Reference no: EM133450478
Case Study: Between the ages of two and five, children's social interactions become increasingly reciprocal and coordinated, which is reflected in their play. Children's play can be divided into four categories, ranging from least to most socially complex. Non-social activity, parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play.
Non-social activity includes both solitary play and onlooker behavior in which a child plays alone, or simply watches another child play without participating. Parallel play is not interactive. Children play side-by-side in close proximity to each other but are focused on their own, rather than the others', activities. In associative play, children will share materials, and they may even organize their play around a common theme, such as cooking in the kitchen. But there is no coordinated purpose or goal. Cooperative play, by contrast, is goal-focused. It is organized group activity, both interactive and reciprocal. Children plan and assigned roles, and work together to achieve a common purpose.
Around the age of four or five, there is a developmental shift in the type of play in which children engage. Four and five-year-olds begin to demonstrate constructive play, drawing pictures or working on puzzles in pairs or groups. Purposefully creating and constructing something together. In dramatic play, children experiment with new roles and possible situations. Acting out both everyday and imaginary roles. This type of play involves advances in cognition, perspective-taking, and communication skills.
Questions:
Think about a time you observed young children playing. Did you notice that some children played in groups while others played individually? Young children engage in different play categories as they learn and develop. What are the different categories of play? What are the benefits of these different types of play? What are the four categories of play in which children engage? Provide a one-sentence description for each category of play.
How does knowing the different play categories help you design developmentally appropriate environments?