THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

• What is PLAY ?
• enjoyable and absorbing
• intrinsically motivated
• pretend quality

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Different Kinds of PlayInfancy Object Play

• Newborns -exercise
• 4-months-old -explore objects
• 1-year-old -functional play
• 2-years-old -pretend play

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLAY

• How does PLAY change during childhood?
• Becomes more social
• Becomes more imaginative
• Becomes more rule-governed

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Different Kinds of PlayEarly Childhood Social
Play

• SOLITARY Play
• children play alone, typically with objects
• ON LOOKER Play
• child watches others play, taking an active
  interest perhaps even talking to the players,
  but not directly participating

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Different Kinds of PlayEarly Childhood Social
Play (cont.)

• PARALLEL play
• children play next to one another, doing much the
  same thing, but they interact very little
• ASSOCIATIVE play
• children interact by swapping materials,
  conversing, or following each others lead, but
  they are not united by the same goal

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Different Kinds of PlayEarly Childhood Social
Play (cont.)

• COOPERATIVE play
• children join forces to achieve a common goal
• they act as a pair or group, dividing their labor
  coordinating their activities in a meaningful
  way
• GAMES AND RULE GOVERNED play

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What Good is Play?

• 1. Physical development
• gross motor
• fine motor coordination
• 2. Cognitive development
• language communication (e.g., reading)
• planning
• problem-solving
• creativity

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What good is play (cont.)?

• 3. Social development
• negotiate, solve conflicts, adapt roles
• practice social roles, cooperate, follow rules
• 4. Emotional development
• express feelings
• resolve conflicts
• 5. Moral development

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How to Promote Play

• 1. Allow play
• 2. Provide play materials
• 3. Import playmates
• 4. Play along
• 5. Educational implications

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PEER RELATIONS

• Acceptance vs. rejection
• Friendship

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PEER ACCEPTANCE

• Liked by peer group
• Ignored by peer group
• Disliked by peer group

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PEER RELATIONSSociometric Techniques

• CATEGORY LIKED? DISLIKED?
• Popular Yes No
• Rejected No Yes
• Neglected No No
• Controversial Yes Yes

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PEER RELATIONS

• ACCEPTANCE REJECTION
• Cooperation Aggression
• Social rule following Deviance
• Conformity Different-ness
• Physical Attractiveness Reputation

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PEER REJECTION1. Peer Rejected Children

• A. Show traces of psychopathology
• B. Behave differently
• Aggression
• Withdrawn and solitary
• No social chat
• Disruptive and uncooperative
• C. Have reputations with their peers

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PEER REJECTION2. Coaching Rejected Children

• A. Social skills
• B. Self-evaluation
• C. Affects popularity immediately
• has effects one year later

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PEER REJECTION

• 3. Socially isolated children improve when
  playing with YOUNGER peers.

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FRIENDSHIP

• More important than popularity
• As important as parents to development
• parents- complementary, authority
• peers- reciprocal, equal

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CONSEQUENCES OF FRIENDSHIP

• 1. Social development
• social skills
• social relationships affection, helping
• conflict resolution negotiation
• 2. Emotional development
• comfort
• perspective taking

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CONSEQUENCES OF FRIENDSHIP (cont.)

• 3. Physical development
• 4. Intellectual development

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SEQUENCE OF RELATIONSHIPSFrom Peers to Friends

• 1. Early childhood
• Mixed sex groups
• Changing pairs

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SEQUENCE OF RELATIONSHIPSFrom Peers to Friends
(cont.)

• 2. Middle childhood
• Single sex groups
• Peer groups- sex segregated
• Girls- intensive
• Boys- extensive
• Friendships

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SEQUENCE OF RELATIONSHIPSFrom Peers to Friends
(cont.)

• 3. Adolescence
• Peer groups
• Partners

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FRIENDSHIP DURING ADOLESCENCE

• Friendship
• One-sided to reciprocal
• Joint activities to emotional bonds
• Common interests to sympathy, loyalty, trust
• Partners

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LAST NAME, first name

• 1. Name 3 ways that play changes during
  childhood.
• 2. What kinds of development does play promote ?
• 3. Which is more important developmentally--
  popularity or friendship?
• 4. What are friendships like in middle childhood
  ?

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END
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Film Clip Peer Relations - Adolescence