CHAPTER 1

Relationship between play, learning and Development

After reading this chapter the students will be able to:

Comprehend the process of learning through playing games
Evolve ways to make learning interesting using games
Study the learning and growth patterns of children while they are playing games
Identify specific patterns for specific children who need more attention than others

1.1 Introduction
There is a positive relationship between play, learning and 1.1 Introduction
development. It helps in building self-esteem by giving a child a
sense of his or her own abilities. 1.2 The importance of
play
Play is very important for a child's development; it is an essential
part of a child's Early Years Foundation Stage and supports her/his
learning too. Through play children can develop many skills such as:
1.3 Learning through
play (3-5 years)
They may develop their:
l Language Skills 1.4 C h i l d r e n l e a r n
critical skills and
l Emotional Skills develop as they
l Creativity Skills play
l Social Skills.
Play helps to foster imagination and give a child a sense of exploration. Through this, they can
learn essential skills such as problem solving, working in collaboration, sharing, empathy, turn
taking and many more.
In turn, play helps them to develop the ability to memorize, concentrate and recognize. Providing
children with a range of play material will help them learn in a number of ways:
v Environmental Concepts and Numeracy can be learned through sand and water play
For e.g. Learning that water is of liquid state, and that it can be measured in different
sized containers.

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v https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQoskH3lKgI
v Playing with clay, drawing and painting pictures, dressing up, playing with dolls can
encourage creativity, imagination and expression of feelings as well as emotions.
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/top-30-activities-for-5-year-old-children/
v Building blocks, puzzles and building perceptions can help in recognizing different shapes
and sizes, putting things in sequence and developing logic.
v Playing ball games, dancing, running, climbing etc. all help to develop body movement,
strength, and flexibility.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpiB5FhwcHk
At this age children follow the principle of learning by doing. They might find uncommon ways of
doing things - for a toddler, building blocks aren't just for making towers, paint can be used
without a brush. Show them how things actually work, but if they want to experiment, let them
explore.
v Children develop learning through their senses (taste, touch, vision, hearing and smell).
v They imitate adults present in their surroundings and environment.
v Each individual is different from other, so they develop accordingly
v Comparing children with each other leads to negative impact on their learning process
and hampers their self esteem
v Setting the scene
Providing opportunities to play helps to develop creativity in children. Play also allows
children to develop social skills, such as collaboration and co-operation, and encourages
the development of imagination, develops motor skills, active listening and teaches
assertiveness.
According to Sarah Owen, founder of 'Pyjama Drama', parents can make a big difference in
providing opportunities to children to play because some children seem to be born with a
usual ability to play, but some children find it more difficult and need to 'learn' how to
play. Whilst it is very important that children play with their peers and are given
opportunities for unstructured play, it is seen that if children have a secure bond with the
care giver, they develop a feeling of trust and accept opportunities whereas insecure bond
with caregiver leads to less acceptance and exploration.
Adults have a role within the play by making time and
space available with the relevant resources.
v Dramatic play aka role play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FddaWEEHx3c
Dramatic play is essential for a child's socio-emotional
development and plays important role in their physical
development too. Children learn through environment
and make sense of the world in which they live by acting
out situations or by imitating what they see around them.

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 For e.g. 5 year old girl plays teacher-teacher with her friends and imitate the teacher she
likes and interacts with others.
Pretend (or drama) play contributes to a child's emotional development too where they
understand others viewpoint. Most children are naturally imaginative and begin imaginary
play at this age
For e.g. they will happily talk to someone on their toy
phone, play with imaginary toys, have imaginary
playmates, indulge in self talk etc., this creativity should
be actively encouraged! This type of play is closely linked
to intellectual development because it develops
children's imaginations and creativity
v Outdoor play and exploration
Encouraging young child to explore outdoor play is
extremely valuable and important for their Gross Motor
Development. Outdoor play helps them to learn lots
about the changing environment and gives them the
opportunity to use their whole body and develop their
large muscles/gross motor skills. Outdoor play helps in
development of their sense of exploration and curiosity
also builds their interest in environment.
1.2 Importance of play in learning and development of a child

1. Play stimulates early brain development

2. It improves cognitive skills
3. Improves communication and vocabulary skills
4. Stimulates impulse control and emotion regulation

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 5. Stimulates social competence and empathy
6. Improves physical and mental health
Play underpins learning and all aspects of children's development. Through play, children
develop- language skills, creativity, socio-emotional and intellectual skills. Some children need
extra help from adults to play whereas for others it may be natural and spontaneous. Play can be
indoors and outdoors and in these different environments, children explore and discover their
immediate world.
Adults should provide appropriate resources, time and space to children only then they can
develop to the fullest. Through their assistance they develop new ideas, skills, and imagination
and solve problem by their own or with little assistance of others.
They should provide safe but challenging environments that support and extend learning and
development.
1.3 Learning through play (3-5 years)
Providing planned experiences for children's play is an important way for adults to support
children's learning that is both enjoyable and challenging.
Play can extend certain areas of learning - for example, developing communication skills by
introducing new vocabulary and vocabulary building that they use and act out in their play.
One example of a planned experience for children would be setting up a super market in a
classroom. Children enjoy finding out about different vegetables, shopkeeper, fruits etc. Such a
joyful approach to learning builds on children's interests and responds to their ideas for play and
also allows scope for structured activities to teach specific skills and knowledge.
Play is an essential part of childhood. Infants explore their world through their senses while adults
foster their development and learning through playing games with them.
1. Play Can Foster Effective Communication
Children develop language skills as well as listening skills when they play, either alone or
with others. If a child is playing alone, he will typically narrate his action or talk to
himself. For example, "the superhero jumps from the tall building to save the girl." When
playing with other children, the child will communicate the purpose and structural ideas
with others. For example, when playing "school," children will decide who the teacher,
who is the student, is and what they will teach/learn.
2. Play Develop Social Skills during play time
Children learn to work with others toward a common goal. Through play, children learn to
be confident, negotiate, cooperate and share. These skill are important in developing
social skills. Through play, children learn to express their emotions. Even before they can
speak, they express their feelings through gestures, storytelling, art, and other activities.
They can even express their negative emotions through play. These social skills are also an
important part of language development.

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3. Play Develops Cognitive and Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to explore and analyze information in order to make sense of
it and apply it in the context of the environment. This skill involves-attention, memory,
control, and flexibility.
Children learn proficiency and literacy skills through playing with various toys and books
and demonstrate their thinking as they talk about what they are doing. Playing with
shapes, counting .
4. Play Creates Confidence
In children one of the most important
effects of play is the development of self-
confidence. Without confidence, the ability
to take risks and explore new things is
conceded.
5. Play Stimulates Creativity
Creativity is nurturel when child's critical
thinking and developmental skills come
together to produce something new.
Different imaginary play is one of the basics
of a child's world and they begin
representing this skill around the age of 2.

1.4 Children learn critical skills and develop as they play

Play creates powerful learning opportunities
across all areas of development. When children
choose to play, they do not think about what they
are going to learn through this activity.
Development and learning are multifaceted and
holistic, and yet skills across all developmental
domains can be encouraged through play,
including motor, cognitive and social and
emotional skills.
By choosing the play material, children actually
develop skills in all areas of development.
For example, while children are playing, they
develop new social skills (e.g., sharing toys, turn taking, keeping in mind others perspective), and
they often take on some stimulating cognitive tasks (such as figuring out how to make a building
with smaller blocks when the larger ones are not available). Children are 'hands-on' learners.
They attain knowledge through joyful interaction with objects and people.
They need a lot of practice with objects to understand mental concepts.
For example, by playing with blocks they recognize the concept that two squares can form a
rectangle and two triangles can form a square.

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From designing a pattern such as step forward, step back, clap and repeat, they begin to
understand the structures of patterns that are the base for mathematics.
Pretend play (such as playing house or market) is especially beneficial: in such play, children
express their creativity, ideas, thoughts and feelings, learn how to express their emotions,
interact with others, resolve conflicts and gain their own individuality.
Furthermore, play also builds resilience and coping skills, as children learn to build relationships
and deal with social challenges as well as overcome their fears, for example through re-enacting
fantasy heroes.
Moreover generally, play also satisfies a basic human need to expressing imagination, which is the
key in a knowledge-driven world. This helps to cope, to find pleasure, and think out of the box to
use our imaginative and innovative powers.
1.5 2 1st Century Skills through play
Play can have an important role in imparting 21st
century skills and nurturing social, emotional,
cognitive and linguistic skills in early childhood
education. Few strategies that can help children
learn 21st century skills of creativity, critical
thinking, collaboration, cooperation and
communication are as follows:
l Diversity in play
It is important to encourage a spectrum of
plays within the learning environment - dramatic, creative, motivational, physical and team
play.
l Learner-centric
The educator must observe the class and note down the interest of students while planning
and designing play strategy. He/she must plan the play strategies that interest toddlers.
l Cooperative and Team play
It is essential to expose students to plays which promote teamwork, collaboration and
communication among them. Design strategies where students have opportunity to interact
with each other and innovate among themselves.
l Customized experience
No child is the same and thus every child requires customized learning experiences. The
instructions, motivations and play strategies need to be customized keeping every child in
mind.
l Blended Strategy
Online resources help promote social and emotional learning skills among kids and thus should
be blended with hands-on-play. This also helps students to learn at their own pace and in their
own style.

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l Flexibility
Be flexible in the class. If students want to continue with one task and are learning well
through play, the educator should be flexible enough to continue that instead of moving over
to the next discipline or task at that particular time.
l Supervise and Assess
It is important to assess whether students are being imparted 21st Century Skills or not.
Observations should be noted. Also take note of skills a particular child is exhibiting.
Discussion with the parents and further plans should fours on skills accordingly.

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Chapter-2 : Needs of the Child

After reading this chapter the students will be able to:

Classify the comprehend the diverse needs of a child with underling reasons for them
Predict the behavior of children after assessing their needs and wants
Examine the behavior to assess personality development in children as they prioritise their
individual needs and wants themselves
Correlate the SDGs with child care and development

2.1 What is a need?

2.1 What is a need?
A need can be described as something that is necessary, very 2.2 Maslow's
important or essential for a person to live a healthy and productive
Hierarchy of
life. Needs differ from wants. Wants are things that are desirable,
needs
but not necessary or essential. Children obviously have a need for
food, without which they will not grow or be healthy; will be
2.3 Sustainable
unable to learn well, work or play; and ultimately will die. On the developmental
other hand, a person may want a particular type of food, goals to fulfill
preferring perhaps to have fish rather than vegetables. However, needs of the child
although they may want fish, they do not need fish to survive. Food 2.4 Rights of the child
is a "need." Fish is a "want." Another way of distinguishing between 2.5 Need of
needs and wants is that people have a limited number of needs. It protection
is usually possible to identify all of a person's needs, whereas 2.6 Recommendation:
people can have an infinite number of wants, which differ from prevention of
person to person. child rights
2.2 Maslow's Hierarchy of needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a
motivational theory in psychology
including a five- tier model of human
needs, often displayed as a pyramid.
Pyramid shows that the lower level is
made up of basic needs which must be
fulfilled before other complex needs at
the top of the pyramid. From the
bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the
needs are: physiological needs, safety
needs, love and belongings, esteem and
self-actualization.
1. Physiological needs - are the basic
requirements for human survival,
e.g. air, food, water, shelter,
clothing, warmth, sex, sleep.
If these physiological needs are not fulfilled the human body cannot function properly.

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 Maslow considered physiological needs the most important than all other needs since these
are essential for survival.
2. Safety needs - Once an individual's physiological needs are satisfied, the needs for security
and safety become prominent. These include:
l Safe environment
l Personal security
l Emotional security
l Financial security
l Safety against accidents and injury
Together, the safety needs and physiological needs in the hierarchy is referred as the basic needs.
3. Love and belongingness needs - after physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the
third level of human needs is love and belongingness which is also called as social need. At this
level, the need for love and belongingness drives human behaviour. This need include:
l Family
l Friendships
l Romantic attachments/ intimacy
l Social groups & acceptance
l Being part of a group
4. Esteem needs- when the need of the bottom 3 level have been fulfilled, the fourth level in
Maslow's hierarchy includes esteem needs which is classified into two categories:
(i) Esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, appreciation)
(ii) Respect from others (e.g., status, prestige).
Maslow specified that the need for appreciation or respect is most important for children and
adolescents. In addition to the need for feelings of accomplishment and prestige, esteem
needs include self-esteem and personal worth.
5. Self-actualization needs- The term 'self- actualization' means to realize what one is
potentially good at and achieving the fullest use of one's talents and interest. This is the last
level in Maslow's hierarchy theory, and refers to the awareness of a person's potential, he
describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything "he can be, he must be".
2.3 Early Childhood Focus in UN Sustainable Developmental Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals that all UN member nations have
agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015 in order to build a better and sustainable future. Every
citizen of the world is a global citizen and needs to contribute in achieving these goals, based on
social, economic and environmental issues and concerns.
17 Sustainable Development Goals, formulated and defined by United Nations, are as follows :
Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge that children are changemakers and have potential
to create a better and sustainable world. Ban-Ki-Moon, former United Nations Secretary General

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said "The Sustainable Development Goals recognize that early childhood development can help
drive the transformation we hope to achieve over the next 15 years."
UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 is to achieve quality education - Early motivation increases
number of years in schools, academic performance, and ultimately per capita income. In addition
to this exclusive goal on school and education, early childhood development provides a connect
to seven other goals- including no poverty, good health and nutrition, gender equality, and
minimum violence.
l Goal 1: No poverty - Early childhood development strategies lead to increase in human
resource productivity and income, and reduce inequalities.
l Goal 2: Zero Hunger - Promotion of nurturing care help improve growth and development of
young kids.
l Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being- Supporting early childhood development ensures
better quality of home care ways, reduces stress, and reduces risks of physical diseases and
improves mental health.
l Goal 5: Gender Equality - Early childhood development and Care improves opportunities for
girls, so that they can benefit equally from education and work as adults.
l Goal 10: Reduce inequality- Early childhood interventions will empower children living in
poverty and hunger, to attain outcomes closer to prosperous counterparts.
l Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - Children who are well nourished and
protected have enhanced coping skills, even in conditions of extreme danger and difficulty. In
the absence of early childhood development and care there is a high chance that an increasing
number of children will be exposed to violence in their homes and societies.

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l Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals - Early childhood development and care is capable of
strengthening collaboration and partnership across communities and nations to achieve
social, environmental and economic goals, and to bring together governments.
2.4 WHAT ARE CHILD RIGHTS?
Uselful Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHNfaPuoZHM
The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) defines
Child Rights as the minimum privileges
and freedom that should be given to
every citizen below the age of 18
irrespective of race, national origin,
color, gender, language, religion,
opinions, origin, wealth, birth status,
disability, or other characteristics.
These rights comprise freedom of
children and their rights, environment,
necessary health and care, education,
freedom and cultural activities.
The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) outlines the
fundamental human rights that should
be given to children in four broad classifications that cover:, political, social, civil, economic and
cultural rights of every child:
Right to Survival:
o Right to be born
o Right to basic needs-food, shelter and clothing
o Right to live with respect
o Right to clean and safe drinking water, healthy and nutritious food, a hygienic and safe
environment
Right to Protection:
o Right to be protected from any form of violence
o Right to be protected from neglect and ignorance
o Right to be protected from abuse (physical or sexual)
o Right to be protected from harmful medicines and drugs
Right to Participation:
o Right to freedom of judgement
o Right to freedom of expression
o Right to information (to empower)
o Right to participation
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Right to Development:
o Right to education
o Right to learn and explore
o Right to relax
o Right to holistic development - emotional, mental, social and physical
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, to protect their rights,
and to help them achieve their potential to the fullest, from early childhood through
adolescence.
Child protection Child survival Education Social policy

2.5 Need of Protection

Every child has the basic right of protection. All children need protection it does not only includes
children who have suffered violence, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation, but also those
who are not in any of these adverse situations and yet need to be protected.
Child protection is about protecting children from any kind of danger/risk, to their life. It is about
decreasing their susceptibility to any kind of harm or any harmful situations.
Child protection is fundamentally linked to every other right of the child. The failure to ensure
children's right to protection adversely affects all other rights of the child and the development of
the full potential of the child
Child protection must be related to children capacity for self-confidence, self-worth and also the
roles and responsibilities of family, community and society.
Every child needs protection but there are some children who are more vulnerable in terms of the
harm/danger/risk to their right to survival/ development/ participation.
1. Homeless children 2. Migrant children
3. Orphaned or destitute children 4. Children from poor families
5. Child prostitutes 6. Children of criminals
2.6 Recommendations: Prevention of Child Right of Protection
1. At school level teachers should make students aware about good touch and bad touch.
Also considered as 'safe-unsafe'touch

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 Watch good touch bad touch video-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhqg0Tgo3GI
Good touch: A touch that makes a child feel secure,
cared for and happy. For example a mother hugging a
child or a grandparent kissing their child or a doctor
examining a child. Any touch that makes the child happy
or secure is a good touch.
Bad touch: A touch that makes a child uncomfortable,
afraid or nervous is a bad touch. The child will not feel
safe with a bad touch. For example, if an adult touches
a child and tells him or her not to tell anyone, or if a
child feels very uncomfortable when kissed or touched,
then it's a bad touch
2. Increase the number of educational advisers and
sensitise teachers about corporal punishment
3. Sensitise education inspectors about corporal punishment
4. Ensure children security in schools
In Society
1. Sexual education for children
2. Punish those who obligate the acts against child
3. Create support centers for victims
4. Set up free help lines to break the silence
5. Educate children about sexual violence
At Home
1. Sensitize parents about the consequences of violence against children
2. Help parents to communicate with their children
3. Prioritize dialogue with children
4. Offer alternative strategies of behavioural change
5. Inform parents about child rights and laws that ban corporal punishment
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has established the guidelines of
The Protection of Children against Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) to meet most important need
as well as right of child right i.e. child protection
It came into force on November 14, 2012, and was specifically formulated to deal with offences
including child sexual abuse and child pornography.
Salient features of POCSO
1. It is gender neutral.
2. It makes the reporting of abuse mandatory.
3. It makes the recording of sexual abuse mandatory.
4. It lists all known types of sexual offences towards minors.
5. It provides for the protection of minors during the judicial process

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