Early Childhood Education: Play and Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the historical perspectives, stages of play, cognitive categories, and theoretical foundations of Early Childhood Education.

Plato

Greek Philosopher who believed that play is the innate scheme of children.

Quintilian (35 AD)

Believed children's first education should be through play and that the most effective learning method is repetition and memorization.

John Amos Comenius (1592-1670)

Known as the Father of Modern Education and author of 'Orbis Pictus', the first children's picture book.

John Locke (1632-1704)

Believed children are curious and should play freely and unrestrainedly in the open air.

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Advocated for 'Let children be children' and argued that adults should support children's innate impulses in natural surroundings.

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827)

Advocated for hands-on learning where children learn through independent activity to follow curiosity and draw their own conclusions.

Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852)

Known as the Father of Kindergarten, he believed children learn more effectively when manipulating objects guided by educators.

Johan Huizinga

Author of 'Homo Ludens', who defined play as a free activity consciously performed outside 'ordinary' life that follows set rules.

Lev Vygotsky

Defined play as a pleasurable activity involving an imaginary situation and rules, also known as Child-Initiated Play.

Free Play

Spontaneous play where children create their own environment and make decisions without adult direction.

Adult-Led Play

Often called 'direct instruction', it is a learning experience where the adult selects the activity, sets objectives, and guides the child.

Guided Play

Occurs when an adult gently steers or leads the child toward specific learning outcomes while the child remains in control of their play.

Unoccupied Play (Birth to 3 months)

The first stage of Parten's play where infants enjoy moving, touching, and watching without organized activity.

Spectator / Onlooker Behavior (Around 2 years)

A stage where the child watches others play to learn rules and roles but does not join in.

Solitary Play (Birth to 2 years)

A stage where the child plays alone, unaware of or uninterested in what others are doing.

Parallel Play (Around 2+ years)

Children play side by side with others using similar activities but without interaction.

Associative Play (3 to 4 years)

The stage where children begin interacting and become more interested in other players than the activity itself.

Cooperative Play (4+ years)

Children play in groups with shared goals, established rules, and negotiated roles.

Functional Play

Piaget's category involving repetitive actions and sensorimotor exploration of toys and materials.

Constructive Play

Piaget's category where children manipulate objects to create or build something, such as stacking blocks or assembling puzzles.

Symbolic / Dramatic Play

Piaget's category where children pretend to be someone else and use objects to represent things or situations.

Games with Rules

Piaget's category where children follow rules that align with expectations and goals, such as board games or tag.

Flow

A state of deep engagement described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor)

A substance whose production is stimulated by play and exploration in the brain.

Default Mode Network (DMN)

A chain of connective parts in the brain that focuses on a task while disregarding environmental distracters.

Easy or Flexible Temperament

A classification for children who are happy, adaptable, serene, and have orderly sleeping and eating habits.

Active or Feisty Temperament

A classification for children who are fussy, irregular in habits, and easily irritated by noise.

Slow to Warm or Cautious Temperament

A classification for children who are less active and tend to withdraw from new situations, improving over time.

Process-Oriented

A key element of play-based learning that centers on child development rather than specific learning objectives.

Game

A play with rules and equipment involving competitive play that enhances motor and social skills.

S.A.F.E.

An acronym for Playground Safety: Supervision, Age Appropriateness, Fall Surfacing, and Equipment Maintenance.

Divergent Materials

Open-ended materials such as loose parts, natural materials, clay, and art supplies.

Convergent Materials

Structured materials such as puzzles, pattern blocks, and matching games.

Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994)

Founder of the Reggio Emilia approach who viewed the environment as the 'third teacher'.

Howard Gardner (1943-)

Proposed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, suggesting intelligence is multifaceted.

Rough-and-Tumble Play

Play fighting and chasing done in a friendly, cooperative manner, appearing around preschool age.

Theory of Mind Development

A social development occurring around ages 5-6 where children grow an understanding of others' perspectives.