Child Development Through Play  

(book course)

"Thank you for another excellent home-study course.  Child Development Through Play was a thorough review while also a challenging learning exercise.   It is also an excellent resource for further reading on many topics!" - Scituate, Massachusetts

Add Child Development Through Play coursebook to shopping cart  (every student needs a copy)

Add Play in the Lives of Children textbook to Shopping Cart  (this book may be shared by students)

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This is a book course sent through the US mail or by UPS.  It is not offered in electronic format.

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  • Maryland Core of Knowledge: Child Development

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  • Oklahoma Course Code: TAS-0903-04

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  • Pennsylvania Course Code: K2C214

This course uses the textbook, Play in the Lives of Children,  and you must have a copy to do the course. It is available from us for $10.00. More than one student may share the textbook, but every student must have their own copy of the course book.

Learn the function and importance of play in the lives of young children. Course includes practical suggestions for selecting toys and materials, designing play environments, and interacting with children to facilitate their learning through and enjoyment of play. We recommend that you have some background in child development for this somewhat more advanced course.

Chapters cover: What Is Play; Different Kinds of Play; Ages and Stages of Play; How Play Affects Child Development; Influences on Play; Ways to Encourage Play

6 hours in child development

2 hours in curriculum development

(2 hours in teacher/child interaction - these hours overlap with curriculum and child development)

1. Definition of play
2. Why children want to play
3. The nature of children's play
4. The differences between adults' and children's play
5. The difference between exploration and play
6. How play changes with cognitive, physical, and social development
7. Skills that young children practice in play and how they practice these skills in their play
8. How young children's social interaction changes as they mature
9. How children's symbolic play changes as they mature
10. How young children communicate about their symbolic play
11. How young children's development influences their use of rules in their play
12. Ways in which play contributes to learning
13. The role of play in developing problem solving skills
14. Ways in which play supports language and literacy development
15. Ways in which children express their emotions during play
16. Factors that encourage play
17. Ways in which children's level of development, individual styles, social backgrounds, social environment, and physical environment influence their play
18. How to select toys and materials, design environments, and interact with children to facilitate their learning through and enjoyment of play
19. How to foster and support children's functional, constructive, and symbolic play
20. Strategies for handling play-related problems