There are many theorists who had their own ideas about play and how it should be done, all of which inform practice today. One of these theorist was Jan Amos Comenius, who was a Moravian educator and bishop. According to Meggit & Bruce, 2015, p240, “children learn through the senses and through first-hand experiences.” His theories predicted the ideas of Friedrich Froebel, and he thought that play the best when done through or as a result of first-hand experiences the child may have had. He thought that play was important because it taught the children valuable things that they would learn later in life. In my placement, roleplay is seen a lot in the children, especially things like ‘Cops and Robbers’, and the children are often told by other older children or by the teachers what kinds of things their character does (if they are a policeman, they protect people and tell others off for breaking the law), which will give them more information about possible jobs they may want to pursue as they get older. Another theorist looked specifically at things like roleplay. Anna Freud, the daughter of Sigmund Freud and a teacher and trained therapist, used roleplay to observe how children move in and out of reality. She saw that when the children start using imaginative play, they block out anything about reality and indulge themselves completely in their made-up world. In my placement, I observed that if children are roleplaying and another child walks through their space, they are either ignored or automatically put into the roleplay world as another person, usually a normal civilian. Freud thought that play is a self-healing process, and that it helps the children to sort out and manage their feelings.
Practitioners may also use philosophical approaches to inform their practice. One of these approaches is about Forest Schools, which are outdoor schools that teach the children how to handle real-life risks and to solve problem through hands-on tasks. They are taught things like how to build a campfire, and what kinds of plants are harmful to us and which ones aren’t. These schools originated in Denmark in 1950 and were brought over to the UK in 1995 to allow more children the chance to understand and develop through real-life experiences and problems. Forest Schools allow children to judge how high the risk is and take appropriate action for themselves to solve the problem and lower the level of or get rid of the risk. Another philosophical approach is known as the Reggio Emilia approach. It was set up after the Second World War in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This approach first and foremost ensures that every child is provided for, and children with disabilities have ‘special rights’ rather than ‘special needs’. Within this approach, there are five main features. The first one is parental involvement, and this means that the parents of children within a Reggio Emilia school are expected to be involved with their child’s development, and they have discussions with the teachers about curriculum planning and school policies. The second feature is about the organisational features; in a Reggio Emilia school, there will be two teachers in every classroom, and they are seen as passionate learners rather than providers of knowledge. The teachers will work with someone who supports the children’s development, and they are known as the atelierista. The atelierista will work on curriculum development along with other supporting staff. Also, there is no head-teacher or hierarchy among the teachers; every teacher has more or less the same role and they all work together in doing the same things. The third feature of this approach is the role of the environment; inside the classrooms, they will have natural lighting coming in through wall-size windows, and doors that will open up to central piazzas, or courtyards. Each classroom has an open kitchen, and doors that open up to the surrounding community. The doors and outside of the classrooms will be decorated with photographs and the children’s work alongside comments the teachers have made on things the child may have said when producing the work. Inside the classrooms, there are displays of projects the children will have worked on, and there will be clear spaces for the children to do group work. “The environment is the third teacher.” (http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles/ 19/01/17) The fourth feature is about the projects that the children do. “The projects aren’t planned in advanced, they emerge based on the child’s interests.” (http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles/ 19/01/17) The projects are based around the teacher’s observations on what the children are interested in. They will watch what they like the most, they will ask them questions around that topic, and they will then provoke further interest by providing the children with materials and opportunities on the topic. The final feature is about the hundred languages of children. As children work on something like a project, they are encouraged to represent their understanding of the topic through a symbolic language. These languages can be anything; writing, drawing, sculptures, etc. Teachers will allow the children to come back to what they have done later so that they can further develop their understanding.
Inclusive practice in play can be very simple, but it can also be very difficult for some settings. Every setting should be able to include every child that goes there, whether they are simply of a certain religion or whether they are disabled, severely or not. The problem with a few settings when it comes to religion is that it is very easy to exclude a child, especially if their religion is not as well-known and the setting does something that goes against them without knowing. “history shows very graphically just how easy it is to exclude rather than include.” (Squire, 2007, p242) However, if a child has a disability then a setting would work hard to include that child and it would not be as easy to exclude them, especially if they have a mobility issue or a sensory impairment. When settings have a child who is in a wheelchair or who must use mobility aids, one of the first things they must do is ensure that the environment is safe and accessible for them; making sure there are ramps at any stairs and that surfaces are smooth and sturdy (this includes looking at loose gravel or wood chips). They must also consider any possible barriers in the play area such as narrow paths or steep slopes. This goes for inside the setting as well, as there must be enough room between tables or play equipment for a wheelchair user to move through without feeling as though they are ‘in the way’. During activity time, a disabled child must be allowed to play with the non-disabled children, and practitioners should try to make sure that the child does not feel left out or like they cannot ‘fit in’ with the other children. Activities used could be changed slightly to focus on upper body movement for those with mobility issues, which can include simple things like throwing and catching. Another thing practitioners can think about for children with mobility issues is the thought that not all play has to be physical; they should include chances for creative and exploratory play in their setting as well.
Disabilities do not just include mobility issues, but sensory issues as well including low sight or hearing, and no sight or hearing. Practitioners can ensure that the layout of their setting does not change at all, or that it only changes a little bit. This is so that sight-impaired children can easily learn their way around the setting and become used to where things are; changing a layout dramatically after a sight-impaired child has become used to the previous one will confuse them and make them feel excluded from plans and the class as a whole. Practitioners can also ensure that a child who may be hearing-impaired sits close to the teacher during carpet time and when sitting at a table so that it is easier for them to hear what they are saying. During play (especially exploratory), a practitioner should ensure that all of the senses can be accommodated. “appeal to the senses including sight, hearing and touch, exploring colour, pattern, texture, sound” (http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/resources/connect/Booklet_Inclusive_Play.pdf 25/01/17) This can involve including all different textures (rough, smooth, lumpy etc.), weights, patterns, temperatures, etc. Practitioners can help children with sensory issues to focus more on developing their cognitive skills by teaching them things like cause and effect, coordination and helping them improve their quickness.
Something else practitioners should think about is whether the child has any learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or a behavioural issue. They might also think about children whose first language is not English. A dyslexic child will likely struggle to read certain texts, and a way around this is to use symbols or pictures around the setting so that they know what and where everything is without having to struggle to read text signs. At my placement, instead of putting the words on boxes/baskets of what each one contains, they have taken pictures of the contents of each one and stuck it on the front of it so that the children can see what is inside the basket without having to pull it out or read the words first. This is also helpful to children who speak little English. If a child has behavioural issues, then a practitioner should try and find out what sort of things that child likes either from their parents or by asking the child. This will allow the practitioner to try and theme some activities by the child’s interests. This can draw the child into an activity and may get them to calm down or stop breaking any rules for a while. It might also encourage them to talk to other children nicely and form new relationships. A good example of this is theming a book corner with stickers of movie characters or putting up books that are related to the theme of the movie. The practitioner can also give the child a good choice between busy and quiet areas. This is so that if the child becomes too boisterous in the busy area, the practitioner can have them sit in a good quiet area for a while to calm them down. This can help the child to learn when they need to stop and take some time out so that they might eventually walk themselves over to a quiet area without needing to be told by anyone.