Importance of Play in Child Development Presentation

Assignment 2: Staff Workshop on Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum

Introduction:

Your assignment is to create a staff workshop on the topic of developmentally appropriate curriculum; you do not have to actually present the workshop, although once this assignment is completed you should be ready to do so. This assignment is due by week 11. The workshop should be created to reflect the knowledge and sophistication of your staff; for example, a workshop focusing on basic information about play would be appropriate for new or inexperienced staff, while one which looked in depth at a specific area or the curriculum may be more appropriate for experienced staff members.

Importance of Play:

Developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children focuses on play as the primary medium of delivery. Play is so important to optimal child development that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has recognized it as a right of every child. According to an article published in the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is essential to healthy child development and the maintenance of strong parent-child bonds. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full (Links to an external site.)

Director’s Role in Providing Play:

As a leader/director, it is your job to ensure that the children in your program have ample time for creative, productive play which is supported by adults who provide the necessary structure (daily schedule, physical environment, variety of materials and respect for children’s choices). This workshop provides you with a forum to share information about play and support the role of play in the daily curriculum.

APA Format:

For this assignment, required APA format will consist of the title page with a running head at the top, and reference page with citations in proper format.

What to Do:

1. First, read as much information about the role of play in children’s development as you can and review information from previous classes you may have taken.
2. Spend some time reflecting on your own experiences with children’s play, focusing on the value of play in the promotion of optimal development and changes you have seen in children as a result of being offered positive play opportunities.

• Once your reading and reflection on the role of play in children’s development is complete, create 5-6 questions you want staff to be able to answer after attending the workshop. Here are a few examples

• What is the role of play in a young child’s development?
• How does play help children grow?
• How does play support the development of pre-academic readiness skills?
• How can the environment be arranged to support and encourage play?
• How important is the organization and presentation of play materials?
• What types of play are relevant to young children’s development?
• How does the daily schedule support or undermine children’s productive play?
• How can children be encouraged to engage in different play activities?
• What learning stations are essential in the classroom?
• How does children’s play change over time and how should teachers respond to these changes?
• How can play be utilized to help children with passive or aggressive behaviors?
• What are some new ideas/activities in specific curriculum areas?

Planning your Workshop:

1. Armed with your knowledge about your selected topic, and considering the questions you created, plan a staff workshop to include the following items

• Three goals for the workshop – or – what do you want staff members to know after attending the workshop. Each goal should directly relate to one or two of the questions and should be written in this format: After attending this workshop staff members will be able to …….
• A 3-4-page handout for staff, done in either outline or Power Point format. This is where the information you have acquired comes in. The information in your handout should directly relate to your three goals and be easily understood by staff.
• At least one hands-on activity, complete with necessary materials that staff members can utilize with children immediately. To be developmentally appropriate, this activity should include manipulation of actual learning materials rather than paper and pencil tasks.

1. Complete sections I & II below

Be aware that information used for this assignment should be original in nature and not taken from an existing curriculum program such as ‘Preschool Lessons Online’ or ‘Creative Curriculum’.

Writing Your Paper:

Section I

This section will consist of 3 parts:

• Title page
• Simple listing of the questions you generated
• Your three goals – and a simple statement for each explaining why you selected these goals.
• General description of the staff members for whom the workshop is designed

Section II

This section consists of 2 parts:

• The handout you prepared for staff, containing the information on the topic that will support the achievement of your selected goals.
• Description of the hands-on activity shared with staff, including at least one goal, listing of materials needed and procedure for activity