Title
To Play or Not to Play: The Decline of Play Time for Young Children
Files
Description
Leslie Lawrence and Josephine Avarello, EDU 495: Special Project
Faculty Mentor: Professor Sandra Washington-Copeland, Director, Buffalo Urban Teacher Pipeline Residency Undergraduate Program
We selected this topic because we work with young children and have observed the positive impact of play in our classrooms. Numerous studies support the importance of play in the classroom for young children because they learn more through play and develop life skills, language skills, self- regulation, and creativity. Current research has found that the decline in children's playtime affects emotional development and has led to various mental health and behavior problems. This project will look at the various types and benefits of play and what kind of play happens during the early stages of development. We briefly discuss why some proponents of academics think formal learning is more important than play. Theorists such as Montessori and Vygotsky who support play, as well those who advocate for academics over play, are reviewed. Our research is ongoing. After our study is complete, we will provide recommendations on creative ways to incorporate more play into academic curriculum to help make playtime more effective.
Publication Date
2020
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Lawrence, Leslie and Avarello, Josephine, "To Play or Not to Play: The Decline of Play Time for Young Children" (2020). Education. 22nd Annual Student Research and Creativity Conference. SUNY Buffalo State.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/srcc-sp20-edu/15
