A parent complains that her preschooler wastes too much time playing, and says that she wants her child to become engaged in productive activities that will get her off to an early start when she enters school the following year. Are play activities a waste of time? Discuss relevant issues that relate to play

What will be an ideal response?


Play is an essential activity for children's normal development, especially during the preoperational period, which prepares the child for school. From the child's perspective, play is recreational, but it promotes cognitive and social development in indirect but important ways. There are multiple types of play, with the various types emerging at predictable times in development. Sensorimotor practice play gives the child experience with the qualities of objects and promotes secondary or tertiary circular reactions. Symbolic (pretend) play helps the child think about absent objects or practice scripts of activities. The various levels of social play increasingly encourage the child to work on collaboration with peers. The parent may be eager to gain "bragging rights" among other adults by showing precocious early achievements in her preschooler, but at the cost of time allocated to ordinary play activities. Hurrying the child to be an early achiever shows parental attentiveness, which is better than neglect. However, it may deprive the child of normal play activities appropriate for her age level.

Psychology

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Psychology