The Qualities Criteria of Constructive Play and the Teacher’s Role

 

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to identify the qualities criteria of constructive play and the teacher’s role to enhance the qualities of constructive play. The participants for this study were ninety-seven 5-year-old children (53 boys and 44 girls) attending one kindergarten located in S city, K province in South Korea. Ten research assistants were in the course of the master’s degree and senior majoring in early childhood education. They were trained to observe and record the qualities criteria of constructive play in block play. Ninety-seven (97) children were divided into 20 groups, each group was consisted of 5 or 6 children. They participated in 10 block play sessions twice a week. The duration of each play session was 40 minutes. During the first 10 of 40 minutes, introduction activities were conducted by research assistants and constructive play session lasted for 30 minutes. Unit Blocks were used in this study.

The results were as follows; The qualities criteria of constructive play were time (duration), diversity (number of constructions), organization, elaboration, imagination, concentration, and variety (number of blocks, shapes of blocks). The teacher’s roles to improve the qualities of constructive play are teachers should encourage and support children to participate in constructive play, and provide a plenty of time, multiple open-ended materials, diverse stories, fairy tales, many play experiences, and safe environment. Teacher’s guidance, preparations, support, and encouragement will promote children’s high qualities of constructive play. These high qualities of constructive play maybe contribute to quality learning and development of the young children.