Early Childhood Education Series Leslie R. Williams, Editor ADVISORY BOARD: Barbara T. Bowman, Harriet K. Cuffaro, Stephanie Feeney, Doris Pronin Fromberg, Celia Genishi, Stacie G. Goffin, Dominic F. Gullo, Alice Sterling Honig, Elizabeth Jones, Gwen Morgan Playing to Get Smart The Colors of Learning: Integrating the Visual Arts ELIZABETH JONES & RENATTA M. COOPER into the Early Childhood Curriculum How to Work With Standards in the Early ROSEMARY ALTHOUSE, MARGARET H. Childhood Classroom JOHNSON, & SHARON T. MITCHELL CAROL SEEFELDT A Matter of Trust: Connecting Teachers and Learners in the Early Childhood Classroom In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia CAROLLEE HOWES & SHARON RITCHIE LELLA GANDINI, LYNN T. HILL, LOUISE BOYD Widening the Circle: Including Children with CADWELL, & CHARLES SCHWALL, Eds. Disabilities in Preschool Programs Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early SAMUEL L. ODOM, Ed. Childhood Education, 2nd Edition Children with Special Needs: DOMINIC F. GULLO Lessons for Early Childhood Professionals Negotiating Standards in the Primary Classroom: MARJORIE J. KOSTELNIK, ESTHER ETSUKO The Teacher’s Dilemma ONAGA, BARBARA ROHDE, & ALICE PHIPPS WHIREN CAROL ANNE WIEN Developing Constructivist Early Childhood Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World: Curriculum: Practical Principles and Activities Multicultural Education for Young Children, RHETA DEVRIES, BETTY ZAN, 3rd Edition CAROLYN HILDEBRANDT, PATRICIA G. RAMSEY REBECCA EDMIASTON, & CHRISTINA SALES The Emotional Development of Young Children: Outdoor Play: Teaching Strategies with Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum, Young Children 2nd Edition JANE PERRY MARILOU HYSON Embracing Identities in Early Childhood Effective Partnering for School Change: Improving Education: Diversity and Possibilities Early Childhood Education in Urban Classrooms SUSAN GRIESHABER & GAILE S. CANNELLA, Eds. JIE-QI CHEN & PATRICIA HORSCH with KAREN DEMOSS & SUZANNE L. WAGNER Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant/ Toddler Care Let’s Be Friends: Peer Competence and Social LELLA GANDINI & CAROLYN POPE EDWARDS, Eds. Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs KRISTEN MARY KEMPLE Educating and Caring for Very Young Children: The Infant/Toddler Curriculum Young Children Continue to Reinvent Arithmetic— DORIS BERGEN, REBECCA REID, & 2nd Grade, 2nd Edition LOUIS TORELLI CONSTANCE KAMII Young Investigators: Major Trends and Issues in Early Childhood The Project Approach in the Early Years Education: Challenges, Controversies, and Insights, JUDY HARRIS HELM & LILIAN G. KATZ 2nd Edition JOAN PACKER ISENBERG & Serious Players in the Primary Classroom: MARY RENCK JALONGO, Eds. Empowering Children Through Active Learning Experiences, 2nd Edition The Power of Projects: Meeting Contemporary SELMA WASSERMANN Challenges in Early Childhood Classrooms— Strategies and Solutions Telling a Different Story: JUDY HARRIS HELM & Teaching and Literacy in an Urban Preschool SALLEE BENEKE, Eds. CATHERINE WILSON Bringing Learning to Life: The Reggio Approach to Young Children Reinvent Arithmetic: Early Childhood Education Implications of Piaget’s Theory, 2nd Edition LOUISE BOYD CADWELL CONSTANCE KAMII (continued) Early Childhood Education Series titles, continued Managing Quality in Young Children’s Programs: Young Children Continue to Reinvent Arithmetic— The Leader’s Role 3rd Grade: Implications of Piaget’s Theory MARY L. CULKIN, Ed. CONSTANCE KAMII with Supervision in Early Childhood Education: SALLY JONES LIVINGSTON A Developmental Perspective, 2nd Edition Moral Classrooms, Moral Children: Creating a JOSEPH J. CARUSO & M. TEMPLE FAWCETT Constructivist Atmosphere in Early Education The Early Childhood Curriculum: RHETA DEVRIES & BETTY ZAN A Review of Current Research, 3rd Edition Diversity and Developmentally Appropriate Practices CAROL SEEFELDT, Ed. BRUCE L. MALLORY & REBECCA S. NEW, Eds. Leadership in Early Childhood: The Pathway to Professionalism, 2nd Edition Changing Teaching, Changing Schools: JILLIAN RODD Bringing Early Childhood Practice into Public Education–Case Studies from the Kindergarten Inside a Head Start Center: FRANCES O’CONNELL RUST Developing Policies from Practice DEBORAH CEGLOWSKI Physical Knowledge in Preschool Education: Implications of Piaget’s Theory Windows on Learning: CONSTANCE KAMII & RHETA DEVRIES Documenting Young Children’s Work JUDY HARRIS HELM, SALLEE BENEKE, & Ways of Assessing Children and Curriculum: KATHY STEINHEIMER Stories of Early Childhood Practice Bringing Reggio Emilia Home: An Innovative CELIA GENISHI, Ed. Approach to Early Childhood Education The Play’s the Thing: Teachers’ Roles in LOUISE BOYD CADWELL Children’s Play Master Players: Learning from Children at Play ELIZABETH JONES & GRETCHEN REYNOLDS GRETCHEN REYNOLDS & ELIZABETH JONES Scenes from Day Care Understanding Young Children’s Behavior: ELIZABETH BALLIETT PLATT A Guide for Early Childhood Professionals JILLIAN RODD Making Friends in School: Promoting Peer Relationships in Early Childhood Understanding Quantitative and Qualitative PATRICIA G. RAMSEY Research in Early Childhood Education WILLIAM L. GOODWIN & LAURA D. GOODWIN The Whole Language Kindergarten SHIRLEY RAINES & ROBERT CANADY Diversity in the Classroom: New Approaches to the Education of Young Children, 2nd Edition Multiple Worlds of Child Writers: FRANCES E. KENDALL Friends Learning to Write ANNE HAAS DYSON Developmentally Appropriate Practice in “Real Life” CAROL ANNE WIEN The Good Preschool Teacher WILLIAM AYERS Experimenting with the World: John Dewey and the Early Childhood Classroom The War Play Dilemma HARRIET K. CUFFARO NANCY CARLSSON-PAIGE & DIANE E. LEVIN Quality in Family Child Care and Relative Care SUSAN KONTOS, CAROLLEE HOWES, The Piaget Handbook for Teachers and Parents MARYBETH SHINN, & ELLEN GALINSKY ROSEMARY PETERSON & VICTORIA FELTON-COLLINS Using the Supportive Play Model: Individualized Intervention in Early Childhood Practice Visions of Childhood JOHN CLEVERLEY & MARGARET K. SHERIDAN, GILBERT M. FOLEY, D. C. PHILLIPS & SARA H. RADLINSKI The Full-Day Kindergarten: Starting School A Dynamic Themes Curriculum, 2nd Edition NANCY BALABAN DORIS PRONIN FROMBERG Ideas Influencing Early Childhood Education Assessment Methods for Infants and Toddlers: EVELYN WEBER Transdisciplinary Team Approaches The Joy of Movement in Early Childhood DORIS BERGEN SANDRA R. CURTIS Playing TO GET Smart Elizabeth Jones Renatta M. Cooper Teachers College Columbia University New York and London Published by Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027 Copyright © 2006 by Teachers College, Columbia University All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. The authors wishes to express gratitude to the following for granting permission to excerpt from these works. All works are copyrighted by their publisher, unless noted: S. Cronin & C. Sosa Massó (2003), Soy Bilingüe, Seattle, The Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy; M. Donaldson (1978), Children’s Minds, New York, W. W. Norton [copyrighted by author]; J. Gonzalez-Mena (1993), Multicultural Issues in Child Care, Mountain View, CA, Mayfield/The McGraw-Hill Companies; E. Jones & J. Nimmo (1999, Young Children), “Collaboration, Conflict & Change”; K. Moore (Schmidt) (1998), Extending Experience, unpublished master’s thesis, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA [copyrighted by author]; V. G. Paley (1988), Bad Guys Don’t Have Birthdays: Fantasy Play at Four, Univer- sity of Chicago; L. M. Silko (1977), Ceremony, New York, Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jones, Elizabeth, 1930– Playing to get smart / Elizabeth Jones, Renatta M. Cooper. p. cm. — (Early childhood education series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8077-4616-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Play. 2. Early childhood education. 3. Cognition in children. I. Cooper, Renatta M. II. Title. III. Early childhood education series (Teachers College Press) HQ782.J65 2005 155.4'18—dc22 2005051048 ISBN-13: 978-0-8077-4616-5 ISBN-10: 0-8077-4616-9 (paper) Printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America 1312 11 1009876 87654321 Contents Prologue vii Playing to Get Smart viii Stages in Play viii Where Is This Book Going? x 1. Playing with Assumptions 1 Basic Premise: Being Smart Is Desirable in a Changing World 2 Enjoying Disequilibrium 2 Embracing Contraries 3 Connected Knowing 5 Playing the Believing Game 5 Imagining as a Skill 7 2. Enjoying Complexity 10 Convergent Thinking 12 Divergent Thinking 12 Choices for Action 13 Choices for Constructing Understanding 14 Even Math Can Be Divergent 16 3. Choosing One’s Play and Work 19 What Shall I Do Today? 20 What Shall We Do Together? 22 Play, Work, Games, and Labor 23 Transforming Labor into Games or Work 25 4. The Democratic Vision 29 Democracy (Like Play) Is About . 31 But It’s Hard! 36 And Diversity Makes It Harder 37 5. Bicultural Competence 39 Same Is Not Equal 41 Play Time as Part of Language Learning 43 Two-Way Bilingualism: Cultural Bridge-Building 44 The Role of Play in Bridging Cultures and Developing Skills 46 Interpreting Play to Parents and Others 47 v vi CONTENTS It’s Smarter to Be Bicultural 48 Postscript: Language Learning as Play 49 6. Letting Children in on the Secrets 52 What’s the Password? 53 Naming Power 54 Naming Adult