The curriculum NZ Early Years Curriculumhas a role in shaping future identities. (Ross, 2000, p.149) - Essay Example

Infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers derive much benefit from a play-based curriculum, and under the supervision of knowledgeable and caring adults, it is a powerful method in facilitating the development of children’s identities. This paper will explore one of the definitions of identity as cited in Webber (n.d.) Identity is a socially constructed phenomenon related to the societal context in which individuals live. It is also very much a personal process. Erikson(1980) “understood that one’s identity is something that is both self-created and bestowed upon the individual by the culture”(p 13) (as cited in Webber, n.d., p. 14) Pedagogical models with strong sociocultural features such as Te Whariki do not leave play to chance but sustains it through complex reciprocal and responsive relationships as well as provision of activities which are socially constructed and mediated (Wood, 2004).

Not only do activities promote self-awareness but also incorporate cultural awareness which strengthens children’s cultural identities. . Play is a child’s world. It is an avenue where one can be free to be oneself without anyone imposing rules or restrictions to conform to society’s standards. Play offers many benefits that foster children’s learning. It engages the mind to actively imagine various scenarios for fun or for problem-solving. Te Whariki’s strand of Mana Aoturoa (Exploration) encourages children’s active exploration of the environment because in doing so, they learn many strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning as well as developing theories in understanding their world (MOE, 1996).

Babies and toddlers play in order to get to know how things work, how people react, etc. They get to explore and discover things that otherwise they will not learn about if they do not actively engage in play. This free exploration is considered Heuristic play by Holland (2003) and encourages it without adult intervention. Adults provide simple materials and allow the child’s imagination to take off. “The child learns from observing directly what these objects will ‘do’ or ‘not do’, in sharp contrast to much of the ‘educational’ equipment which has a result predetermined by the design which has been devised by the adult maker (Holland, 2003, p. 142). Not only will heuristic play stimulate a child’s thinking, but it also develops his creativity as he will see in his mind endless possibilities in imaginatively transforming ordinary objects into various things with various functions.

Young children learn better in play- like settings because they retain concepts better when learned in the spirit of fun. Macintyre (2003) discusses the value of play in all the developmental areas of children. Children love games that stimulate thinking. Such cognitive benefits