Abstract
Educators can consistently support the active engagement and learning of children with and without special needs in inclusive environments. Definitions and theories of play are examined and the benefits of play described. Experts agree that play is fundamental to children's healthy physical, social and emotional learning, cognitive and language development, and creativity and problem solving. Examples of instructional strategies to facilitate free and guided play illustrate a variety of roles enacted by educators. The importance for children with special needs to be afforded opportunities for indoor and outdoor play experiences is highlighted. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research, policies, and a call to action for advocacy.
TopIntroduction
Play is fundamental for everyone! Children with special needs are no exception. They require the same play opportunities as typically developing children. Play is essential to the healthy physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral development of children, especially during the early childhood years of three to eight (Else, 2014; Isenberg & Quisenberry, 2002). Theorists, researchers, and practitioners agree that children learn best through play (Allee-Herndon et al., 2019; Bergen, 1998; Bruner et al., 1976; Burriss & Tsao, 2002; Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2020; Paes & Eberhart, 2019; Piaget, 1976a, 1976b, 1976c; Singer, 2006; Vygotsky, 1976). Despite the benefits of play for children with and without disabilities, inclusive practices still pose challenges for educators.
Educators play a variety of roles in supporting the development and learning of children with and without disabilities. These include stage manager, mediator, co-player, scribe or recorder, observer and assessor, and planner. In an inclusive environment, educators provide “teachable moments” for children as they discover, learn and play together. A study concerning children with and without disabilities in inclusive classrooms provided insights into how to create a more interactive classroom as well as the importance of social networks to promote more social learning and development for all children (Chen et al., 2017). Movahedazarhouligh (2018) observed educators teaching play skills to children with disabilities and found that a systematic and structured way of using strategies and interventions provided opportunities for children with disabilities to engage in play activities along with their typically developing peers. For the purposes of reaching instructional goals aligned to rigorous academic standards while still maintaining developmentally appropriate practices, play must be purposeful and planned by adults (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2020; Weisberg et al., 2016). Research conducted by Barton et al. (2020) supports the use of adult modeling to promote improvements in object play in young children with disabilities and their typically developing peers.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Moral Development: Stages of awareness of what is considered “right” and “wrong” and determinations of fairness and justice.
Play Frame: A space in which actions are not real. A player gives signals to indicate that the play is imaginary.
Gross Motor Skills: Use of large muscles needed for activities like walking, running, and balancing.
Constructive Play: The use of materials to design and build a three-dimensional product such as a block structure or mobile.
Modifications: Changes in the learning goal or objective in the curriculum for a child.
Unstructured Play: Activities and materials that are freely chosen by the player who determines the outcomes.
Assistive Technology: Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.
Symbolic Play: An object is used to represent another object that is not present. A player is pretending with toys or props.
Individual Education Plan (IEP): A legal document that is developed by a team of school district personnel and parents for each child who qualifies for special education.
Guided Play: Playful activities and materials that are selected and facilitated by an adult to promote specific learning outcomes.
Fine Motor Skills: Dexterity involving the small muscles used for drawing, folding, and cutting.
Early Childhood Education: Programs, learning environments, instructional strategies, and policies for children from birth to age eight.
Inclusive Environment: A setting in which children with and without disabilities learn together.
Structured Play: Specific instructions that lead to an end result to be achieved by the child and planned around a particular place and time, usually organized, and supervised by adults.
Scaffold: To assist a learner to achieve more advanced levels of thinking and action by providing prompts and/or supports.
Rough and Tumble Play: Play fighting that is friendly, possibly involving hitting and wrestling without intention to harm the players.
Sociodramatic Play: Role playing in which children imitate people or characters and re-enact experiences that involve drama, imagination, and fantasy.
Functional Play: The practice of a behavior that is repetitive such as bouncing a ball.
Play-Based Learning: Experiences that allow children to explore, experiment, discover, and solve problems in a safe, playful environment.
Accommodations: Adjustments to the instruction and environmental strategies to promote a child’s learning.