472-221 Researching Play & Development

Research concerning the role of play in learning from early exploratory play to complex cooperative, symbolic play will be examined. The stages of play development in the social, cognitive and linguistic domains will be outlined, drawing on the foundation research of Parten and Piaget and contrasted with more recent research. The processes by which play becomes more sophisticated and the role it plays in social and cognitive development will be studied with particular emphasis on the role of adults and peers in play development. Research on gender and class differences and the effect of disability on play behaviour will also be explored. Students will draw on different research-based models of play to evaluate the appropriateness of developmental scales of play behaviour to monitor the development of young children and plan their learning experiences.

A 2-hour examination and a research project based on observations of children's play, equivalent to 2000 words.

Resources provided to distance students: Students will be provided with a course handbook, subject guide, study guide and a book of readings.

• F Hughes, Children, Play and Development. (2nd edn), Allyn and Bacon, 1995.