How Can Play Develop Independent Learning for Reception Children - Research Paper Example

Fantasy play and free play were ineffective tools for building this motivation. As a result, the study recommends using guided role play as an effective tool for giving students the incentive for seeking independent learning.Role play – Taking on the roles of different characters in which engagement with other group participants create responses that is designed to assist children in socialisation and illustrating acceptable behaviours socially.Pre-operational stage of cognitive development – A stage in child development in which children are unable to grasp concrete logic and abstract principles; illustrating egocentric behaviours and values and limited ability to understand that others have differing views and beliefs.

The researcher for this research project is a volunteer teaching assistant in a Reception class, working with children between ages four and five. Reception is the introductory year in primary school in the UK in which children are first exposed to the formal education process. The goal of Reception work is to ensure that children’s baseline competencies in reasoning, cognition and fundamental comprehension of basic literacy are approached by instructors. Because children in Reception are in the pre-operationalstage of cognitive development, in which children do not have the cognitive capacity to understand concrete logic, educators must be innovative in promoting learning.

Oftentimes, comprehension is enhanced through play activities since children in this stage of development still engage in fantasy and child in this age bracket have challenges in comprehending things from the perspective of others (Rathus 2006).There have been many research studies conducted that provided support for utilizing play as a learning tool with children in the pre-operational stage of development (Kagan, et al. 2009; Goouch 2008; Coolahan, et al. 2000). However, there is a significant gap in empirical research illustrating whether play activities can be utilized as a means of enhancing self-directed (independent) learning in children between ages four and five.

There have been many research studies conducted that provided support for utilizing play as a learning tool with children in the pre-operational stage of development (Kagan, et al. 2009; Goouch 2008; Coolahan, et al. 2000).