Andria Stokes Presentation

Play in education is nothing new. In the July 31st cover of The Chronicle for Higher Education the following quote appeared,
     Among the many who have been influenced by Vygotsky is Deborah J. Leong,
     the author, along with Elena Bodrova, of Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian 
     Approach to Early Childhood Education, an attempt to turn his theories
     into practical classroom techniques. Leong, a professor emerita of
     psychology at Metropolitan State College of Denver, points out that
     when young children are pretending, they often use bigger words
     than they normally would and fully inhabit their roles, like mini Method actors.
     If they're playing doctor, for instance, they might say 'injection' or 'thermometer.'
     Recently she watched a group of preschoolers pretending to work at a
     well-known chain hardware store. 'Welcome to Home Depot,' a 4-year-old said.
      'You can do it, we can help.' Meanwhile another group of children,
      who were pretending to be airport screeners, informed a would-be
      passenger that a bottle she was carrying was larger than the permitted three ounces.

Although play may look different with today's children the fact that people not only enjoy but learn from simulation experiences is evident. The art of play a game is one teachers should embrace and provide in each classroom to encourage our students to learn the most natural way they can.