Developmental psychologyLesson 2 of 2 in the course Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood (Ages 3 to 6)

Play in Early Childhood: Development, Learning, and Inclusion

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Play changes as children grow: early exploration gradually develops into play that involves shared goals, roles, and rules. This lesson introduces Mildred Parten’s six forms of play and explains how they reflect changes in children’s social and cognitive abilities.

Researcher Mildred Parten classified children’s social play into six forms. The forms generally appear in a developmental progression, but they are not rigid stages that every child must pass through in exactly the same way. Children may return to earlier kinds of play in different settings or alongside different activities.

All flashcards

What is unoccupied play?
An early form of activity, common in infancy, in which a child observes or makes random movements rather than engaging in organized play.
How does solitary play support development?
The child focuses independently on an activity, exploring skills and ideas through purposeful action and trial and error.
What happens during onlooker play?
A child watches others play and may comment or talk about it without physically joining the activity.
How are parallel and associative play different?
In parallel play, children play near one another but mostly separately. In associative play, they interact, share, or help, but do not coordinate around one joint project.
What makes play cooperative?
Children coordinate around a shared activity, organize roles, or follow rules, as in a jointly planned pretend game.

Quiz questions

  1. Which form of play involves observing other children without physically joining their activity?Answer: Onlooker play
  2. What is a typical feature of parallel play?Answer: Nearby play with separate activities
  3. Two children exchange blocks and suggest which blocks to use, but each builds a separate structure. What kind of play is this?Answer: Associative play
  4. What feature best distinguishes cooperative play from associative play?Answer: A shared activity is organized with roles or rules.
  5. Why should the typical ages associated with Parten’s play forms not be treated as strict deadlines?Answer: They mark typical first appearances, not mandatory deadlines.

Based on Lifespan Development by Diana Riser, Rose Spielman, David Biek (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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