DOCSLIB.ORG

The Role of Play in Children's Development: a Review

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Role of Play in Children's Development: a Review White paper The role of play in children’s development: a review of the evidence David Whitebread & Dave Neale, Hanne Jensen, Claire Liu & S. Lynneth Solis, Emily Hopkins & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Jennifer Zosh November 2017 ISBN: 978-87-999589-3-1 Table of contents Table of contents Introduction • 4 Physical play • 6 Play with objects • 10 Symbolic play • 14 Pretend play • 18 Games with rules • 24 Closing thoughts • 28 References • 34 This white paper is published in 2017 and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.09) ISBN: 978-87-999589-3-1 Suggested citation Whitebread, D., Neale, D., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Solis, S.L., Hopkins, E., Hirsh-Pasek, K. Zosh, J. M. (2017). The role of play in children’s development: a review of the evidence (research summary). The LEGO Foundation, DK. 2 Introduction Introduction There is a considerable body of research which is The general indicative evidence of a relation between indicative, relating children’s play and aspects of their children’s play, their learning and development has learning and development. This evidence includes come from the following disciplines: work in evolutionary and developmental psychology, anthropology, neuroscience and educational studies. Evolutionary psychology However, while researchers in these fields have • Bruner (1972) argued that as more and more hypothesised about how play might enhance child complex animals evolved, the length of biological outcomes, much of this evidence merely establishes immaturity increased, facilitating a related associations rather than firm, causal relationships. In increase in learning and in the amount and the fact, there is little or no conclusive evidence regarding variety of different types of play - physical play possible explanatory mechanisms. (mostly ‘rough-and-tumble’) in mammals, ‘play with objects’ in primates and ‘symbolic’ play, With this white paper, we set out to move the study including pretence, in humans. His proposed of children’s play and development forward, urging mechanisms included humans’ enhanced researchers to address the psychological processes representational abilities (language, drawing etc.) involved in playful behaviour and the mechanisms by and ‘flexibility of thought’. which they might enhance learning. We propose that • Pellegrini (2009), in a review of evolutionary work this can be best achieved by focusing on the specific on play, concluded that, in animals and humans, psychological characteristics of playful experiences, play contexts allow individuals to focus on ‘means’ set out in the related white paper by Zosh et al. (2017) rather than ‘ends’, allowing exploratory or iterative and the specific types of play children engage in. play in which they ‘exaggerate, modify, abbreviate or change the sequence of behaviours, endlessly Following a brief overview of the general, indicative repeat slight variations of behaviours, and so on’. evidence, this white paper reviews research which has been conducted in relation to the five types of play Developmental psychology proposed by Whitebread (2012), namely physical play, • Much of the research on play within developmental play with objects, symbolic/semiotic play, pretend psychology has been inspired by the theoretical play and games with rules. It concludes by examining writings of Vygotsky (1978). During play, when theoretical links between the five characteristics of it is spontaneous and child-initiated, he argued, playful experiences and the types of play reported here, children exercise control over their own activity, and by suggesting mechanisms emerging from current set themselves appropriate challenges, and so research that could form the focus of future research. create their own ‘zone of proximal development’ within which learning is most powerfully enhanced. Karpov (2005) reviewed the work of neo-Vygotskians supporting the notion that, in play, children are required to regulate their own behavior, making it a significant factor in their development of self-regulation. 4 Introduction • A number of studies reviewed demonstrated Educational studies children being able to perform tasks in play at • Diamond, Barnett, Thomas & Munro (2007) significantly higher levels than in non-playful and Hyson, Copple & Jones (2007), in their contexts (e.g. a study of 3-7-year-old children reviews of the Tools of the Mind curriculum, ‘standing sentry’ by Manuilenko, 1975). found that children attending pre-schools using • Tamis-LeMonda and Bornstein (1989) this play-based curriculum achieved higher demonstrated that infant habituation (an scores on measures of executive function, skills established measure of speed of processing underpinning self-regulatory abilities, than strongly related to cognitive development) children attending regular, instruction-based pre- predicted the amount of pretend play individuals schools. engaged in as young children. • Barker, Semenov, Michaelson, Provan, Snyder • Bornstein (2006) reviewed evidence of the & Munakata (2014) showed that the amount of universality of pretend play (although with cultural less-structured time in 6-7 year-olds’daily lives, variations) and inter-relationships between the including free play alone and with others, social complexity of this type of play and children’s outings, sightseeing and visiting museums & zoos, emotional well-being. predicted their cognitive self-regulation. • Whitebread (2010) reviewed a range of studies, • Marcon (2002), found that playful learning in pre- including an observational study of 3-5-year-olds schools in the USA was associated with better in 32 preschool settings, providing evidence that short and long-term academic, motivational and self-regulatory behaviours were most commonly well-being outcomes by the end of primary school. observed in children during collaborative, child- • Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj-Blatchford & initiated play. Taggart (2004), in a cohort study of 3,000 children in the UK, showed that extended play-based pre- Anthropology school experience (i.e. 3 years) was advantageous • Gray (2009), in a review of anthropological studies to children from disadvantaged households in of extant hunter-gatherer societies, reported relation to their academic and social development. the unfettered, playful lives of children in these • Darling-Hammond & Snyder (1992), in a study cultural groups, the context in which humans of 50 ‘play-based kindergartens’ and 50 ‘early evolved over tens of thousands of years until the learning centres’ in Germany, found that by very recent evolutionary past (c.10-12,000 BC). Grade 4 the children from the former were more He argued that humans have evolved to learn advanced in reading, maths and social/emotional through playful behaviour, and in a further study adjustment in school. (Gray, 2012), he revealed a strong relationship between the decline of play opportunities for So, as we can see, there is a substantial body of children in the USA over the last half century and research, across a number of disciplines, arguing an alarming increase in child psychopathology. for the importance of play in human development, and, in some cases, proposing intriguing potential Neuroscience mechanisms that might explain the role of play in • Pellis & Pellis (2009) reviewed their extensive children’s cognitive, emotional and social learning. The research, spanning over 30 years, of play in simple following sections review the evidence in relation to mammals, mainly mice and rats. This consists specific types of play, and begin to set out an agenda in physical ‘rough and tumble’ and in play with for play research going forward, in order to examine objects. Their studies have provided evidence of these various hypothetical psychological processes. impact on brain development in specific areas of the pre-frontal cortex, and of poor levels of social competence in animals deprived of these play opportunities. 5 Physical play Physical play This type of play is the earliest to evolve and can be motor development and some tenuous evidence observed in most, if not all, mammals, and arguably that exercise play may also be related to cognitive some reptiles and amphibians. In human children it performance. In a more recent review Brussoni et al. includes activity play (e.g. jumping, climbing, dancing, (2015) concluded that ‘the evidence suggests overall skipping, bike riding and ball play), fine-motor practice positive effects of risky outdoor play on a variety (e.g. sewing, colouring, cutting, junk modelling and of health indicators and behaviours in children aged manipulating action toys and construction toys) and 3-12 years’. However, they pointed out that these what is usually referred to as ‘rough-and-tumble’ (play conclusions were based on ‘very low’ to ‘moderate’ fighting with friends, siblings or caregivers). quality evidence. There have been 5 significant reviews of research Amongst particular studies focusing on physical and theory in this area exploring evidence of activity play, Colwell & Lindsey (2005), in a study with causal relationships between play and aspects of 4-6-year-olds, focused on outcomes, in same-sex development, and we have found 13 empirical papers and mixed-sex play, for peer acceptance and teacher which are sufficiently rigorous to be included in this ratings of social competence. For girls, but not for review. The reviews are those by Bjorklund & Brown boys, same-sex physical activity play was associated
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Integrating Play and Family Therapies to Help Children with Anxiety
    Integrating Play and Family Therapies to Help Children with Anxiety | EMAN TADROS, MS, MFT 16 | PLAYTHERAPY | March 2018 | www.a4pt.org COMMENTS BY CLINICAL EDITOR: Suggestions for helping children with anxiety through family play therapy. raditional family therapy approaches are significantly Combining Play and Family Therapies geared more towards adolescents and adults, though Keith and Whitaker (1981) posited that there are many parallels Lund, Zimmerman, and Haddock (2002) argued that between the process of play therapy and family therapy, notably, family therapy “can become child friendly with a little that structure is critical, scope is increased through magic and adaptation and creativity” (p. 448). Lund and colleagues rituals, play constantly weaves the symbolic and the real, and body (2002) reported many barriers that prevent therapists language is always implicit. They proposed that play therapy utilizes from including young children in family therapy, including a belief T a “parental surrogate” to help children adjust on biopsychosocial that it was acceptable to exclude children from family therapy levels to different settings in their world, such as home, school, sessions if the therapist was uncomfortable with their presence. and playground (Keith & Whitaker, 1981, p. 244). Play therapists are Willis, Walters, and Crane (2014) offered that marriage and family already familiar with how the interplay between symbolic and real therapists (MFT) “tend to view child-focused work as the realm is freely exhibited in the child’s self-expression (Landreth, 2012), as of child or play therapists rather than family therapists” (p. 288). well as how structure is crucial to the process in both directive and I would argue that child-focused work is the duty of all therapists non-directive approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Constructivism and Cognitive Development in Child Counseling
    The Arts in Psychotherapy 33 (2006) 229–237 Sandplay and storytelling: Social constructivism and cognitive development in child counseling Mary Frances Russo ∗, Jody Vernam, Amanda Wolbert Department of Counseling and Development, 006 McKay Education Building, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, USA Abstract Sandplay and storytelling are therapeutic techniques that are used to elicit significant themes in clients’ social-emotional lives, and social constructivism is an appropriate theoretical framework with which to conceptualize the process of play therapy [Dale, M. A., & Lyddon, W. J. (2000). Sandplay: A constructivist strategy for assessment and change. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 13, 135–154; Russo, in press]. The purpose of this study was to use the combined sandplay-storytelling technique to explore counselors’ understanding of the manner in which children’s interpersonal relationships and developmental status are reflected in their reconstruction of their social worlds in the sandtray. This qualitative study focused on the language of play as expressed in the context of young clients’ cognitive developmental levels via sandplay-storytelling techniques. Six counselors participated in the study and worked with child and adolescent clients. Case analyses conducted by the counselors revealed themes that were consistent with clients’ cognitive developmental status according to Piagetian developmental stages. Younger children, 5–8 years of age, showed a transition from preoperational to concrete operational thought, whereas adolescents, 12–18 years of age, operated from a concrete to abstract orientation. In addition, counselors observed the stages of sandplay as outlined by Allan and Berry [Allan, J., & Berry, P. (1993). Sandplay. In C.E. Schaefer & D.M. Cangelosi (Eds.).
    [Show full text]
  • Play Parent Workbook
    PL Physical Literacy AY Assessment for Youth CS4L PHYSICAL LITERACY parentCS4L PLAYparent Workbook 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS What is Physical Literacy? 4 What is PLAY? 5 What is PLAYparent? 6 PLAYparent Workbook 7 Physical Literacy Visual Analog Scale (VAS) 8 Cognitive Domain: Confdence, Motivation and Comprehension 9 Framework 9 Question 1. Confdence to participate in physical activity and sport 9 Question 2. Motivation to participate in physical activity and sport 10 Question 3. Understands movement terms like skip, gallop, hop and jump 10 Question 4. Desire to participate in activities alone 11 Question 5. Desire to participate in activities with others or in groups 11 Question 6. Knowledge related to healthy physical activity 12 Scoring & Calls-to-action 13 Motor Competence 14 Locomotor 14 Framework 14 Question 7. Coordination when moving 14 Question 8. Safety while moving in the environment relative to others 15 Question 9. Number of movement skills acquired 15 Question 10. Ability to balance during movement 15 Question 11. Ability to run 16 Question 12. Ability to start, stop and change directions 16 Scoring & Calls-to-action 17 Object Control 18 Framework 18 Question 13. Ability to use hands to throw, catch and carry objects 18 Question 14. Ability to use feet to kick or move objects 19 Question 15. Left side is as capable as the right side 19 Scoring & Calls-to-action 21 Environment 22 Framework 22 Question 16. Amount of participation in water activities 22 Question 17. Amount of participation in indoor activities 22 Question 18. Amount of participation in outdoor activities 23 Question 19.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment in the Classroom
    Educ Psychol Rev (2009) 21:141–170 DOI 10.1007/s10648-009-9104-0 REVIEW ARTICLE Attachment in the Classroom Christi Bergin & David Bergin Published online: 21 May 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Attachment influences students’ school success. This is true of students’ attachment to their parents, as well as to their teachers. Secure attachment is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores compared to insecure attachment. Secure attachment is also associated with greater emotional regulation, social competence, and willingness to take on challenges, and with lower levels of ADHD and delinquency, each of which in turn is associated with higher achievement. These effects tend to be stronger for high-risk students. In this era of accountability, enhancing teacher–student relationships is not merely an add-on, but rather is fundamental to raising achievement. Understanding the role of attachment in the classroom will help educators be more effective, particularly with challenging students. Twelve suggestions to improve teacher–student relationships and school bonding are provided. Keywords Attachment . Achievement . School bonding . Teacher–student relationship Children’s socioemotional well-being is critical to school success, and attachment is the foundation of socioemotional well-being. Because of this, educators—from preschool to high school—can be more effective if they understand how attachment influences their students. Attachment influences school success through two routes: indirectly through attachment to parents, and directly through attachment to teachers and schools. In this article, we briefly review basic attachment concepts for readers who are not familiar with attachment research. We then show how attachment to parents is linked to school success, and we summarize the limited research on attachment-like relationships with teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • Active Play: Simple Games and Activity Ideas
    Active Play: Simple Games and Activity Ideas Children have different needs and abilities depending upon their age. Children need a safe environment that promotes and encourages their physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth. Keep the ages and needs of the children in your care in mind when planning games and activities. Younger children have shorter attention spans, and are just learning how to coordinator their bodies, while older children may get bored with not enough of a “challenge” in the game or activities. Read more about children’s developmental ages and stages: Growth and Development Child’s Development Ages & Stages Go, Go, Stop Pick a leader, and start and end spots. Have children line up at the start and the leader stand at the end with his back to the children. The object is to get to the end where the leader is. Have the leader yell go, go, go for a few seconds (i.e., 2 second, 10 seconds, etc.) and then yell stop. All children stop and freeze. If the leader turns around and sees any child moving, that child has to go back to the starting spot. The game ends when a child touches the leader. Follow the Leader To begin the game, you may want an adult to lead. Children line up behind the leader. The leader decides the actions for children to follow. The children mimic the leader's actions. Any players who fail to follow or do what the leader does are out of the game. Change leaders and give every child time to lead the others.
    [Show full text]
  • Scaling-Up Playful Parenting
    SCALING-UP PLAYFUL PARENTING The LEGO Foundation and UNICEF in partnership with the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN), International Step by Step Association (ISSA) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Parents and primary caregivers have an important role to play in their children’s development. Their responsive caregiving sets a critical trajectory for brain growth in young children, which lays a solid foundation for healthy development and lifelong learning. Evidence from a range of countries shows that when caregivers engage in quality play and reading with their children, it can result in improved learning outcomes that persist throughout the life course. On October 29th, 2019, the LEGO Foundation announced a new partnership with UNICEF to scale parenting interventions that promote playful interactions, increase global knowledge and buy-in for playful parenting programs, and bolster primary caregivers’ demand for playful learning during the early years. This partnership aligns with the Foundation’s 2019 commitment which pledged to bring to scale impactful programs that support parents and caregivers to strengthen their children’s development through play. While ample evidence confirms the benefits of Playful Parenting programs, such efforts have rarely expanded beyond the local level. The LEGO Foundation, by way of its Playful Parenting initiative, is investing in bringing programs to scale and developing learning to help ensure sustainability and continued expansion. “Stimulating
    [Show full text]
  • IS NATURE OR NURTURE to BLAME? NO, IT’S the BRAIN! Revista Iberoamericana De Psicología Del Ejercicio Y El Deporte, Vol
    Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología del Ejercicio y el Deporte ISSN: 1886-8576 [email protected] Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria España Barreiros, André; Abreu, Ana Maria SPORTS EXPERTISE: IS NATURE OR NURTURE TO BLAME? NO, IT’S THE BRAIN! Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología del Ejercicio y el Deporte, vol. 12, núm. 2, 2017, pp. 307-312 Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=311151242014 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE PSICOLOGÍA DEL EJERCICIO Y EL DEPORTE Vol. 12 nº 2 pp. 307-312 ISSN 1886-8576 SPORTS EXPERTISE: IS NATURE OR NURTURE TO BLAME? NO, IT’S THE BRAIN! André Barreiros1,2 & Ana Maria Abreu3 Universidade Lusófona do Porto1, Portugal; Universidade do Porto2, Portugal; Universidade Europeia, Laureate International Universities3, Lisboa, Portugal ABSTRACT: For long, people have wondered about the reasons for the superior performance of elite athletes. As it seems, researchers have been divided between reasons that pertain to nature and those that pertain to nurture. More recently, more complex interactionist theories have come to light. These theories posit that both genes and environment contribute to the development of motor expertise in a non-linear way. It is possible that this discussion might never be resolved. Here, we propose that instead of concentrating on the reasons “why”, we concentrate on the “how”, i.e., brain function associated to motor expertise.
    [Show full text]
  • Child Development a Practical Introduction
    Child Development a practical introduction 00-Crowley-Prelims.indd 3 12/18/2013 3:49:49 PM 1 Introduction to Child Development Why you should read this chapter This book focuses on the study of child development from birth to 8 years. From our own observations of children, we are all aware of the tremendous changes that take place during this period: in the space of a few years, not only do children grow in the physical sense, they also acquire skills in language and communication, the capacity to think and reason about the world, and skills in social interaction. The study of child development is not just fascinating in its own right; knowledge gained from studying development can also impact on many practical issues regarding the care, education and wellbeing of children. This book presents an overview of research and theory in various aspects of child development, but before we look at these, this chapter and Chapters 2 and 3 will aim to provide some basic context for the study of development as a whole. In this chapter we will look at some basic issues in child development and some of the broad theoretical approaches to understanding development. (Continued) 1 01_Crowley_Ch-01.indd 1 12/18/2013 3:49:53 PM 2 Child Development: A Practical Introduction (Continued) By the end of this chapter you should • be aware of the various domains of development that are of interest to researchers in this field • understand some basic issues in the study of development including the role of nature versus nurture, and whether development proceeds in a continuous or discontinuous manner • be aware of the different theoretical approaches to development including psychoanalytic, learning theory, cognitive-developmental, ethological and evo- lutionary psychology, and bioecological approaches • have a basic understanding of some specific theories from the various approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Bf Skinner's Theory and Education
    441 Institute for Christian Teaching Education Department of Seventh-day Adventists B. F. SKINNER'S THEORY AND EDUCATION: A CHRISTIAN CRITIQUE by Ademola Stephen Tayo Babcock University Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria 482-00 Institute for Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA Prepared for the 28th International Faith and Learning Seminar held at Babcock University, Nigeria June 17-28, 2001 442 INTRODUCTION 1 The use of rewards to alter classroom behavior is well established in literatme • One of the leading proponents of the behavioristic school ofthought is B. F. Skinner. His theory 2 3 has been used with great success among substance abusers , hearing impaired children and 4 the mentally handicapped • Christian teachers have equally adopted the technique in 5 6 encouraging evangelis~ , memorization and recitation of Bible verses , the discipline of students in the classroom, 7 as well as in enhancing academic performance. 8 Skinner's operant conditioning has come under criticism by both Christians and non­ Christians alike. The validity of his experimental procedures has been challenged. 9 Others question his assumption about human nature. Furtherstill, some claim that his method may cause students to become dependent on extrinsic rather than intrinsic rewards. The purpose of this essay is to look at the life of B. F. Skinner and circumstances in his life that shaped his idea, examine his theoretical framework as it relates to education, and finally set forth a Christian response to the theory as it bears on the educational goals and objectives, nature of students, teaching methodology, and the teaching-learning environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11: Behaviorism
    Chapter 11: Behaviorism Megan Davis, Nicole Pelley and Stephanie Quinlan Behaviorism (1892-1956) ● Psychology has been the study of the mind since the Greeks ○ The definition of the mind has been debated extensively ○ 20th century: Shift from what the mind was to what it did ■ Mind causes behavior ● New field of research ○ Psychology was redefined with help from animal psychology ○ People started believing humans evolved from animal forms ○ Had to rethink Descartes’ definition of the mind New Directions in Animal Psychology New Directions in Animal Psychology Animal psychology as Romanes begun it, used 2 methods: 1. Anecdotal Method → Collect data 2. Method of Inference → Interpret data Close examination in late 19th, early 20th century. Anecdote → Experiment From Anecdote to Experiment ● Experiment replaced anecdotes and informal, naturalistic experiments ● Aim of animal psychology - produce natural science and anecdote not the path to science ● Two important research programs: ○ Thorndike ○ Pavlov From Anecdote to Experiment Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949): ● Initially wanted to study children ● Not many readily available, took up animals ● Studied with William James ● Developed “connectionism” ○ Methodological and theoretical approach to animal learning ○ Formulation of an S-R psychology he called “connectionism” ○ Anecdotal method overestimated animal intelligence From Anecdote to Experiment Thorndike’s Puzzle Boxes ● Trap cat inside box ● Each box opened by cat in different way ● Rewarded with salmon for escaping ○ Ex. of instrumental
    [Show full text]
  • Playpandemic-Newer
    #PlayPandemic DON’T JUST SURVIVE... THRIVE Move over, Corona, there’s a new pandemic in town. It’s Play and it’s spreading like wildfire throughout the globe. I know, Covid-19 is no laughing matter - my heart #PlayPandemic aches for all those suffering from it’s far reaching effects. We’re going to meet the panic, fear and uncertainty with passion, purpose and joy. TABLE OF CONTENTS: What follows on these pages is an offering WELCOME / PAGE 3 of guidance, reassurance and practical steps to transform your forced-seclusion and social EXTRA RESOURCES / PAGE 4 distancing into a true family retreat. PLAY TIME / PAGE 8 This guide, and all the materials linked in it - are aimed to serve you. Pick and choose what works FOCUS TIME / PAGE 10 for you and release the rest. This is a #guiltfree and #judgementfree zone - we believe there is no one- MESSY TIME/ PAGE 13 size-fits-all and no such thing as “behind”. MOVEMENT TIME/ PAGE 16 So dive right in, make it your own and share it out. Let’s spread the #PlayPandemic like a wild fire. QUIET TIME/ PAGE 18 FAMILY TIME/ PAGE 20 SCREEN TIME / PAGE 22 DAILY FLOW SHEET / PAGE 27 Hey, I would love the chance to support you further and connect with you on a deeper and more personal level. Connect With Me Via Email I’ll share Live Q&A’s, updated play ideas and behind the scenes snippets... 2 WELCOME! At home all day with your kids? Social distancing? Now comes the tough love part: If you’re “stuck” at home with your Anxiety?...in this uncertain time I know you kids either way for the foreseeable future you have two choices: probably have so many questions, just like all the A) Suffer through it, waiting for it to end, perhaps crippled by anxiety other parents who reach out to me asking: How to or bursts of rage..
    [Show full text]
  • Christen King Dr. Hoskins FCS 345 7 December 2018 Homeschooling
    Christen King Dr. Hoskins FCS 345 7 December 2018 Homeschooling: How Children, Who Are Homeschooled, Develop Cognitively and Socially Christen King Bridgewater College Christen King Dr. Hoskins FCS 345 7 December 2018 Homeschooling: How Children, Who Are Homeschooled, Develop Cognitively and Socially Many people have discussed for a number of years about putting their children into public home schooling them. By 2001, one million (roughly 2% of school aged population) were being homeschooled (Lines, p.1). In Patricia Lines article, it stated that homeschooled children, most of the time, come from two parent homes that are religious, conservative, white, and better educated (Lines, p.1). Homeschooling has increased over the years. At first, only a few states allowed families to homeschool their children. Before this time, families that normally choose to homeschool come from all major ethnic, cultural, religious, background and all income levels (Lines p.1). Typically, when a family decides to homeschool their children, the mother takes the lead and does most of the schooling. The father sometimes will help but, it is mostly the mother (Lines p.1). Unfortunately, homeschooled children are normally perceived in a negative light. One parent stated, “The parents have real emotional problems themselves,” another statement later in the article states, “They need to realize the serious harm they are doing to their children in the long run, educationally, and socially,” another says that “the majority of homeschooled children are socially handicapped” (Medlin, pg. 1). When the article is saying they are doing harm to their children, they mean that since they are not in public schools around peers and teachers, they are not being taught how to act around others, so they are harming their social development.
    [Show full text]