Play-Based Learning and Intentional Teaching - Essay Sample

Introduction

Play-based learning is a situation of education through which youngsters form and seem sensible of their societal worlds by their active engagement with individuals, items, and demonstrations (Dewey, 2009). On the other hand, intentional teaching encompasses teachers being cautious, focused, and considerate in their actions and decisions. Intentional teaching is a contrast to play-based learning by rote (Dewey, 2009). This can be also be explained as, doing things in a particular way, or maintaining a specific tradition since that is how things have always been done . The paper shall discuss the association between play-based learning, and intentional teaching. It shall also highlight the role of teachers in the child learning process, and explain how education supports children learning in plays.

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The system of learning where children establish and fit to their social worlds when they enthusiastically involve with individuals, matters, and depictions is termed as play-based learning. Through play, children discover ideas; they investigate with things and express their new indulgences (Epstein, 2007). Play is the root for the early infant education provision. It can be discreet, shy, and intuitive; it can also be societal and appealing. Whereas play is considered as the base of early childhood learning, it, however, differs from one setting to the other wherein some of them; it is not always the case (Wood & Elizabeth, 2013). Cultural differences in education and play recommend that social relations and learning through observations create robust educational learning environments for young children. Numerous researches have been done to highlight the importance of constant and insightful relations between young children's and their educators to promote child learning (Fleer & Early Childhood Australia, 2018). However, the idea of excellence in the play-based education welcomes teachers to integrate the traditional theories about play with new understandings into the role of shared connections, modeling, and associations in the erudition of the young children (State of Victoria, 2016).

Intentional teaching can be described as an action by a teacher that has specific objectives and outcomes in the mind of children's development and knowledge. The Academic spheres that include arithmetic, science, and general literacy, and the customary early learning spheres that comprise social and emotive, intellectual, somatic, and inventive development, contains vital skills and knowledge that is essential for children (Selmi, Gallagher & Mora-Flores, 2015). Intentional teachers, consequently, combine and encourage significant learning in all purviews. Intentional teaching involves a planned, thoughtful and purposeful learning, and not by chance as play-based education does. The teachers in this form of knowledge use their acquaintance, verdict, and skills to consolidate the learning experience for the children. Whenever an unanticipated condition arises, the teachers use the chance to recognize a teaching opportunity and make use of it (Nutbrown & Cathy2006). This type of learning requires a variety of knowledge about how children develop and learn. Children learn best from child-guided, or adult-guided experiences. They may acquire understanding out of their experiments, adventures, and explorations which include their interaction with their peers; this is the child-guided experience (Drew, 2013).

However, when they are introduced to information and skills from the teachers, this is the adult-guided experience (Holt, Meier, Da Capo Press & Amazon.com. 2009). The child does not acquire knowledge from one of the lessons; they gain insight from the combination of child efforts and adult instructions. Consequently, children start to learn the art of speaking and listening from the casual, natural conversations; this is the child-guided experience. Nevertheless, they also learn numbers and vocabularies from the adults in their environment, and the teacher broadens their knowledge by the introduction of new words and constructions, this is the adult guided experience (MacNaughton, Glenda & Williams, Gillian, 2008).

Early childhood education relies on the psychological theory and research that emphasizes the contribution of play to development and learning. There are a number of elucidations as to why children play. First of all, play helps them in the expression of ideas, emotions, and feelings (Flear, 2013). In the emotional view, play offers a secure outlet of anxiety and tensions. In some cases, they might exaggerate their emotional experiences for them to learn how to handle these fears more rationally. It also provides an opportunity for relaxation and recreation; this enables them to generate energy for work-based activities (KIDD, 2018). During plays, children may practice the next stage of development by role-playing that contributes to their intellectual growth. Play helps in learning relevant processes such as problem-solving, exploration, discovery, imitating, and other essential operations (BASS, 2017). Lastly, play helps the child's development of the learning depositions such as self-motivation, perseverance, engagement, and positive social interactions. In general, play enhances the development of mastery learning (Griffin & Robertson, 2014).

Early childhood learning depends on the core inter-related features, and they include Principles, Practice, and learning outcomes. The three main components are the basis to the early childhood education and curriculum management (Kennedy & Early Childhood Australia, 2010). The curriculum covers all the relations, involvements, dealings, and intended or unexpected events that happen within surroundings that are set to enhance children's learning and development. These elements are exhibited either planned or unplanned in the play form or the intentional way. Children are interested in a variety of experiences, and any inclusion or exclusion from the curriculum affects their learning, development and the understanding of the world (Houghton, 2012). Curriculum decision making is an ongoing cycle that highly involves an educator's knowledge to understand the in-depth understanding of the children. In conjunction with the family's partnership, the educators use the learning outcomes to guide their planning on the learning of children. The educators identify children's fortes and interests to select the most appropriate teaching systems and plan on the erudition environment (Hattie & John 2009).

Teachers play an important part in the child development process. Teachers who teach in deliberate and visible manners have a lot of influence on child development. This shows that what teachers do matters. Whenever they are learning occurring or not occurring, they undertake several important and calculated interventions to change the direction of learning and attain specific desired objectives (Justice et al.2012). They offer the learners with various opportunities to develop learning contents, which make students understand the type of knowledge imparted by teachers, and then use it for future education.

Several theories are bounded with play as a part of early childhood development. They include the Grand theory, the classical theory, and developmental and post-developmental theories. Firstly, the classical theories were developed in the 19th and 20th century to explain the reason why children play (Gronlund, 2013). The grand theories include approaches such as the Piaget, which states that play is not a particular behavior; it is an orientation that can be manifested through the tensions that exist in a family (In Cox, In Tarry & Council of British International Schools, 2015). The developmental theories indicate that during child growth, there are several groups of stages that they pass through. In the post-developmental theory, this theory says that play ply complexity builds about the particular type of activity that is experienced by children, regardless of their age (Cutter-Mackenzie, Edwards, Moore& Boyd, 2014).

Conclusion

In conclusion, play-based learning is a form of knowledge where children learn from their involvements with the experiences of the world. This form of education enables children to exercise their ideas, as well as develop new understandings. Intentional teaching, on the other hand, involves the use of the acquired knowledge by teachers to enhance the development of children. Children play due to various reasons that range from recreation and relaxation too, acquisition of certain characters that show positive social engagement. The play is also essential in ensuring that children develop self-acknowledgment and other essential qualities. The association of the family and teachers improves child development. Play-based learning occurs on a chance, while intentional teaching involves a purposeful, deliberate, and thoughtful plan. Therefore as learning occurs throughout the child development stages, play and intentional teaching are essential features that help in the mental development of the children.

References

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