Chapter 7: The Role of Play in Development
From WikEd
“Action in the imaginative sphere, in an imaginary situation, the creation of voluntary intentions, and the formation of real-life plans and volitional motives-all appear in play and make it the highest level of development" (p.102).
In Chapter 7, Vygotsky introduces ideas and concepts related to the function of play in development. Play appears to be a significant part of a child’s development. During play children acquire and invent rules. Through the acquisition and invention of rules along with the use of imagination, the child’s conceptual abilities are expanded. Play serves as a means of through which children attain abstract thought. Initially children’s play involves games that are based on memories and recreating real situations. Then through the use of imagination and adhering to rules, children acquire abstract thought. Based on this idea, Vygotsky proposes that play leads development.
Pleasure is often linked to play and often times the child’s needs are in fact met through play. Children desire immediate gratification and when a child’s desires are not met, play emerges. Play aids in reducing the anxiety the child feels. However, Vygotsky suggests that pleasure should not be the focal point. He further posits that play should not be viewed as an activity that provides pleasure because there are other activities that provide a more intense sense of pleasure. Additionally, there are games that do not provide any pleasure.
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[edit] Play Highlights
Vygotsky provides the following ideas about play:
- During play, children form an imaginary world.
- Play creates a zone of proximal development, allowing the child to move beyond his or her current skills or level of knowledge.
- During play children rely on and alter the objects and behaviors in their environment.
[edit] Rules
Play has to involve rules. Play is imaginary; therefore, it has rules of behavior. Ex. A child imagines being the teacher and then must carry out behaviors of a teacher
Imaginary situations have rules, thus games with rules contain imaginary situations. Ex. Monopoly (going to jail, buying property, collecting money) When a game is regulated with rules, certain actions are ruled out. This is why the game becomes an imaginary situation. Ultimately, the rule becomes the desire (the child wants to carry out the rules, which provides pleasure).
[edit] Actions and Meaning in Play
Action in an imaginary situation teaches the child to guide her behavior by the perception of objects and the immediate situation in addition to the meaning of the situation. It is hard for children to separate what they see from the field of meaning. In play, action based on rules is initially determined by ideas instead of the object. Ex. Banana becomes a telephone
Vygotsky provides us with this ratio: (Object/Meaning). Initially, the object dominates. However, when an object like a banana becomes a phone, the object becomes subordinate to meaning. Note: For children, every object cannot be something else. This would relate to symbolism, which is not play.
[edit] Play Paradoxes
- “Children operate with an alienated meaning in a real situation.”
- The child does what he or she wants to do, but only to a certain extent because the child does adhere to a set of rules.
- Being less impulsive and behaving in accordance with rules provides the maximum pleasure in play.
- Children have to exert self-control during play because the child is faced with, two opposing behaviors: following the rules and acting impulsively.
[edit] Separating Action and Meaning
Early on action dominates meaning. The child acts and does not necessarily understanding what he or she is doing. Later the ratio is reversed and meaning dominates. The child is thus able to separate meaning from the object.
Play is a very influential factor in development. Children create an imaginary world and adhere to rules. Play allows the child to go beyond his current developmental level and acquire abstract thought. As play develops, children come to realize it has a purpose, which influences the game and the child’s attitude towards play.
[edit] Questions to Consider
- In what ways is play different children and adults?
- How can play be used in the classroom?
- Is it more advantageous for a child to play with his or her peers or with older children or adults?
- What is the significance of a pivot?
