Introduction
Play is a one of the most effective ways for children to acquire language and speech skills (Owens, 2012). Interaction through play helps children get the necessary knowledge from various elements of the environment.
Play is part of the process of development which has four important levels. It is important to note that as levels of play development advance, the types of play also change. Studies have shown that development of language and speech skills in a child is more effective when those skills are acquired during the process of game (Owens, 2012).
Importance of Play in Acquisition of Language Skills
Play helps children acquire social skills, build thoughts, as well as develop ingenuity (Owens, 2012). With good social skills and creative mentality, children find it easy to understand various elements of language. In addition, children engage in play simply because they like it. Play also helps children in acquisition of new skills because they enjoy what they do (Owens, 2010).
Play is ideal for acquisition of language and speech skills in children because of various reasons. First of all, play does not cause any anxiety or disappointment, as there are minimal goals to meet. This makes play fun for children, and they tend to develop a passion for it within a short time.
Secondly, play allows children to interact through various segments and topics shared (Owens, 2010). One of the things to avoid in play for children is the use of one segment, topic or play type because maintaining concentration and excitement are essential. Thirdly, play is ideal because it has shared and varied structural elements that have similarities with different languages.
These skills make it easy for children to learn those various languages (Owens, 2010). Finally, through play every child has the possibility to influence proceedings. The aspect of taking turns has similarities with conversations, which involve people talking and listening to each other.
Levels of Play Development
A child goes through four stages of development during the play, as they acquire skills. The first stage is solitary play (Gullberg, 2010). This stage involves a child who plays with blocks and other toys in a secure place with other children. The second stage is a parallel play that involves children playing near each other with toys, although they do not communicate.
The third stage is associative play that involves children using blocks to do similar things. At this level, children talk to each other, but do not work on a common item (Gullberg, 2010). The final stage is cooperative play that involves children using blocks to create common items. Children do this while talking to each other and working as a team on achieving a common goal. As the play levels advance, a child gets to broaden his or her thoughts, and becomes more receptive to a wider variety of play elements (Gullberg, 2010).
Conclusion
Play is a form of interaction that helps children acquire positive skills from the environment. Play helps a child acquire social skills, build up thoughts, as well as advance its ingenuity. Play helps children a lot in acquisition of new skills, as they enjoy what they do. One of the things to avoid during play is the use of one segment, topic or play type because maintaining concentration and excitement is essential. As the play levels advance, a child gets to broaden thoughts and become more receptive to a wider variety of play elements.
References
Gullberg, M. (2010). Gestures in Language Development. New York: John Benjamin Publishing.
Owens, R. (2010). Importance of Play. Web.
Owens, R. (2012). Language Development: An Introduction. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.