Game Models and Jean Piaget

Introduction

A practitioner’s role in meeting children’s learning needs are to understand and work with each and every child’s learning needs. They can do this by providing different opportunities to individual children because each child is unique and learns differently. The practitioners’ role would therefore be to plan and resource an environment that is challenging and helps children learn in many different areas of their learning.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is there for the rights of children should allow children priority as they are more venerable. It states that all children’s wants and learning needs should be met. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has 4 cores principles and they are: Non-discrimination regardless of race, sex, gender, religion, disability and any other reason (Article 2), the best interest of the child for example; prevent child from being separated from their families unless separate on is necessary for the best interest of the child, the right to live, survival and development, freedom of speech and thought etc... Article 11, 14 ; 13).

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Another thing as a practitioner, we need to do is promote a positive environment for parents, colleges and the children because a positive environment can mean that everyone within the setting can get a positive outcome in order to help meet the child’s needs best. Having on-going training can also benefit the practitioners role in meeting children’s needs, teach them about childcare and can help them meet the child’s learning needs because the practitioners go on training outside the setting to get a better insight on how to work with different practitioners, adults and children.

Discussion

One theorist which currently influences children’s play is Jean Piaget (1948). His theory was a theory on Cognitive development. He believed that children develop in stages and that they progress through these stages in chronological order. Piaget (1948) said that there were 4 stages of development from birth to adulthood

1. serisori: motor- birth - 2 years,
2. pre-operational: 2-7 years,
3. concrete operational: 7-11/12 years,
4. formal operations: 11/12-16 years old.

He carried out a study which is called ‘mountain study’ to investigate further into his theory. This study was done in a group of children being arranged in front of a simple plaster mountain range and than he sat himself to the side and asked the children to pick from four pictures. This study showed that older children picked what Piaget (1948) saw and the younger children would pick the view they could see. When looking back at this study, Piaget (1948) found out that the older children tend to understand other peoples views.

The practitioners would have a role within the Early Years setting to support the children through the different stages of development and the adults should work alongside one another to help the child develop. His theory of cognitive development is based on the importance of active discovery learning where children have child-centred classroom (Maureen D 2006).

Piaget theory (1948) allows practitioners to have opportunities to learn without teaching them, appropriate activates are set up through observing the child and these activities are than suitably challenging with real experiences (Maureen D 2006). ’the balance between adult-directed play and child-initiated play should be tipped heavily in favour of child-initiative play. ’’ (Maureen D 2006). Another theorist which currently influences children’s play is Susan Isaacs (1930). She was a psychoanalyst who believed that free play indoors and outdoors is important for children’s needs, development as well as helping them to learn better. She said that free play was important and necessary for children.

In 1924 Susan Isaacs became the principle of Malting house, where she set up an educational experiment alongside Geoffrey Pkye(1942) to experiment with different teaching ideas on a small group of children aged two and a half to seven years. Inside the house were three interesting features; the use and development of language to promote thinking, the attention paid to children’s emotions needs and the emphasising on animosity and finding out. Piaget (1948) and Sigmund Freud (1988) were both influenced by Susan Isaacs’s (1930) theory. This theory allows children to understand what is being asked and gives the children challenge in answering a question where they can think on their own.

Bibliography

1. Tassoni Penny, Kate Beith, Kath Bulum and Harriet Eldridge (2007) CACHE level 3 Child Care and Education 4th edition, London: Heinemann Marian.
2. Sandy Green, Sally Neaum, Heidi Sheppard, Jill Tullack and Miranda. Walker (2008) Childcare and education Cache level 3 Cheltenham: Nelson Thorns

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