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The low status of play was considered in an article in Nursery World, which outlined concerns in the US over a target-driven ethos impacting on the amount of playtime and the value of play which is less measurable.
Professor Pat Broadhead from Leeds Metropolitan University welcomed the EYFS in England, and its aim to raise the profile of play, but questioned whether this will be sufficient. She outlined how the complexity and richness of play means it is not always easy for adults to access a child's interpretation of this experience, but emphasised that it is important to work hard to understand how children learn through play in order to facilitate it.
(Nursery World, 26.06.08)
A report in the TES debated on how play is defined with the forthcoming introduction of the EYFS. One side of the argument focused on play being undermined by the developmental targets of the curriculum. However, on the other hand there is the view that the EYFS will in fact encourage and enhance children's creative play.
Sue Palmer, literacy consultant, was quoted in the article and said, "Play can mean anything that isn't work. The important difference is between free-flow play and structured play. The foundation stage is about structured play. It is play controlled by adults. It is predicated on an educational approach and that is what I'm opposed to. The reading and writing targets dominate it. I want children to read and write, but I think what is stopping them is the loss of other parts of childhood."
However, Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology was also quoted arguing that settings with both good educational and social and behavioural outcomes have a fifty-fifty balance of teacher-led activities and free play. She also said, "Guided doesn't mean sitting on the mat. Baking a cake is something children couldn't do in free play."
It was also noted in the article that a paper for the Primary Review found that imaginative play can enhance a child's thinking, reasoning and understanding but this needs a teacher's intervention for it to be successful.
The need for some sort of standardisation in the early years was highlighted with findings in 2002 showing that 30 per cent of day nursery staff were unqualified. The article concluded that the most important element for successful child's play to help them develop and prepare for adulthood is the teachers themselves rather than the curriculum.
(TES, 15.02.08)
Children are being stripped of their natural creativity by
structured activities and hi-tech toys, leading academics
warned yesterday.
Innate play skills are lost as parents pay for them to attend
classes and clubs or buy televisions and video game machines
for their bedrooms. Even at school they are told what games
to play in sports lessons and sometimes even in the playground.
But the regimentation of their leisure time is stifling their
initiative, says a report.
Entitled the Trouble With 21st Century Kids, it was compiled
by Peter Smith, professor of psychology at Goldsmiths College,
University of London, and nutritionist Rachel Biggins. It
says: "Some structuring of play can be helpful now and then
to get children going or help children who have difficulty
playing. But this should not go too far.
Regimented play activities can have negative consequences
on the social and emotional development of a child because
they are too organised and take away a child's initiative
and freedom of choice. In contrast, freeform play encourages
the creative and multi-sensory development of a child because
it has no structure."
It adds: "Play or games with rules, where it is the outcome
that motivates the participation, train a child's thought
patterns, leaving less time for their imagination or creative
thought process to establish itself and mature." The report
warns of the stifling potential of television and videos.
"Although it can be said that there are some positive effects
to these activities, such as hand-eye co-ordination, there
is growing concern that children are spending too much time
on sedentary, solitary pursuits that can inhibit their mental
and physical well-being," it says. "Experts agree that pre-programmed
electronic toys monopolise the brain, because children respond
to a scenario constructed by someone else and this is having
an impact on their creativity."
(Extracted from an article by Sarah Harris,
Education Correspondent, Daily Mail, 30.05.06)
Babies and young children learn through
play experiences in which they determine how it will develop,
says Jennie Lindon.
A cornerstone of good early years practice is that children
learn a great deal through play. This principle applies just
as much to babies and very young children as it does to slightly
older ones.
The Birth to Three guidance documents for England (Birth
to Three Matters) and for Scotland (Birth
to Three) remind us that babies and children need to
explore with all their senses, an exploration that frequently
starts with the child getting their hands on to something
interesting. One of the ten principles of Birth
to Three Matters is that 'Children learn by doing rather
than being told', so resources and planning ideas on the component
cards all focus on making materials available and playing
games with children. Enjoyable play can arise from continuous
provision through an appropriately planned learning environment,
or as adult-initiated special play experiences. The Birth
to Three guidance has an equally strong focus on creating
a well-resourced indoor and outdoor learning environment.
It stresses that 'Children like to return to and revisit things
that were important to them that morning, the day before or
the previous week'.
Well planned continuous provision enables babies and very
young children to make choices and to 'become deeply involved.to
concentrate on something in depth.Play allows children to
make important connections about what they know'. Play also
enables adults to understand better how very young children
think, before they are able to put those thoughtful connections
into their own spoken words. In whatever way a play experience
starts, both sets of guidance make it clear that the flow
is then determined by how children want to handle the materials
or develop the game. For example:
- On the Birth to Three Matters
video there is a relaxed sequence of a baby painting with
his hands on a transparent screen. The clear practice message
is that this adult-initiated experience will run for some
time as babies and toddlers explore the sensations of paint
and open-ended mark-making. These magic moments will be
captured, and shared with a baby's family, through photos
and there is no expectation of an end product.
- On the Birth to Three
video excerpts (on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website),
the adult-planned experience of the 'Funny Foam' is kept
suitably simple, as adults and toddlers get their hands
into the foam, patting and sploshing it. Both adults and
children look as if they are having fun. Practitioners'
comments are simple and relate closely to what the children
choose to do with their heap of foam.
- Many sequences in the Birth to
Three Matters video show babies and young children
enjoying resources that are part of continuous provision:
pretend play materials, generous stores of stationery with
mark-making tools and places to climb and balance at their
own pace.
Supportive adults need to home in on what kinds of play experiences
and resources work best for under-threes. They also need to
notice those aspects of learning-rich play that do not change
across the years of early childhood: the continuing need for
time, resources, space and companions.
Time and timing
All children need sufficient time to enjoy their play and
become deeply involved on their own terms. Adult planning
has to be based on flexible timing that enables plenty of
'do it again' and 'come back to it later'. Adult-initiated,
special activities have to be open-ended in terms of the play
experience itself and adult expectations for learning.
Toddlers and two-year-olds may use a collection of simple
musical instruments to explore deliberate sound-making and
simple tunefulness. However, the children will be pushing
the boundaries of their own learning just as much if they
find a small drum will balance on its side or a circular xylophone
will roll.
Practitioners cannot plan and time activities with firm learning
intentions that are laid down before the children have even
seen the resources. None of the Birth to Three guidance tells
practitioners to aim for this impossible goal. Instead, practitioners
need to adopt a holistic approach that combines giving children
the freedom to make spontaneous choices about their play with
special experiences. Such an approach will foster many aspects
of a child's development, and an alert practitioner will recognise
and respond to the progress made.
Play resources
Children need sufficient resources, though many need not be
bought. What is important is that these resources are versatile
enough to give children the scope to determine, influence
or modify how they are used - today, tomorrow, next week.
Resources used in treasure baskets and heuristic play, as
pioneered by Elinor Goldschmied, point the way for a more
general approach to play materials for young children.
Goldschmied's concerns, from the late 1970s, about the limited
nature of many commercial toys, are as relevant as ever. There
are now even more plastic toys and items with extremely limited
scope for developing children's playful interactions, imagination
and learning - regardless of the manufacturers' claims.
When planning play opportunities, practitioners also need
to consider how the resources will be made available. Books
need to be presented on a low shelf or in a basket, a treasure
trove of soft cloths in a nice basket, simple construction
materials in sturdy containers. Older toddlers and two-year-olds
should have easy access to imaginative play props or small
world people and animals that make sense to them, as they
know enough about their world to re-explore it through simple
pretend play.
Space and spaces
Young children need plenty of space, but how much should be
determined by the resources and games on offer? They need
lots of open space to spread out and move at speed: happily
practicing their skills of movement and balance or playing
a game of crawling-chasing with you. Younger, and slightly
older, children need smaller, snuggling-in spaces, where they
may choose to settle down with a teddy or friends to organise
their own game.
Practitioners need to keep an eye on the play space available,
so that there is enough room for an older baby or toddler
to focus on their collection of soft scarves or for a two-year-old
to build a brick tower and knock it down.
Playful companions
Sometimes babies and young children want to play on their
own but enjoyable play includes the possibility of play companions
- adults and other children - joining in without taking over.
Practitioners need to be playful companions who sometimes
follow a child's lead and sometimes introduce a new element
into a familiar game.
Adult playmates can ease any tensions and role model social
skills when babies and very young children want to play together
but are struggling with space, turn-taking and what this game
is all about today.
(Nursery World, 23.02.06)
As adults, while at times we find making decisions a challenge,
we see having opportunities to do so as one of our human rights.
Other people behaving towards us as if they expect us to want
and have the ability to make decisions is important for our
self-esteem. This link between the opportunity to make decisions
and self-esteem is not confined to adulthood. It begins in
early childhood, through a process where the opportunity to
make decisions helps self-esteem to develop and increasing
self-esteem promotes children's ability to make decisions.
The link to self-esteem
This interdependence between decision-making and self-esteem
is reflected in the frameworks with which pre-school practitioners
work. In the Birth to Three Matters
framework, the aspect 'A Healthy Child' has a component 'Healthy
Choices' that highlights the importance of a child being able
to make choices including:
- Discovering and learning about his/her body
- Demonstrating individual preferences
- Making decisions
- Becoming aware of others and their needs
One of the early learning goals in the 'confidence and self-esteem'
aspect of the Curriculum Guidance
for the Foundation Stage is 'have a developing awareness
of their own needs, views and feelings and be sensitive to
the needs, views and feelings of others'.
The most effective way for pre-school settings to incorporate
these aspects of the frameworks into their practice is to
make recognition of the important link between decision-making
and the development of children's self-esteem part of the
ethos of the setting. This means practitioners giving thought
and attention to it in their provision of play activities
and all of their interactions with the children.
Explaining the situation
Our ability to make decisions is influenced by how well we
understand the particular situation involved. We need to feel
that we can make sense of it and see how it fits with the
circumstances of our lives. Pre-school practitioners can help
young children to develop the feeling that the world around
them makes sense, by explaining what is happening in the setting
and why. This can begin with the very youngest children, as
practitioners talk about the care that they are providing
for babies' physical needs, for example, putting on a bib
or changing their nappy. Even though very young babies will
not understand what is being said, the tone of voice in which
it is said will convey a message that there is rhyme and reason
behind what is taking place. As children get to the stage
where they are able to understand that there are rules for
their behaviour, it is important that the reasons for the
rules are explained to the children. Similarly, the reasons
for the requests we make of children can be explained. For
example: "In five minutes time, begin to put away what you
are playing with as it will soon be time to go home."
The chance to choose
Promoting children's learning and development through the
provision of child-chosen activities is a further way of recognising
the link between decision making and children's development
of self-esteem. These activities give the children opportunities
to decide with which activity they will play and how they
will play with it. It is important for settings to think through
how to offer activities to the full age-range of children
attending the setting.
- With babies, this will involve offering more than one
object for them to stretch out and grasp, for example a
rattle and a small soft toy.
- Providing treasure baskets for babies who are able to
pick up gives them opportunities to make choices about which
objects to explore and how to explore them.
- For toddlers and older pre-school children, pre-schools
need to make sure that the range of activities from which
the children can choose is interesting and inviting. This
will make decision making a stimulating experience for the
children and, consequently, one in which they will want
to engage.
Children's opportunities and abilities to make decisions
are further supported by enabling them to choose the equipment
and materials with which they play at their chosen activities.
For example, setting out the water play activity with a basket
trolley where each basket contains a particular type of equipment
will provide more choices for the children than placing a
random selection of containers in the water tray. This could
include the following:
- A selection of pourers
- Containers of differing and related shapes and sizes
- A collection of funnels and plastic piping
- Objects which float and sink
Encouraging choices
Sometimes, it will be part of the practitioner's role to help
children to make choices. Their decisions to do this will
be based on their observations of the children and their responses
to the choices offered to them. A child who has joined the
setting recently may be observed to be using a particular
activity as a safe haven from which to view what is happening
in the other activities. To help the child to engage with
one of these activities, the key person might ask the child
what they like to play with at home and use this to suggest
an appropriate activity at which they can both play.
Putting together profiles for individual children is one
of the ways through which settings promote their learning
and development. Seeing these profiles as belonging to the
child and her/his parents will encourage practitioners to
involve both children and parents in their creation. Again,
the way in which practitioners do this will depend upon the
age and stage of development of the child.
- With babies this might involve showing them a photograph
of them playing that will be placed in their profile.
- As young children are able to verbalise their thoughts
and ideas, it will involve talking with them about the activities
that they enjoy and why; then including these in the individual
plan to progress their learning and development.
- Once children have sufficient language to understand that
a collection of the things that they can do and their interests
is being kept, they can be encouraged to contribute evidence
of their achievements and activities, for example, a photograph
that they have taken of a large block construction which
they helped to build.
During my research and preparation for this article, I came
across a quotation that reminds us young children are people
in their own right and deserve to be involved in the decisions
that affect their lives. It prompts a question that all of
us practitioners working with young children should ask ourselves
about our attitudes towards the children with whom we work.
"If we are constantly astonished at the child's perceptiveness,
it means that we do not take them seriously." [Janusz Korczak]
(Barbara Thompson, course development
officer at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, writing in Under
5 magazine, February 2006)
Playing is the most natural thing in the
world, but there's much more to it than just having fun. Jeanie
Hurley investigates the role of play in development from newborn
baby to boisterous pre-schooler to see why playing is never
a waste of time.
Children just love to play and the great news is that play
is good for them. From four months old a baby will smile and
giggle when you make funny sounds or cuddle them up close.
By eight months they've grasped the 'where's it gone?' theory
and are delighted by peek-a-boo games.
Early days
Dr Julie C Coultas, a social psychologist at East Sussex University,
says playing has an essential role in children's mental and
physical development and as such says parents should see their
role in helping babies and children play as 'parental investment'.
She explains that before 15 months the games should be led
by the mother or carer with little peer interaction.
Liz Attenborough, from the National Literacy Trust, has helped
launch a campaign to encourage parents to communicate with
their babies. She believes what babies and young children
learn from playing, equips them with valuable skills later
on, and that it's never too early to start. "Babies are born
social and need an adult partner to develop their social skills.
Playing involves being engaged in an enjoyable activity and
you can begin playing with your baby as soon as she is conceived.
Your baby will already be familiar with your voice if you
talk to your bump while you're pregnant, and you can start
interacting now, when you feel the baby kick, gently tap back
to see if you get a response."
Development skills
Child development falls into the two main categories of physical
and neurological. Physical skills involve both gross motor
skills such as rolling over, crawling and walking, and fine
motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, grasping objects,
drawing and later writing. Sensory development is also physical
and includes sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Intellectual
and cognitive development centre on activity in the brain
including use of language, smiling and giggling, imagination
and working out. Our children's emotional wellbeing also develops
in the brain and comprises many areas such as self awareness,
self esteem and the ability to interact with others. Playing
in some form or another helps to refine these different areas
of development in babies and young children.
Communication
Good communication makes for good and rewarding play, although
in young children under two years this doesn't necessarily
mean having to speak with words. Facial expressions denoting
surprise, pleasure, not knowing where something is and praise
will all help your child find enjoyment in play. Talking to
your toddler in simple language helps them learn to give their
feelings expression. Use single words such as 'Happy', 'Gone',
'Oh no' right from the beginning.
How to help
Young children usually have short attention spans which adults
can find frustrating. You can create a more beneficial atmosphere
that encourages your little one to 'stay with it', by avoiding
distractions such as the television or other people. If you
lack confidence in how to play, start with a board book for
a baby of around 6 months that you can look at together. Ask
your son or daughter if they can see certain pictures and
see if they can point to them. Your show them how, then let
them try. Try covering things up with your hand to see if
they can remember what's there. As they get older you'll notice
how more perceptive they become. Simple games that have a
clear cause and effect are good to being with.
As they grow
Psychologists agree that babies learn much through watching
other babies and imitating their parents. Dr Coultas terms
this 'social pretend play'. She explains that from around
15 months a child is able to imitate, watch and comply with
his mother's suggestions, which means time to offer up plenty
of ideas. Toddlers don't actually play together properly until
about 21 months when they being to learn independence. You
should now take on the more passive role of spectator. Pretend
tea parties are a favourite at about this age. At about 25-30
months your child will be able to develop a story with his
friends. They love to mimic scenes from home, playgroup and
television. From around three years of age children create
pretend worlds together and enjoy embellishing them in greater
detail as they get older. All this leads to the important
social skill of the 'theory of mind', which simply means that
they have now learnt that what they think isn't always what
others will think, and they are able to put themselves in
someone else's shoes.
Age appropriate toys and games
0-3 months: Wind chimes, unbreakable
mirrors (babies tend to look right 80% of the time so make
sure you put any objects in their line of vision), high contrasting
mobiles, cloth books
3-6 months: Baby play gyms,
rattles, squeaky rubber toys, colourful teethers, socks with
bells
6-9 months: Textured books,
soft blocks to knock down, activity boards, toys that pop
up when your baby pushes the button, balls - throw the ball
and encourage your baby to crawl after it
9-12 months: Walker, rocker,
toy, telephone, shape sorter, books with flaps, bucket and
spade for natural sand play - your baby will love the texture
12-18 months: Simple puzzles
such as cut-out circles and squares, stacking, pull toys for
confident walkers; climbing frame, washable non-toxic crayons,
ride-on vehicle, toy buggy
18-24 months: Musical instruments
such as keyboards, drum, plastic tea set, play house or den
(throw a blanket on the old baby gym), shopping trolley, gardening
tools, building blocks
24-36 months: Illustrated books,
dressing-up clothes, child-size household equipment, construction
toys, eg Lego, wooden puzzles, dolls to undress
36 months +: Basic jigsaw puzzles,
memory games such as snap, child-size pots and pans, plasticine,
bats and balls, golf sets, reference books
(Baby and Toddler Gear, Nov/Dec 2005)
It's fun, games and learning for pupils at St Margaret's
primary in Polmont, Scotland. The school hosts Falkirk Council's
first Games Library, offering nearly 100 educational games
for youngsters to borrow. The idea is to encourage literacy
and numeracy skills in a fun way. The impetus for the new
provision came from parents keen to see more help for children
with memory and concentration skills. Many of the games have
been made by parents in conjunction with Wendy Auld, the school's
support for learning teacher, to supplement games that are
commercially available.
Activities include board games, card games and games using
paper and pencil. A £2 annual fee allows the school
to develop new games and create even more learning opportunities.
There is no restriction on the number of games that can be
borrowed and items are available for a two-week loan. The
school also offers a stock of books and factsheets specifically
targeted at helping parents to improve their support skills
for children.
Ms Auld said: "Parents have been marvellous at helping
to develop these games and they have been wholeheartedly behind
this idea. Initially, they were invited along to a workshop
to explore the idea and make some games. This was so successful
that a second workshop was held and other parents have worked
on smaller tasks at school or at home." Up to 24 mothers
and fathers have been working on the library since September
2004 and it is hoped that extra volunteers will come forward
to ensure that it is run entirely by parents.
(TES Scotland, 27 May 2005)
Research from Finland suggesting that young children need
outdoor space to achieve optimum brain development has led
to calls for change in the regulation of private nurseries
in Scotland. Matti Bergstrom, emeritus professor of neurophysiology
at Helsinki University, argues that too much order in a child's
life can inhibit their learning.
Until the age of six or seven, children must have access
to space and freedom to play out their fantasies, Professor
Bergstrom says. The area of the brain that processes logic
and order has not fully developed and the children depend
more on their inner feelings. However, a study of the regulations
relating to outdoor space in children's services, carried
out by Children in Europe, has shown that many countries have
no requirement or recommendation that would ensure that every
children attending an early years service would have access
to the outdoor space they need.
In Scotland, requirements for nurseries based in schools
state that every child should have access to at least 9.3
square metres of outdoor space. Pre-school services outwith
schools, including private nurseries, are not covered by such
regulation. One of Scotland's leading children's charities,
Children in Scotland, has called on the Scottish Executive
to extend these regulations to include nurseries outwith the
state sector.
(TES Scotland, 29 April 2005)
Young children should have more opportunities for learning
through play in Year 1 to help ensure a smooth transition
from the Foundation Stage, according to a new research study
for Sure Start. Research carried out by the National Foundation
for Educational Research found that most children coped well
with the transition. However, teachers identified the biggest
challenge as a move from a play-based approach in the Foundation
Stage to a more "structured" and "formal"
curriculum. They said they often found it hard to get children
to sit still during the literacy hour and maths.
Among other suggestions, the research recommended that more
training should be given on transition, especially for Year
1 teachers to raise awareness of the Foundation Stage curriculum
and help them to integrate elements of it in Year 1. Commenting
on the research, Lesley Staggs, national director of the Foundation
Stage, said, "It gives some really clear indications
on things that will make the transition successful."
(Nursery World, 14 April 2005)
A study of the transition from the foundation stage to
Key Stage 1. Dawn Saunders, Gabrielle White, Bethan Burge,
Caroline Sharp, Anna Earmes, Rhona McEune and Hilary Grayson.
National Foudnation for Educational Research. See www.dfes.gov.uk/research
Primary teachers in East Ayrshire are ditching the emphasis
on basics and turning to more play and creativity in the first
year of school. They say too many children are forced into
formal learning far too early, a move that can accentuate
division. Staff in four pilot schools, which serve disadvantaged
communities, had become disenchanted by the rigidity of the
formal curriculum in Primary 1 and are now putting the joy
back into teaching.
The project runs against the grain of early intervention
with its emphasis on mastering core skills as early as possible
in an attempt to close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged
and ensure a flying start. But the emerging practice is not
out of line with the Scottish Executive's partnership agreement,
struck in May 2003, which pledged to introduce more flexibility
for 3 to 6-year-olds.
East Ayrshire has pulled in senior researchers from Glasgow
University to help raise attainment in a quite different fashion
to recent early intervention strategies, many of which have
failed to narrow the gap for many pupils. Louise Hayward of
the university's education faculty said: "There is evidence
that too formal learning at too early a stage is unlikely
to result in success for all young learners." Nationally,
primary heads report that play, activity learning and creativity
have suffered because of the number of 5-14 subjects which
have to be taught, even in the early years.
Kay Hall, president of the Association of Head Teachers
in Scotland, said the major concern of early years teachers
was that the curriculum was far too demanding and hampered
their ability to address individual needs. "Does anyone remember
'reading readiness' and how quickly reading is promoted and
learnt once the child is ready to learn. Maturity and motivation
are key factors," Mrs Hall said. "PI teachers are in the business
of developing confidence and security in the more formal learning
process and require the time and flexibility to be able to
do so. Surely some of the curriculum could be taught later
in the child's life. Introducing skills, concepts and information
too early can have a detrimental affect - children can become
confused, lose confidence and develop ways of covering up."
The East Ayrshire initiative chimes with the approach of
the Children in Scotland organisation, which has been pressing
for Scotland to model other European countries by starting
formal learning at six or seven.
(TES Scotland, 16 January 2004)
Traditional building blocks and Play-Doh are far better for
children's learning than high-tech educational toys and videos,
experts have revealed. Psychologists are warning that many
expensive games might actually restrict children's progress
by stifling their creativity and hindering their social skills.
American child development expert Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
believes youngsters spend too long in front of television
and computer screens when they could be playing with basic
toys. In a new book titled Einstein Never Used Flash Cards,
she claims that so-called 'smart' toys fail to teach children
to play imaginatively. In contrast, wooden blocks, crayons,
costumes, paints and balls help them develop crucial lifelong
skills such as problem-solving and perseverance. They also
make it easier for parents to join in, which is vital for
boosting children's learning.
Professor Hirsh-Pasek, of Temple University, Philadelphia,
said: "Nowadays, toys we select for children have the
hidden agenda of making them learn, but those toys do the
opposite. They usually look for a single, correct answer to
a problem because they are busy teaching skills. Today's kids
don't need to be fed information through toys. They need to
combine facts in innovative ways to become creative problem
solvers. Well-meaning parents are simply being caught in an
expensive trap. If parents really want to prepare their children
for life in the next generation, they would be better looking
in the least-travelled aisles in toy shops." Professor
Hirsh-Pasek warned that parents are increasingly substituting
activities such as reading, playing and singing rhymes for
the easier option of placing them in front of computers or
videos.
She added: "We learn best by having another person play
with us. When parents have opportunities to play with children,
they get more out of it. Children gain better reading, maths
and social skills when adults play with them."
Her views are backed up by another expert, Matthew Melmed,
who agreed that high-achieving parents who attempt to 'hothouse'
their toddlers with educational software and toys could be
doing more harm than good. Mr Melmed, executive director of
the Zero to Three centre in Washington, which collates
parenting research from across the U.S, said the trend was
leaving children as young as three frustrated and prone to
tantrums.
Examples of educational software include Baby Mozart
and Baby Beethoven videos which are aimed at one to
three-year-olds. They contain music and visual images designed
to stimulate youngsters. Next August, Fisher Price is launching
Power Touch, an electronic book which teaches three-year-olds
to read using phonics.
(The Daily Mail, 13 January 2004)
Play and Do is information on the BBC website about children's development through play. It includes sections on babies and toddlers with information about the different stages. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/play_and_do/
Clever Clogs games are designed
by two early teachers who were concerned with the lack of
structured and sequential games available and decided to make
their own. The Clever Clogs philosophy is that young children
learn best when they are practically involved and have the
opportunity to talk to adults about what they are doing. The
range includes early literacy games and activities for encouraging
speaking, listening and thinking skills. For more information
visit www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk
The National Association of Toy and
Leisure Libraries (NATLL) aims to create and support
high quality play opportunities with its members throughout
the UK. It offers advice and support, training, toy appraisals
and information and ideas. Services available include publications
and resources and a free telephone information service for
anyone planning, setting up or running a toy or leisure library.
For more information visit www.natll.org.uk
The National Children's Bureau
(NCB) offers a range of play resources and publications. They
include Heuristic Play with Objects
- Children of 12 - 20 months exploring everyday objects,
a resource encompassing a video and leaflet that is available
at £16.50, or £13.20 to NCB members. For more information
visit www.ncb.org.uk
Ready Steady Go! is a book
of fun exercises for babies and young children from 0 to 3
years. It is based on research on physical and cognitive development
and combines movement, songs, practical advice and information
designed to make learning fun. It includes a CD with nursery
rhymes and parent information. For more information visit
www.readysteadygo.org.uk
Sense Toys supplies toys, activities
and books from a range of sources that are designed to help
language development and nurture a variety of skills through
play. The range is suitable for all children, but particularly
for those with special educational needs. Each product comes
with simple play tips. For more information visit www.sensetoys.com
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