Play--What's Hard About That?
I was asked to help teachers in a classroom of three year olds. It seems that a child was, for lack of a better way to say it, "terrorizing" the classroom. The child was throwing toys, hitting the other children as well as breaking toys.
When I arrived I spoke with the teachers and asked for some more information about the child. The teachers explained that he was new to the classroom, that he had never been in group care before, and at home they thought he played with older brothers who liked to wrestle with each other as their primary source of entertainment. That information was very helpful and gave me a pretty good idea about what was happening.
After observing the classroom and the specific child, it was easy for me to see what was what. He simply did not know how to play. That is to say, he did not know how to play in an acceptable way now that he was out in public and with new people. His "knowledge" of play was very different from what was expected and desired in the classroom.
Now there may be those among you who are saying, "Really? Don't all children just know how to play?" Play is a very complex subject, however, and the definition can be elusive, even to experienced teachers and a lot of parents. Play is different at different ages and stages of development. And sometimes, children need some guidance and encouragement from parents and teachers regarding what play is all about.
For this child, building with blocks instead of using them to whack a friend in the head or rocking the baby doll instead of tossing it across the room did not seem to be something that was in his realm of experience. Due to the lack of exposure to friends his own age and his experience with rough play, he, somewhat understandably, thought that grabbing another child and throwing them to the floor was a really nifty way to become acquainted. Needless to say, this little guy was not winning friends and influencing people with his behavior. He needed a little help!
This child was, however, actually exhibiting typical behavior that is observed in many classrooms when centers/toys/materials are new. Children are excited to see and do everything and when they are new to the situation it can take some time for them to settle down and stick with an activity.
The teachers were advised to be consistent with guidance and help him choose materials and model the proper use of them. Sometimes it is necessary to "shadow" a child and step in to stop and redirect unwanted or dangerous behaviors to safer and more acceptable ones. This takes willingness on the part of the staff to make specific plans on how to accomplish this goal. FYI- teachers sitting down, saying "don't do that" and taking no action to redirect a child who is throwing toys or hitting his classmates is not a plan.
The plan can sometimes involve administration helping out by providing another caregiver as an extra set of eyes and hands for a period of time until things begin to settle down in the classroom. I'm already hearing moaning and groaning about the cost of more staff. Believe me, I'm not unaware of financial pressures faced by facilities, however, consider what the desired outcome is for the child, the teachers, and the other children in the classroom. When children and adults are relaxed and engaged with each other in a positive manner, significant learning through play, can take place.
This little guy did not know how to play with purpose. This is true of other children as well especially when they come from a home or another child care facility where there are few materials for play. When a child or children are bouncing from one place to another, misusing toys, or interacting with their peers in a negative way, they should be invited by the teacher to join her/him in a task oriented goal.
For example: "Let's work this puzzle together."
" Let's see if we can find all the red blocks and stack them up."
" Let's read this book together."
In time, the child's ability to focus on play will increase.
Some other "food for thought". When rooms are very loud and/or overloaded with bright, colorful displays of "millions" of charts, color bears, alphabet cards, numeral cards, calendars, and hanging things children may wander the room, moving quickly from one center to another, in an effort to escape the "madness." In addition, if the walls of your classroom are bright red, yellow, or "neon peach" like mine were consider investing in a can of beige paint and throwing a welcome back to school party! When children are overstimulated, they have trouble engaging in play and as we know, things can "go south" very quickly in a room with small children:)
That's it for now.
Check back later!
When I arrived I spoke with the teachers and asked for some more information about the child. The teachers explained that he was new to the classroom, that he had never been in group care before, and at home they thought he played with older brothers who liked to wrestle with each other as their primary source of entertainment. That information was very helpful and gave me a pretty good idea about what was happening.
After observing the classroom and the specific child, it was easy for me to see what was what. He simply did not know how to play. That is to say, he did not know how to play in an acceptable way now that he was out in public and with new people. His "knowledge" of play was very different from what was expected and desired in the classroom.
Now there may be those among you who are saying, "Really? Don't all children just know how to play?" Play is a very complex subject, however, and the definition can be elusive, even to experienced teachers and a lot of parents. Play is different at different ages and stages of development. And sometimes, children need some guidance and encouragement from parents and teachers regarding what play is all about.
For this child, building with blocks instead of using them to whack a friend in the head or rocking the baby doll instead of tossing it across the room did not seem to be something that was in his realm of experience. Due to the lack of exposure to friends his own age and his experience with rough play, he, somewhat understandably, thought that grabbing another child and throwing them to the floor was a really nifty way to become acquainted. Needless to say, this little guy was not winning friends and influencing people with his behavior. He needed a little help!
This child was, however, actually exhibiting typical behavior that is observed in many classrooms when centers/toys/materials are new. Children are excited to see and do everything and when they are new to the situation it can take some time for them to settle down and stick with an activity.
The teachers were advised to be consistent with guidance and help him choose materials and model the proper use of them. Sometimes it is necessary to "shadow" a child and step in to stop and redirect unwanted or dangerous behaviors to safer and more acceptable ones. This takes willingness on the part of the staff to make specific plans on how to accomplish this goal. FYI- teachers sitting down, saying "don't do that" and taking no action to redirect a child who is throwing toys or hitting his classmates is not a plan.
The plan can sometimes involve administration helping out by providing another caregiver as an extra set of eyes and hands for a period of time until things begin to settle down in the classroom. I'm already hearing moaning and groaning about the cost of more staff. Believe me, I'm not unaware of financial pressures faced by facilities, however, consider what the desired outcome is for the child, the teachers, and the other children in the classroom. When children and adults are relaxed and engaged with each other in a positive manner, significant learning through play, can take place.
This little guy did not know how to play with purpose. This is true of other children as well especially when they come from a home or another child care facility where there are few materials for play. When a child or children are bouncing from one place to another, misusing toys, or interacting with their peers in a negative way, they should be invited by the teacher to join her/him in a task oriented goal.
For example: "Let's work this puzzle together."
" Let's see if we can find all the red blocks and stack them up."
" Let's read this book together."
In time, the child's ability to focus on play will increase.
Some other "food for thought". When rooms are very loud and/or overloaded with bright, colorful displays of "millions" of charts, color bears, alphabet cards, numeral cards, calendars, and hanging things children may wander the room, moving quickly from one center to another, in an effort to escape the "madness." In addition, if the walls of your classroom are bright red, yellow, or "neon peach" like mine were consider investing in a can of beige paint and throwing a welcome back to school party! When children are overstimulated, they have trouble engaging in play and as we know, things can "go south" very quickly in a room with small children:)
That's it for now.
Check back later!
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