33 Play activities in small and large group to promote overall development

Shantha Maria B. V

Introduction

In this model you shall understand how play activities have to be introduced to children.

Let„s understand the association between play and an activity.
Play is a spontaneous act of a child, either due to physical energy of the body especially due to the muscular energy to be expended. The child‟s play gives the child the physical motor, cognitive, socio emotional and language development. The four should not be looked at separately, when a child is at work.
Play is work to a child.
Dr. Montessori maintains that play satisfies only a part of one‟s nature but that work goes deeper and brings a satisfaction to one‟s whole being. The child prefers work as it satisfies the subconscious longing of his nature to grow and develop into a harmonious personality.
This tells us the importance of play. From where the adults have drawn insight to converting play in to an activity. This is teaching through play.
As the adult world has learnt the science of play. Play is converted in to an activity.
An activity has a specific goal to be attained. In its path. Example an adult could introduce an object for the child to explore. Hear the child‟s mind goes through simulation which is helpful in comprehending the set goal, which is use full for later learning.

Grouping based on the number of children available in an environment

The number of children enrolled in a preschool environment varies from 15 to 40, in a year‟s programme.

If the number is 15 a small group of 5 is ideal to have 3 small groups. This also depends on the number of adults available in the environment. The groups may be re cycled for activities .example:

Group I-with teacher –number work
Group II- with assistant teacher -art
Group III-independent literacy
Tuesday and Wednesday the groups could be switched.

Thursday

Group I- with teacher-science
Group II- with assistant teacher -literacy
Group III-independent- fine motor
Friday and Monday switch groups.

In small groups children could be assessed to understanding of the concept that they have understood.

It is found that children are much more interested in math and literacy activities if they have been first introduced to them in small group or than large groups.

Large group activities

When an activity is introduced to a children in a large group all children do get to see.

The steps for the first time and the complex step are introduced to them in the small group.

Some time children do express desire to work independently with activities that have already been introduced to them. It could be trays with math, literacy, fine motor or science centres. Children are advised to work on Legos, pattern blocks, play dough, drawing, bookmaking or any activity that they can without the help of the teacher

INTRODUCING AN ACTIVITY

An activity is introduced by the adult who is in the child‟s environment.
The simplest form of the activity is introduced.
The child‟s attention is drawn totally before introducing an activity.
an activity could be introduced either in a small group or in a large group.
A small group may consist of more than two children to four. -A large group from four to ten children.
Grouping could also be done on ability, those who can grasp quickly or those who grasp slowly.
knowledge based grouping will give the level like a children who are at difficult level of solving the tasks compared at the beginners level.
the groups allow for individualised instruction, since it permits children of like ability or interest to come together and work on a specific task.

Presenting an activity

when an adult is introducing an activity, she needs to be aware of the fact that all other distractions need to be controlled to gather the child‟s attention first. The materials required to introduce the activity alone will take the centre stage.
the assistance which a teacher should give a child in presenting the material to him consists in showing him how to use it.

Example– she mixes up the spools of colours that are to be matched and then picks up at random in the proper way, which is without touching silk, and places along side its fabric of the same colour.

Preventing errors in an activity

If an activity is being conducted in such a manner that it will not attain its goal, that is the in a way that will not attain its goal or that it does not benefit development of a child‟s intelligence she should prevent him from continuing the activity. She need to do this in a greatest sweetness if the child is calm and good-tempered but if he shows a tendency to misbehave ,she will check him with earnest words , not in a way that that will mean punishment, but rather as an indication of her authority over the child.

Example – If a teacher has introduced colour matching activity, child has grasped and has done it number of times, now is throwing the pieces of fabric and the spools of colour thread then the teacher need to intervene in the most sweet way as to tell him that he needs to stop as the assistance of the teacher is in such a time means extending a strong and friendly hand towards one who has lost control.

Role of a teacher in an activity

An adult who is introducing the activity has to allow the child to choose the activity primarily. But if the child has to be introduced to the next graded activity the adult has to intervene.
Introduce one higher activity and encourage him to discover newer activity.
The activity need to be simple. The instructions need to be clear. Demonstrate when you are introducing for the first time.
Play activities without winner or losers
Give each child an opportunity of being a leader or initiator to promote positive qualities.
Praise children for co-operative action and helpfulness.
Create environment where co-operation is needed
Encourage children to experiencing the joy of doing and achieving mastery in their own time.
The teacher some time has to be an adult who is active some time passive to encourage the child to take an active role.

Teacher as a scientific observer in an activity

The teacher needs to observe a child while he/she is involved in an activity.
Has to create an observation document and note the participation – like was involved, completed the activity, active participation found, did not complete the activity got distracted, which will help the teacher to follow up the following day or in his/her next attempt.
The activity record will give an adult an insight to the child‟s ability likes and dislikes.
Example: the teacher maintained observation record can tell us the activities that the child has participated, activities that he needs to practise. Activity most preferred activity the adult need to provide ect.

Teacher as a facilitator

The observational record is a guiding tool to facilitate the teacher the steps that she has to take with each child to achieve the goal of preschool education.
To assess the level of developmental ability of the child and to facilitate development of all domains.

Example: if a child is involved in matching size gradation he or she is not able to judge the gradation, the adult facilitates by only providing the contrast of two that is big and small. One this is gained the middle size can be introduced.

The activities based on developmental domains:

The child‟s development can be thought of in different domains. All the domains are closely interrelated and interdependent and interact with each other. If is difficult to separate them. Yet it is important while planning curriculum activities no domain should get neglected.

Development in each domain can be fostered by giving each child a chance to participate in a wide variety of play based activities. These activities allow the child to engage actively in the process to learn practice all master skills at each at each level, to achieve test and evaluate and to develop self-confidence and motivation.

Example in a painting activity, the children are not only perfecting fine motor skill they are also learning:
Share- social and emotional skills,
Follow direction (listening or language skills)
Copy a virtual pattern (visual and sensory skills)
Visualise the object (cognitive and creative skills)
Again, sand play leads to social, cognitive, sensory and language development. Therefore one should view each and every activity in terms of its potential to speed up the development of the whole child.
In general, the activities for each area should move from easy to more demanding. Example small motor learning arranging shells or stones on diagrams drawn on the floor could be done before the children use paper, crayons and pencils.
Ideally, two or three activities from each of the domains should be presented every week. The activities need not be followed in same order as given. -They can be graded and arranged to suit varying needs.

Activity based on the child ability

It is imperative for parents and teachers or adults working with children to understand

the needs of children, their abilities and interests at every age and stage of development by observing their behaviour.

Three year old

We know that the three year old are very self –cantered. At this age, children largely of themselves and their own needs. They do not yet realise that others are just like them, with thoughts and feelings like their own.
They have insufficient muscular control. Especially in movements of, fingers. They enjoy playing by themselves, and do not know how to join in group play, because they cannot yet cooperate.
Above all, they do not like to share toys and may cry if they are taken away. If they are leaving their mothers for the first time, they may cling to the teacher. They like to watch and to follow .they are curious and eager to learn, but with limited speed, and they tire easily.
Three-year olds love repetition.
Therefore the activities for the three –year old should be short, simple and amusing. They should be encouraged to use hands and fingers so that the child learns muscular control.
Circle games where children have to wait a long time for their turns are advised not to be chosen as they are impatient.
They need to move about and be active .team activity which need competition should be avoided.
Games with too many actions and too varied or which require the child to listen and follow instruction carefully are not appreciated at this age.

The four year old

At four years children have much better control over themselves and their bodies can use their hands constructively.

They have wider vocabulary and can express their ideas, though not always with precision.
They enjoy playing with other children and joining in group activities and games.
They love to help and are learning to cooperate, but do not understand competition.
They are beginning to be disciplined, can wait for their turn and follow instruction s. -they are excited by new experience s and eager to explore and engage in new experiences and are eager to explore and engage in new activities.
They are vigorous active and bursting width energy and sometimes even aggressive four year olds still cannot still sit long.
Therefore activities for the four-year old require action and movement, but some time, they also need activities with a quiet tempo.
The child still enjoys singing and rhyming games, but now these can be group or team games with each team playing alternatively, through not competing. Now the songs and rhymes can have directions, which require the child to watch, listen and imitate. As the four –year old is little more disciplined, activities that are played turn by turn can be introduced. The child learns good conduct through these activities.

The Five-year old

At the age of five, children are quite independent.

They have good control over their muscles and are capable of many exercises. They are self-reliant, enjoy playing with others, can cooperate and share, can sit and wait for their turn.
They love to help and to be given duties. They can remember what they are told and can take responsibility in small measures.
They can even sit still for short periods and be silent, but not for long .this enables them to listen to instructions and follow directions.
They are eager to go to school and to learn to read and write they enjoy being the leader and taking initiative in new ventures.
They can understand rules and follow them, and can express themselves in their mother tongue.
Therefore activities for the five-year old need to develop all these positive qualities fully and prepare the child for the next stage of development.
Introduce them to group games, which require cooperation and sometimes competition. Language games where children have to express themselves in words and listen to and follow instructions, and memory games which require them to remember certain rules are favourites at this age.
Let the children learn to accept both success and failure. Let all of them take turns at being the leader in all group activity so that every child learns both to follow and to lead. Making minor variations in the activities each time will add new challenges.
The activity conducted in an anganwadi may be challenging. The anganwadi will have one room, minimum of teaching and learning material. Multiple age level in a single environment. The demands on the adult working in this kind of environment is multi folded. The anganwadi worker needs to plan strategies to manage children in such a way that all children are given stimulation. In all the domains of development.

The activity material needed for the conduct of the activity has to be prepared by the worker indigenously.

The worker need to plan a schedule in alignment with the short and long term goals of early child hood objectives.

Each activity has an end

Each activity is designed to achieve a particular end. As every activity has a developmental significance.

-Example let us analyse an activity designed to identify body parts.

Developmental significance: children listen to the speech of others in the environment and copy the pattern what they hear in their own oral language. There is a strong relationship between growth of vocabulary and the ability to think and reason.

This activity relates to a most basic aspect of the labelling process in which children are asked to name body parts which are central to understanding themselves.

Task description

Children are expected to point to face, head, arm, leg or foot when asked to do so.

Simple objective:

To establish meaning for the words which describe parts of the body.

Suggested Activities:

1. Have a rag doll day at school. Also have enough dolls at school. During the activity 1 and 2 ask the children to point out the part of the body as it is being said.

2. Ask the children to sit on the floor the adult need to pantomime, ask the children which part they want to move. Additional vocabulary of actions of the parts to be said as the part is being moved.

3. Use a simple geometric puzzle encourage them to put the parts together this is to show that they have understood different body parts.

4. For close attention detail the face with colour on cheeks chins or eye, ears as instructed.

Note: the above activity is designed for three year olds. It has a specific end that is the child after interaction is able to identify, name, of different parts.

Similarly in Montessori Method when a child is using pink tower, the cubes are placed, one on top of the other in the order of dimension. If the objective is to move object any object would do. The aim of the preschool material is more than that; it is to stimulate the children for comparison of size of objects. Therefore the need, for using the material with precision movement.

From the above example it is clear that activity has a definite goal or end. It is aimed based on developmental needs and age specific.

The child is an active factor in an activity.

Dr. Montessori says in her autobiography “the vital aspect of active education is the activity of the child. The duty of the teacher is to direct the spontaneous energies.”

Froebel‟s maxim;”education , in instruction and training and in its first principles, should necessarily be a passive following- only guarding and protecting -not prescriptive, categorical, interfering.”

Based on the observation of the educational philosophers it is very clear that during early childhood education need to be activity oriented and not passive learning.

Thus all play is work and work is activity for a child in early child hood education.
Preschool education for children in the age of 3-6years needs to be activity oriented.

NCF 2005 also emphasis on activity based curriculum. All programmes across the globe today are very clear of the of the benefits of activity based learning of preschool education.

Summary:

Play is a spontaneous to child. When play is harnessed to a meaning full activity with a goal it becomes meaning full. Play is work. Work is deeper involvement of the child leading to an activity.

Activity is first introduced by the adult. The adult steps back follows the child through observation. The child is encouraged to progress from simple to complex nature in the activity.

The activity could be introduced in small or large group. The group may be grouped on different basis either on ability, age or nature of activity itself.

Activity need to be age and developmentally appropriate.
Every activity is a means specific goal.
Play is superficial work is deeper as the child totally gets involved in work.
Teacher has a specific role in activity. The role of the teacher can encourage the child to discover learning.
Activity is a means to work encouraging the child to learn in the process of activity.

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Web links

www.highscope .org
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