Rica M.

As-ason PSYCH 72

TOPIC- Facilitating Play at Home: Early Childhood

I. What is Play?
A. Fact or Myth
1. Facts
a. Only Speech and Language Pathologists are qualified to assess the
appropriateness of a child's play and its effect on language acquisition.
b. When a child plays with adults, it can also be successful and enjoyable.
c. Play provides us an insight into how children understand the things around them.
2. Myths
a. Play serves only to facilitate social interaction and not for language learning.
b. Play could not give us an insight into whether or not a child will learn a language
on his own.
c. The use of toys are children's only means to develop play.
B. Definition of Play
1. According to Sheridan (1977), play offers opportunities for the development of
language skills concerning vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence construction, and the
transition of meaning and intent.
2. Sheridan (1977) defines play as a pleasurable activity.
C. Main functions of Play
1. Manipulation and Integration
a. Manipulation refers to a child's ability to use objects properly and adjust his toy
use to his environment.
b. Integration refers to the play organization exhibited by the child.
D. Play and Language Development
1. Play plays an essential role in helping a child's language development, such as with
the following:
a. New vocabulary
 b. Correct pronunciation
c. Sentence construction
d. Social communication skills
e. Problem solving
E. Benefits of Play
1. Social and Emotional Development
a. Conflict resolution
b. Negotiation
c. Trust
d. Acceptance
e. Feelings, emotions, and social roles
2. Physical Development
a. Fine and gross motor skills
b. Coordination
c. Increased physical activity and promotes physical health and fitness
3. It’s FUN
a. Boosts joy and self-esteem
b. Reduces stress, anxiety, and irritability
II. Milestones and Stages of Play
A. Birth to 24 months
1. In this stage, children engage in solitary play where it refers to a type of play in which
they tend to play independently.
2. They play with toys by themselves.
B. 9 to 12 months
1. Children at this age exhibit object permanence, which means that they already
recognize that an object exists even though it is hidden.
2. They of this age will now play with toys appropriately instead of biting or throwing
them.
3. They begin to walk or crawl to get what they want.
C. 13 to 17 months
 1. Children of this age now explore and discover toys on purpose to know how they
work through trial and error by watching adults how to do it.
D. 17 to 19 months
1. Children at this age now use toys and objects appropriately.
2. They now engage in "Autosymbolic play," in which they pretend to sleep, drink from
a cup, or eat with a spoon.
3. They now develop "tool use," such as them using a stick to reach something.
E. 19 to 22 months
1. Children now develop pretend play.
2. They are now using more than one object or person, playing with dolls, and
combining two toys when playing.
F. 24 months
1. Children of this age now engage in parallel play where it refers to a type of play in
which they tend to play with others but do not directly interact with one another.
2. They are now busy engaging in play that represents daily experiences.
3. They tend to play events that are short and have limited sequences only, like two to
three sequences. For example, cooking something with the pan and then eating it after
cooking.
4. They tend to stack blocks and knocking them down.
5. They love sand and water play.
G. 2.5 years
1. Children of this age now engage in pretend play that represents less frequently
experienced events, such as pretending to be a doctor, having tea parties, and going
shopping.
2. They start employing realistic props.
H. 3 years old
1. Children of this age engage in pretend play, but it now incorporates sequence events
that are not isolated.
2. They now act out and create outcomes.
3. They engage in associative play in which they do the same activity as those around
them at the same time but do not necessarily interact with them.
I. 3 to 3.5 years old
1. Children of this age carry out pretend play with a dollhouse and other toys.
2. They tend to use blocks and sandboxes for imaginative play.
J. 3.5 to 4 years old
1. Children of this age begin to problem solve events that they have not experienced,
such as acting out scenes using dolls and puppets.
2. 3D structures are created using blocks
K. 5 years old
1. Children of this age play a sequence of pretend events.
2. Their play is highly imaginative and does not need realistic props.
3. They engage in cooperative play.
III. Red Flags
A. Difficulties manipulating small objects
B. Doesn’t participate in pretend play
C. Difficulty following simple instructions
D. Little interest in playing with other children
NOTE: If you see any of these red flags with a child, it is recommended to seek help
from an SLP or OT.
IV. Family Involvement
A. The most important play for young children is play with parents.
1. Parents playing with their children help develop healthy relationships between them
and their children.
2. They tend to support their children to gain abilities and learn new opportunities by
playing with them.
B. Roles of Parents
1. Use play as time to teach:
a. Patience
b. Problem solving
c. Social skills
d. Creativity
C. Dos and Don’ts
 1. Dos
a. Allow your child to direct play.
b. Play with the child in different ways.
c. Encourage social play.
d. Keep talking to your child.
2. Don’ts
a. Don’t overdirect the child’s play.
b. Don’t allow the child to over direct play.
V. Activities
A. 3Es
1. Explore the many settings in which the child can demonstrate his or her skills and
abilities. This may include:
a. Experimenting on which kind of activities the child enjoys best.
b. Finding the environment that the child feels most comfortable playing in.
c. Finding out what skills the child excels at.
2. Expose the child to important stimuli by:
a. Modelling how you use a certain toy.
b. Letting them meet with other children their age.
c. Allowing the child to experience challenges.
3. Engage the child in meaningful and educational experiences by:
a. Regularly playing with the child.
b. Letting them explore objects and their surroundings.
c. Allowing the child to take the lead during play.
VI. Important Tips
A. Break down actions into steps to help them understand the process of an action.
B. Praise and rewards go a long way. Making learning a positive experience that can help with
their willingness and engagement to play.
C. Every moment in a child’s life can be a form of play.