Goals and Objectives
The student will learn
* Definition of play
* Why children want to play
* The nature of children's play
* The differences between adults' and children's play
* The difference between exploration and play
* How play changes with cognitive, physical, and social development
* Skills that young children practice in play and how they practice these skills in their play
* How young children's social interaction changes as they mature
* How children's symbolic play changes as they mature
* How young children communicate about their symbolic play
* How young children's development influences their use of rules in their play
* Ways in which play contributes to learning
* The role of play in developing problem solving skills
* Ways in which play supports language and literacy development
* Ways in which children express their emotions during play
* Factors that encourage play
* Ways in which children's level of development, individual styles, social backgrounds, social environment, and physical environment influence their play
* How to select toys and materials, design environments, and interact with children to facilitate their learning through and enjoyment of play
* How to foster and support children's functional, constructive, and symbolic play
* Strategies for handling play-related problems