CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR S.C. TEACHER CADET COURSE | EXPERIENCING EDUCATION, TENTH EDITION
Theme I: Experiencing Learning
Unit 3: Growth and Development
Types of Social Play:
• Solitary Independent Play—The child plays alone and independently with toys
that are not like those used by other children near him. He makes no attempt to
talk or interact with these children. (ex. One baby sits on a floor mat and plays
with a stuffed animal, and the other baby next to him plays with a rattle.)
• Parallel Play—The child plays alone, but chooses an activity that is like that of
children near him, perhaps with similar toys, but the child does not interact with or
affect the play of those near him, other than attempting to take a toy away.
(ex. Two toddlers play side by side, each with his own stack of blocks and each
making his own structure. They do not talk to or share with one another.)
• Associative Play—The child plays with and talks to other children in a common
activity, but they do not work together toward a common goal. (ex. Three children
are coloring pictures. They talk with one another and share their crayons, but
each is creating his own individual piece of art.)
• Cooperative Group Play—Three or more children play together to achieve a
common goal or product. Each child is contributing to the efforts of the group to
accomplish something. (ex. Several kindergarten students are creating a Lego
structure. They are sharing the Legos, talking to one another, and making group
decisions about what they are building together.)
Types of Play According to Piaget:
• Practice Play— Practice play, which is merely for pleasure, stresses the
importance of pleasure over learning. Learning does not necessarily take place
in practice play. Other elements of active education, certainly interest, are
present in practice play. For example, children will not continue to jump without
an interest generated from within or within peer relationships. Children often adapt
rules during practice play.
• Symbolic Play—Symbolic play involves representation of an absent object and
make-believe. Play is the epitome of active interest. Children cannot manipulate
something that is not present, nor can an object be substituted for another
without some mental effort. Children seek alternate means for communicating
their intent by experimenting to find out if their actions/representations can be
understood. During symbolic play, children disag