the physical side of "play". I talked about the academic side of physical education in a previous blog as well. I'm glad you are on the side that is fighting to emphasize the importance of physical education and how we need to keep PE programs in schools across the nation.
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