Week 3

1.  Yes, I agree with Professor Grey because many young people in South Africa spend more time on technology and structured activities than free play. This reduces opportunities for creativity, social interaction and natural development. 

2. Directed and non-directed pay/free pay

Directed play is controlled and guided by an adult with specific goals similar to what we did in class during week 3  were told to do a specific play that can make each of us participate and be able to play in it so by doing that we were directed to do a specific thing that has the same outcome at the end, while free play is child-led, spontaneous and based on the child's own interest and imagination. This kind of play will be mostly useful in the foundation phase class, where it can develop focus, following instructions and achieving curriculum goals.

Non-directed or free play is child-led, spontaneous and based on the learner's imagination and interests. As a future teacher, I will allow learners to have free time because it promotes creativity,problem-solving and independence. It also helps a teacher to observe learners' natural behaviour, language use and how they interact with others.

3. Personal play vs projected play

Personal play involves the child acting directly using their own body and emotions to express themselves, while projected play involves using objects ( like toys) to express ideas and feelings.

a) As a child, I enjoyed personal play when I pretended to be a mother in this play called " Mathubani" in Xitsonga. I was acting up the role of being a mother, using my body, voice and imagination to act out the role without props. This helped me understand responsibility and relationships through experiences and observing others.

b) Playing with a doll, I used to have different types of dolls, and in those, there were different family members, and each had a role to play. Those dolls used to eat, speak and talk with each other, even though I was the one doing the talking. As a future teacher, I now understand that both types are important for developing communication, creativity, and emotional expression in learners.

Brian Way's idea of concentration emphasises that during play, children become deeply focused and mentally engaged in what they are doing, allowing meaningful learning to occur ( Way,1967;14-15). Similarly, as noted by Peter Slade, children in play experience "obsorption" where they are fully immersed and "sincerity" where they express themselves honestly and naturally ( Sade,1954;2). These concepts are closely related because they all describe a state in which the child is fully involved both cognitively and emotionally. In other words, when a child is concentrated ( Way) and absorbed and sincere (Sade), they are not distracted but fully present in the play experience. This level of engagement suggests that play has a strong educational value, as it supports creativity, emotional expression and deeper understanding, which are essential for holistic development and effective learning.


Reference list 

Grey, M.(n.d). Play and Child Development 

Slade, P.(1954).Child Drama. London: University of London Press.

Way,B., (1967). development through Drama. London: Longman.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Block 2 : week 5

Image
 The use of metaphor in this block demonstrated how drama can support children's meaning-making, emotional expression and cognitive development. Metaphors allow abstract or complex ideas to be understood through familiar images, making learning both accessible and memorable. In the context of drama, metaphor becomes embodied, enabling learners to experience meaning physically, socially and emotionally. This aligns with the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky, who argues that learning is mediated through language, interaction and cultural tools. metaphor, in this sense, functions as a powerful mediational tool that supports deeper understanding. In our group, we used the metaphor of a "seed growing into a tree" to represent a child's development. This symbolised growth, resilience, and the importance of care and support. By using a familiar and natural image, the metaphor allowed learners to connect emotionally while also constructing meaning. This reflects Bruner's i...
Read more

Week 5

Image
 In week 5, we focused on the benefits of play and how learning takes place through drama. The activities were practical and suitable for a classroom environment, especially group-based tasks such as role-play and short scene creation. These activities showed me that play is not only for enjoyment, but also an important tool for developing communication, teamwork and confidence. According to the reading, drama supports children's imagination, confidence and social skills. It allows them to take on different roles and perspectives (Farmer,2011). This aligns with what we experienced in class during the past weeks, as in week 5, there was no face-to-face class, where engaging in dramatic play helped us understand concepts more deeply.  Furthermore, the week emphasised the importance of experiential learning. Instead of passively receiving information, we learned by doing, which made the experience more memorable and impactful. Drama-based learning creates a safe space for learner...
Read more