Matea Manojlovska

How has the longitudinal study been used as an assessment tool

A longitudinal study is essential in research as it allows for observing and collecting data
from the same group of people over a long period, often spanning many years or even
decades. This approach helps to understand how things change over time, identify complex
patterns, and track the development of a group over different stages.
In early childhood education, longitudinal studies are crucial for several key reasons:
- Tracking Developmental Milestones: Longitudinal studies offer a valuable perspective
to understand how children reach various developmental milestones. By carefully
following a group from infancy through early childhood, researchers can thoroughly
document the different aspects of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth.

- Identifying Patterns and Trends: Longitudinal studies enable educators and

researchers to recognize underlying patterns or emerging trends in learning patterns,
behavioural tendencies, and academic achievements. While these patterns might not
be evident in short-term studies, they become apparent over a longer investigative
period.

- Identification of Influential Factors: Longitudinal studies provide vital insights into

the factors influencing a child's developmental path by carefully analyzing various
elements such as family environment, socioeconomic status, educational
interventions, and parenting styles. These studies meticulously examine how these
factors shape growth and maturation over time.

- Utility as an Assessment Tool: In the realm of education, longitudinal studies serve as

a powerful tool for evaluation, providing insightful perspectives into the effectiveness
of various teaching methods, curriculum adjustments, and educational interventions.
By using a longitudinal approach, educators can carefully assess how well specific
methodologies contribute to holistic learning and foster comprehensive developmental
outcomes.
Matea Manojlovska

Describe the benefits of the longitudinal study

Longitudinal studies in early childhood education offer a unique opportunity to track a child's
journey from their initial steps into the world of learning through their growth and
development over time. These studies provide a plethora of benefits, particularly in
enhancing our understanding of how children learn and develop.

Firstly, they afford a comprehensive view of a child's progress. By monitoring a child's

development over an extended period, researchers can discern patterns, milestones, and
obstacles that may not be evident in shorter studies. This in-depth observation is invaluable
for unraveling the intricacies of child development and learning.
Secondly, longitudinal studies facilitate the identification of trends and patterns. They enable
educators and policymakers to determine whether specific teaching methods, interventions, or
environmental factors have enduring effects on a child's learning journey. For instance,
researchers can assess if early childhood interventions correlate with improved academic
outcomes in later years.
Moreover, these studies shed light on individual differences. Recognizing and understanding
the unique learning styles, strengths, and challenges of children is essential for effective
education. Longitudinal research aids in this by allowing educators to tailor interventions and
educational approaches to accommodate diverse needs effectively. Additionally, longitudinal
studies assist in predicting outcomes. By observing a child's progress from an early age,
researchers can make informed projections about future academic achievement, social skills,
and overall well-being. This predictive ability is crucial for designing targeted interventions
and support systems.
Lastly, longitudinal studies contribute significantly to the advancement of early childhood
education. The wealth of data collected over the years serves as a valuable resource for
researchers, educators, and policymakers alike. It informs the development of educational
policies and practices aimed at fostering optimal learning and development for young
children.
Matea Manojlovska

Introduction of a child R

As a part of my placement, I am taking care of five children, aged between 3 and 4 years old.
The children in the group overall posses very similar skills and have the same knowledge of
the world around them, with little differences between the children who are 4 and children
who are 3. Overall, the children have a lot of energy and love learning through play. Even
though all of the children are interesting in their way, I chose to focus on one child during my
observation a girl named R.
R is a bright and curious toddler, born into a loving family environment, R’s parents are
enthusiastic about participating in her education. As R participates in the class activity she
exhibits a natural propensity for learning and discovery. Her curiosity drives her to ask many
questions and seek out new adventures every turn. Overall R is an enthusiastic and
experimental learner full of enthusiasm. She loves playing games which include language
skills as well as physical movement. Her favourite games are circle time, singing songs, and
playing with playdough.
R doesn’t like activities which involve mathematical skills, and often throws a tantrum while
doing these, these activities include sorting and classifying, patterning, and comparing and
ordering.
The main focus of my longitudinal study is to track and try and improve R’s progress in the
area of mathematical skills, and particularly patterning, sorting, and classifying. This study is
conducted over a period of time to:
- Identify R’s progress in the area observed.
- Identify R’s preferences and reactions to the activities done
- Spot any areas in which R needs additional support.
The study involves regular observations of the child, as well as the assessment of R’s
mathematical skills and the progress she made in every cycle. The cycles include:
1. Cycle 1: Checklist
2. Cycle 2: Narrative
3. Cycle 3: Narrative
4. Cycle 4: Checklist
Matea Manojlovska

Cycle 1: Checklist
Date:
The focus of my first observation was to carefully follow and observe R throughout the while
morning lesson, in order to notice her strengths and weaknesses while using her mathematical
skills, as well as her skills in general.
While interacting within various environments this morning, R showed some observable
differences in preforming tasks which demanded the use of mathematical skills, particularly
the more complex subskills such as sorting, and recognising shapes in real life with ease, as
well as comparing and contrasting objects using colour, shapes etc.
During playtime, children were given a variety of toys and objects to sort based on different
criteria such as color, shape, size, or purpose. While many children eagerly began sorting toys
into various categories, R seemed hesitant to start. Instead of actively participating in sorting,
she seemed overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. When asked, she expressed difficulty in
deciding how to categorize the items and often sought reassurance from the teacher.
After the playtime children were completing a game which included identifying shapes in
their surroundings, most of the children enthusiastically pointed out shapes like circles,
squares, and triangles. However, R seemed to struggle with this task. When presented with a
rectangular book or a circular clock, she appeared unsure and often misidentified them.
Despite gentle guidance and encouragement from the teacher, R continued to find it
challenging to recognize shapes in the real world.
Matea Manojlovska

Milestones Active / Not active

Recognise shapes (circle, triangle, square,
and rectangle) in the real world
✗
Start sorting things by colour, shape, size or
purpose
✗
Compare and contrast using classifications
like height, size, or gender
✗
Count up to at least 20 and accurately point
to and count items in a group
✓
Understand that numerals stand for number
names
✓
Use spatial awareness to put puzzles
together
✓
Start predicting cause and effect
✗
Can create shapes with different materials
✗
Can trace or draw specific figures
✓
Understands and includes notions like near,
next to, above and below.
✓

Date:
Age: 42 months
Cycle 1
Matea Manojlovska

Evaluation 1
The first planned activity was used to check the milestones R has already achieved, as well as
the ones she is yet to achieve. Using this activity I have focused on testing the mathematical
skills such as sorting and recognising shapes. The activity involved using a large container of
shapes of different materials (cutouts, wooden and plastic shapes), where children had to sort
them according to different criteria, which included shapes with straight edges, shapes with
curved edges, shapes with corners, shapes without corners. Next to sorting and recognising
shapes, the task included counting as well.
I found the task very useful when testing R’s mathematical skills, as the activity included a
mixture of different mathematical aspects. As a diagnostic tool, the activity was very useful,
as it allowed me to notice areas of mathematical skills where R needs more help.
R’s reactions to the activity were multilayered, as initially she found the activity confusing
and felt reluctant to independently participate, and she wanted more help from me. After a
while, through trial and error she managed to successfully sort the objects according to the
criteria. The activity helped connect real life objects to imaginary shapes, which, I believe,
helped R with easier recognition.
Matea Manojlovska

Cycle 2: Narrative
Date:

As R arrives at the childcare centre today she is not in a great mood. She doesn’t want to be
separated from her mom, and ends up being in tears until she gets distracted by the
practitioners.
The day begins with morning circle time, during this time the teacher introduces the theme of
cause and effect through story telling, using a simple narrative to illustrate how actions lead
to specific outcomes, laying the foundation for understanding this fundamental mathematical
concept. R still seems fussy, but interested in what her teacher is talking about.
The teacher then asks the children a set of questions to check their understanding of the story.
Many children race to answer the questions, with R occasionally raising her hand as well. She
doesn’t seem confident as other students when it comes to analysing the cause and effect
relationship of the story elements.

As the activity wasn’t going well for her, R decides she doesn’t want to sit in the circle time
any more, a reaction very unusual for her, and decides to start playing with some blocks on
her own. One of the other children decides to join her, however she chases them away, as
visibly frustrated.
After letting R stay on her own for a while, she approaches her teacher and ask for another
story, looking for attention. The teacher starts showing her one of the colourful books, which
she visibly enjoys.
Observing R’s character and preferences, I can conclude that the notion of cause and effect
might be easier for R to understand if it is presented in a more practical manner. Which is
why I will organise an activity with simple science experiments, age appropriate for 3-4 year-
olds.
Matea Manojlovska

Evaluation 2:
Planning an interactive and practical activity to help R with her mathematical subskill, cause
and effect, resulted to be an excellent idea.
The activity was age-adapted and simplified for 3-4 year-olds, which helped children learn
safely and in a fun and engaging manner. R was thrilled to participate in the activity, as she
likes hands-on activities, and even more so, she wanted all the children in the class to
participate, which she tried to achieve by getting the children closer to the table. This was the
first time I noticed R eager to help with the activity, which also kept her attention throughout.
She enjoyed talking about the experiment afterwards and used correct language to express the
notion of cause and effect.
The information I gained though this experiment will help me plan the remaining activity
plans, as based on the feedback, I am planning to use play to introduce and teach
mathematical skills further.
Matea Manojlovska

Cycle 3: Narrative
Date:
Arriving at the childcare centre today R was in a very good mood and felt rather social as she
chose to play next to other children before the first planned activity for the day started.
The first part of the class was focused on using different materials and drawings to explore
geometric forms. The activity started with drawing and recreating a variety of shapes from
simple ones, like circles and squares, to more complex ones, like stars and rhomboids. R felt
confident enough to start drawing her shapes before everyone else, she created a couple of
shapes, when the teacher handed her some child-safe scissors to cut the shapes out, she had
some difficulties to follow the lines closely, but managed to do it herself. This showed good
control of motor skills. After cutting and colouring the shapes, R had to sort them together
with other children. During this activity she took charge and eagerly participated in the task.
As an extension the teacher tried to connect the abstract shapes children drew to the real word
objects, such as balls and buildings. This seemed to be a quite challenging task for R, as she
kept connecting the objects to the wrong shapes, even with some help from her teacher.
This informed me that I should create an activity in which I should try to improve R’s
understanding of the shapes around her, and help her connect the shapes to the real world
objects.
Matea Manojlovska

Evaluation 3:
I found that the third activity was the most successful of all the ones planned throughout this
observation cycle. The activity’s main focus was to encourage the recognition of shapes in
real world by providing a fun, hands-on experience, and allow children to explore a familiar
area. Furthermore, the activity promoted critical thinking by giving children an opportunity to
think analytically about shapes and patterns.
R's participation and eagerness to learn were evident throughout the entire activity, as she was
keen to, not only explore, but also accept help from other students when she had issues with
shape recognition, or was uncertain about her abilities. This activity enabled R to work
together with others, and improved her social skills as well.
Matea Manojlovska

Cycle 4: Checklist
Date:
During the final observation, I could evidently notice how much R’s behaviour in class has
improved. She was not as shy, and quiet, and had no issues calmly asking for help, instead of
throwing tantrums.
Overall, her mathematical skills have also improved, and she has gained some confidence
while doing the tasks which involved these skills.
When R arrived today, the activity had already started. Children were working with clay and
forming different shapes, from simple to more complex one. R joined quickly and created a
couple of shapes of various sizes. The teacher then let the clay to dry, and after the shapes
were completely dry students had to organise the shapes using different comparative criteria
such as compare the smallest and the largest shape, or which shape has the brightest and the
darkest colour.
I could see that during this part of the activity R didn’t participate as much as she did during
the first part. She mumbled some of answers, and didn’t rush to organise the items with other
children. This helped me conclude that R didn’t feel very confident about her comparing
skills, and that this is something we should work on next.
Matea Manojlovska

Milestones Active / Not active

Recognise shapes (circle, triangle, square,
and rectangle) in the real world
✓
Start sorting things by colour, shape, size or
purpose
✓
Compare and contrast using classifications
like height, size, or gender
✗
Count up to at least 20 and accurately point
to and count items in a group
✓
Understand that numerals stand for number
names
✓
Use spatial awareness to put puzzles
together
✓
Start predicting cause and effect
✓
Can create shapes with different materials
✓
Can trace or draw specific figures
✓
Understands and includes notions like near,
next to, above and below.
✓
Matea Manojlovska

Evaluation 4:
The final activity planned was aimed to help R understand volume and overall math. Next to
this the activity also encouraged the use of fine motor skills, as well as problem-solving
abilities. R rather enjoyed this activity, and showed progress when asked to demonstrate how
measurements work, and which measure is larger or smaller. I believe that the main reason
R’s skill has improved, was because I could visually demonstrate the quantity of the material
in each container. R was happy to complete the activity, and had a lot of fun with her group
while playing in a sensory bin.
Next step for R would be to explore comparing on other levels as well, rather than only
focusing on volume.

Child’s development stage, interest, and need

Understanding child development is crucial for both parents and educators. Each child
possesses a unique personality and undergoes various stages of physical and emotional
growth. From infancy to adolescence, children experience not only physical changes but also
evolve in their behaviours, emotions, thoughts, and language through interactions with their
environment. Providing a safe and supportive environment allows children to communicate
comfortably, enhancing their sense of security and helping them navigate these transitions.
With this support, we empower them to develop self-confidence, enabling them to face new
experiences with courage and without fear.
Matea Manojlovska

My role

During my study, my role is to support R and help her improve her mathematical skills. In
order to do so, I will employ a variety of strategies which involve some hands-on experience
and learning though play such as arts and crafts, games, group and pair work.

In early years education, mathematical skills focus on laying a strong foundation for
children's mathematical understanding and development. These skills are introduced and
nurtured through play-based learning, hands-on activities, and interactive experiences that are
developmentally appropriate for young children.
In this context, mathematical skills include:
- Number sense - this includes recognizing and naming numbers, understanding one-to-
one correspondence, and grasping concepts of more and less.
- Shapes and spatial awareness - Exploring geometric shapes, patterns, and spatial
relationships. Children learn to identify and describe shapes, understand positional
concepts (such as over, under, beside), and develop spatial reasoning skills.
- Measurement - Exploring attributes such as length, weight, capacity, and time.
Children engage in activities that involve comparing, ordering, and measuring objects
using non-standard units (e.g., blocks, hand spans) as well as standard units (e.g.,
centimetres, litters).
- Patterns and sequencing - Recognizing, creating, and extending patterns. Children
explore patterns in various contexts, such as colours, shapes, and actions, and develop
skills in predicting and reproducing sequences.
- Problem-solving - Using mathematical thinking to solve problems and make sense of
situations. Children engage in open-ended tasks and activities that encourage them to
think critically, reason logically, and apply mathematical concepts to real-world
situations.
- Mathematical language - Developing vocabulary and language skills related to
mathematics. Children learn to use mathematical terms and symbols to communicate
ideas, describe relationships, and express mathematical concepts orally and in writing.

Choice of Assessment Methods

Assessing a child provides crucial information about child’s development and growth which
is significant both for the parents and carers. It not only shows what child’s strengths are, but
also helps carers/practitioners to learn more about the ways the child learns and develops and
whether any further, additional support is needed.
Matea Manojlovska

Keeping an assessment record helps establishing a great relationship between practitioners

and parents, by ensuring that parents can understand their child’s strengths and weaknesses
and provide an appropriate type of support at home.
Assessment in early childhood might be one of the key elements related to identifying the
additional needs and providing a suitable support. It not only helps the children, but also a
teacher or practitioner who can plan individualised instructions for children that are at the
same stage of cognitive, physical, motor, and language development.
This observation study consists of:
• Two checklists – this type of assessment consists of a list of questions that the
educator is looking to answer while doing the observation. The purpose of the checklist is to
be given to a teacher by an observer, and to provide a clear communication between the
teacher and a child.
• Two narratives – a type of observation which contains detailed information about
behaviour observed in a setting. Its main purpose is to check and assess child’s progress in
school.

Current Frameworks

The main goal of a nursery is to educate and provide high-quality care to the children. This
environment serves as a foundation and basis for future learning, and as such should be a safe
place, where there is an equal opportunity for everyone to learn.
In the context of mathematical skills development for children aged 3-4, there are several
frameworks and methodologies that educators and parents can utilize to support early
mathematical learning. These frameworks typically focus on fostering foundational math
concepts through play-based activities and hands-on experiences tailored to the
developmental stage of the child.
The approach followed by most of the care centres in an integrated approach supported by
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This approach provides a set of common
principles and commitments for all children up to five years old. It teaches practitioners to
nourish the unique qualities and characteristics within a child.
Within this framework, there is a specific focus on mathematical development in the
"Mathematics" area of learning. It emphasizes providing children with opportunities to
develop skills such as counting, recognizing numbers, understanding shape, space, and
measures, and exploring patterns through activities that are engaging and play-based.
1. Montessori Method:
The Montessori method is an educational approach that emphasizes self-directed activity,
hands-on learning, and collaborative play. In Montessori preschool environments,
Matea Manojlovska

mathematical concepts are introduced through specially designed materials that allow
children to manipulate objects and explore mathematical concepts concretely. For children
aged 3-4, Montessori activities focus on counting, sorting, sequencing, and basic geometry
concepts using materials like number rods, sandpaper numerals, and geometric shapes.

2. Reggio Emilia Approach:

The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy that originated in Italy and is
characterized by its emphasis on child-led learning, creativity, and exploration. In Reggio-
inspired early childhood settings, mathematical concepts are integrated into projects and
investigations that emerge from children's interests and inquiries. Educators observe and
document children's interactions with mathematical concepts as they engage in hands-on
activities, problem-solving, and exploration of mathematical ideas through art, building, and
other mediums.
3. Play-Based Learning:
Play-based learning approaches, commonly used in early childhood education, integrate
mathematical concepts into everyday play experiences. For 3-4-year-olds, play-based
activities may include counting objects during block play, sorting toys by attributes such as
colour or size, engaging in pretend play scenarios that involve measurement or money, and
using sensory materials like sand or water for exploration of mathematical concepts like
volume and capacity.

Theoretical Perspectives
Theoretical perspectives provide valuable insights into the nature of mathematical learning in
early childhood and inform the design of instructional practices that support children's
mathematical development in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways. By drawing
on these perspectives, educators and caregivers can create rich learning environments that
foster children's mathematical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills from an early
age.
The perspectives include:
1. Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development:
Jean Piaget's theory emphasizes the importance of cognitive development in shaping
children's understanding of mathematical concepts. According to Piaget, children progress
through distinct stages of cognitive development, and their ability to understand mathematical
concepts evolves as they interact with their environment. For children aged 3-4, who are
typically in the preoperational stage, Piaget's theory suggests that they are beginning to
develop symbolic representation skills, which lay the groundwork for counting, classifying
objects, and understanding basic mathematical relationships.
Matea Manojlovska

2. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social interactions and cultural
contexts in children's learning. In the context of mathematics education, Vygotsky's theory
highlights the importance of guided participation and scaffolding provided by more
knowledgeable peers or adults. For 3-4-year-olds, this perspective suggests that adults and
peers can support mathematical learning through interactions that promote dialogue,
problem-solving, and the use of mathematical language in meaningful contexts.

3. Constructivism:
Constructivist perspectives on learning emphasize that children actively construct their
understanding of mathematical concepts through hands-on exploration and interaction with
their environment. In the context of early childhood mathematics, constructivism suggests
that learning experiences should be hands-on, inquiry-based, and grounded in real-world
contexts relevant to children's lives. This perspective supports the use of manipulatives, open-
ended problem-solving tasks, and exploratory activities that allow children to construct their
mathematical knowledge through firsthand experiences.

4. Sociocultural Constructivism:
Building on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and constructivist principles, sociocultural
constructivism emphasizes the importance of social interactions, cultural tools, and
collaborative learning in shaping children's mathematical understanding. This perspective
highlights the role of cultural artifacts such as counting rhymes, games, and cultural practices
in scaffolding children's mathematical development. For 3-4-year-olds, sociocultural
constructivism suggests creating rich mathematical environments that reflect children's
cultural backgrounds and provide opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and
exploration.

Partnership working

The core definition of partnership involves a variety of parties working together to

achieve common goal. In a childcare setting this refers to collaboration between
practitioners, parents and other professionals in order to achieve not only harmony but
also enhance a child’s development and learning.
Matea Manojlovska

Partnership working causes the establishment of trust between the parents and
practitioners and shows parents that their child is in a safe environment. Not only is this
an important aspect for parents, but also for children themselves, since they can feel safe
to take risks and improve their self-confidence. Every child develops and learns in his
own pace, and one must keep the parents up to date with a child’s progress. Parents who
are involved in a variety of stages of their children’s development are creating children
that feel respected and valued. Partnerships should work both ways and both parents
and practitioners should be encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas.

Working in this environment is crucial in the situations where there are some serious
concerns and issues raised over a child’s development and welfare. If they are being
informed on their child’s progress, parents can provide all the necessary extra care,
additionally, sometimes they will need to work in partnership with other people, such as
doctors and nurses, psychologists etc.

Partnership working has a variety of benefits for all its sides, and some of the benefits
are that:

1. Children:
 feel secure and safe, gaining from all the educational opportunities presented
 See learning as fun in the instances where their home lifestyle is visible in the
setting
 Feel happy when they hear and recognise their home language in a setting when
their language is English
 Are not afraid of change and move from one setting to another with self-
confidence.

2. Practitioners:
 Using the knowledge about children’s family values, beliefs and traditions help
the children develop their own identity and belonging to the setting
 Understand children and parents better and creating the activities that are more
enjoyable and rewarding for the children
 Create a more emotional and secure environment for children
 Benefit from parent’s abilities and skills.

3. Parents:
 Feel safe to share information about their children and are overall more involved
in their children’s learning and development
 Feel that they, and their beliefs and traditions are valued and respected, and feel
comfortable going to the nursery to talk to practitioners and plan what is the best
for their child
 Have more knowledge about their children and are able to support their learning
development at home, understanding the importance of care and education in
early childhood.
Matea Manojlovska

Holistic Development

Holistic Development is the overall development of a child in all the areas. This
approach to education and development at the same time concerns physical, personal,
intellectual, emotional and spiritual wellbeing aspects of children’s lives. It argues that
children acquire different skills through different stages such as talking, walking and
fine motor skills.

This study focused on the observing a child called NN and his fine motor skills. The
summary of the observation cycles consisted of two checklists, cycle 1 and 4, and two
narratives, cycle 2 and 3.

The environment

The environment should be designed in such a way to enable staff to facilitate the
learning and development of a child. The environment of an early childhood setting
should provide enough resources for child’s basic needs, and at the same time
encourage and support a child to engage in the activities integrated in the program’s
curriculum. It should be a safe place where children are protected and easily supervised
both outdoors and indoors, and ensure the safeguarding and the wellbeing of the
children in every situation, including playing, eating, sleeping, using the toilet etc.

Indoor environment should be spacious enough for children to move freely and easily
locate what they need based on their changing interests and needs. Next to this it should
be carefully designed in order for children to feel secure, safe and happy to be there, as
in such environment they can confidently learn and play. Resources provided ought not
only to be easily accessible, but also various and of the highest quality including building
blocks, cars, dolls, jigsaws, clothes, and colourful books.

Outdoor environment is of an equal importance. It helps children move around without

any restrictions, while being exposed to fresh air, bright natural colours and noises of
nature. It promotes the opportunities to be in a creative, problem-solving situation.
What is more, outdoor environment does not require expensive equipment, since we
can creatively use crates, wood or logs, which would at the same time stimulate the
imagination and support active learning of children.

How play affects learning and development

Matea Manojlovska

Play represents a really important part of a child’s life. It is a natural way to improve child’s
physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and language development, as well as to keep a child
happy and active.
• Physical development – Child Development Institute claims that physical play helps a child
create connections between the brain and the nerve cells. On the other hand it is important
since it improves motivation, learning, concentration and well-being of a child. Play helps
them stay healthy, develop abilities to run, walk and use gross and fine motor skills. Studies
conducted by North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource centre show that
physical play helps in decreasing a variety of conditions such as coronary heart disease and
obesity. This paper focused on the improvement of fine motor skills, and we have managed to
improve NN’s fine motor skills significantly by using 4 simple play activities.

• Intellectual development – related to how a child can solve problems, learn and acquire
knowledge from the surrounding environment. Intellectual development is based on
children’s age and the milestones they have reached. Letting children be creative, and using
their own imagination while playing with everyday objects is a good way of improving their
intellectual development. For example, using different pots and pans while playing cooking,
helps children develop knowledge around the world around them by pretending they are
cooking, but also encourages them to sequence the objects according to their size, by putting
them one in another from small to large.

• Social and emotional development – social skills refer to the situation where one can create
and maintain positive interactions with others – the essential skill in making friendships. It is
important to notice that these do not have to run smoothly every time, and sometimes they
need to be taught by using strategies such as various emotional intelligence tools, like
empathy and social skills. Children learn social skills through play indirectly, which helps
them through life without them even knowing. Emotional intelligence helps them regulate
and understand their own emotions, and emotions of others, and through it children learn that
during play there should be such thing as taking turns, sharing, and avoiding unnecessary
conflict with other children.

• Language development – while playing with toys and objects there is a chance for a child to
learn how to pronounce the name of the objects (learning nouns), what they do (learning
verbs), and how to describe them in a different way (adjectives/adverbs). Parents and carers
next to the practitioners should be a resource in giving children the words they need. While
playing with a child it is crucial to provide the important words, while improving the
relationship with them.