Tina Bruce on Play

I have an excellent assignment for the first two weeks of one masters paper. We have to choose a book on an education topic which we have always wanted to read but not had the time, read it cover to cover twice, then present a 5 minute seminar to the class on it. In the second week we have to do the same with a book by a different author.

I have been reading a book by English early childhood writer Tina Bruce. She is an advocate for play-based learning in an education system which seems to favour formal methods for quite young children.

What is interesting about this book is that she has created a list of 12 Features of Play - in essence, what you would expect to see in a child’s play when they are fully engaged, and are likely to be learning. Her list is reproduced below in full.

12 features of play: (p. 30)

1. In their play, children use the first-hand experiences that they have in life.
   
2. Children make up rules as they play, and so keep control of their play.
   
3. Children make play props
   
4. Children choose to play. They cannot be made to play
   
5. Children rehearse the future in their role play
   
6. Children pretend when they play
   
7. Children play alone sometimes
   
8. Children and/or adults play together, in parallel, associatively, or co-operatively in pairs or groups
   
9. Each player has a personal play agenda, although they may not be aware of this
   
10. Children playing will be deeply involved, and difficult to distract from their deep learning. Children at play wallow in their learning
    
11. Children try out their most recent learning, skills and competencies when they play. They seem to celebrate what they know.
    
12. Children at play co-ordinate their ideas, feelings and make sense of relationships with their family, friends and culture. When play is co-ordinated it flows along in a sustained way. It is called free-flow play.
    

She gives examples using narrative observations of actual children at play. She then analyses the examples according to her theory to illustrate the learning goals which the child is engaged in. Maybe I’ll try that out myself sometime.

She also makes the point that play is hard work for children when they are fully engaged - what she calls ‘free flow play’. I’ve certainly observed that free flow play takes a lot of concentration. She contrasts periods of this full-on play with periods of, for example, quite watching, or copying or helping an adult, or resting.

Food for thought. I’ve got out a couple of her other books to read (not for the 2nd seminar though!).

Quotes on the subject of play.