The pedagogical base of today’s educational system is full of the methodology and methods on how to make children grow in their development, taking into account different age levels. From ancient times until the various eras of the historical development of mankind, the enlighted theories of Johannes Amos Comenius and Jean Jack Russo made great emphasis on the present-day theory of education. European countries still use the etalon model by Comenius.
His main approach to the pedagogical implementation in paces of direct education was that “children should be taught and educated adequately to their age, above all through a system of purposefully designed and systematically used games so that they obtain a body of knowledge based on immediate experience.” (ECE 2007) Life is a perpetual movement. Herodotus once said that all is in a state of flux. Nothing is constant. With regards to the popular theories on plays, one can point out a great division and subdivisions of them made by an authoritative person in the world of Western pedagogy M.J. Ellis. In his book Why People Play (1973), he divides numerous kinds of theories on play into three categorical groups: classical, recent, and modern. (Browne 94)
One of the scholars dealing with the didactical approach, Lev Vygotsky, was known to be a “play theorist.” (Lytle, 68, 2003) He made several emphases on the role of play as a crucial factor in the further development of a child. Working with children of 7 years and a bit more, he states: “To define play as an activity that gives pleasure is inaccurate for two reasons” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 92).” (Cited in Lytle, 68, 2003) The thing is that there are many other activities to gain pleasure and, as Vygotsky thought, this very pleasure can be achieved by schoolchildren when a play results in something interesting. (Lytle, 69, 2003)
Thus, one can stress the point of Vygotsky’s idea about cognition significance in the development of children. Jean Piaget, on the other hand, looked at play along with imitation as a source of pleasure that helps children explore the world on a conscientious level. He also pointed out that being born, a child possesses an ultimate amount of knowledge about the world but cannot find answers to explain them. (Bornstein & Lamb, 1999)
Looking at the play as a means for studying and efficient getting new information, I would like to work out an individual theory based on the poorly explored nature and opportunities of the brain. The fact that not more than approximately 5 % of it is involved in everyday life of a man, notwithstanding the sort of work he is dedicated to and the natural potential of privileges which he has at disposal, is rather exciting in order to develop and maintain the theory, which is aimed to encompass all above-mentioned theories.
The theory stands on the hypothesis that a child has much knowledge about the world, which is not encoded and presents a sort of enigma for current researchers, and gains them due to involving himself in a play as a significant activity at an early age. It is actually perceived as a tool for obtaining the feeling of a deep desire to compete, as “the use of competitive play enhances self-esteem in warrior societies.” (Sutton-Smith, viii, 1995) Also, this complex theory cannot deny that a willing desire of a child should be realized as a stimulator of further great deeds and achievements. Play makes children strive for forthcoming delightful results of their immediate wishes adhered to rules which become a core element for fulfilling “their greater desires in a symbolic form.” (Kozulin, 161, 2003)
Reference
Bornstein, Marc H., Lamb, Michael E. (1999) Developmental psychology: an advanced textbook. Edition 4, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Browne, Ray Broadus. (2005). Profiles of popular culture: a reader. Popular Press.
Early childhood education: an international encyclopedia. (2007). Greenwood Publishing Group.
Kozulin, Alex. (2003) Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context. Cambridge University Press.
Lytle, Donald E. (2003) Play and educational theory and practice. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Sutton-Smith, Brian. (1995). The future of play theory: a multidisciplinary inquiry into the contributions of Brian Sutton-Smith. SUNY Press.