Dr. V.K. Maheshwari, Former Principal
K.L.D.A.V (P.G) College, Roorkee, India
“Play is the purest most spiritual activity of man at this stage and at the same time, typical of human life as a whole of the inner hidden natural life in man all things. It gives, therefore joy, contentment, inner and outer rest, peace with the world. It holds the source of all that is good. – Froebel”
Throughout educational history, world philosophers have wrestled with understanding the myriad of questions and problems surrounding the education of society’s children. Historically, many early childhood educators supported the idea that children should be trained as soon as possible to become productive members of the larger society so that the cultural heritage of the society could be preserved from generation to generation; this cultural imposition theory has been prevalent throughout the educational history of the world. Several educational reformers opposed the cultural imposition theory through their beliefs that childhood is an important period of human growth and development, and that adults should not impose their views and ways upon young children; instead, these reformers defined educational appropriateness as what is necessary to each child’s level of development and readiness, not what is expected by society . The German educator, Friedrich Froebel, was one of these pioneers of early childhood educational reform. As an idealist, he believed that every child possessed, at birth, his full educational potential, and that an appropriate educational environment was necessary to encourage the child to grow and develop in an optimal manner. Froebel’s vision was to stimulate an appreciation and love for children and to provide a new but small world–a world that became known as the Kindergarten–where children could play with others of their own age group and experience their first gentle taste of independence.
Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy
Friedrich Froebel is significant for developing an Idealist philosophy of early childhood education and establishing the kindergarten, a school for four-and five-year-old children that is found worldwide.
Froebel began to focus on the needs of children just prior to entering school. He envisioned a place attended by 4-6 year olds where children would be nurtured and protected from outside influences—like plants in a garden. Froebel decided to call his school kindergarten,
which in German means “child garden.” Froebel began a training institute for the teachers of his schools. He believed that teachers should be highly respected people with values that the children should imitate. The teacher should also be a sensitive, open, and easily approachable person.
The purpose of education is to encourage and guide man as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in such a way that he becomes a pure and perfect representation of that divine inner law through his own personal choice; education must show him the ways and meanings of attaining that goal.
Froebel accept the basic principles of Pestalozzi’s theory: permissive school atmosphere ,emphasis on nature, and the object lesson. Froebel, however, was a strong idealist whose view of education was closely related to religion. He believed that everything in this world was developed according to the plan of God. He felt that something was missing in Pestalozzi’s theory: the “spiritual mechanism” that, according to Froebel, was the foundation of early learning. “Pestalozzi takes man existing only in appearance on
earth,” he said, “but I take man in his eternal being, in his eternal existence.” Froebel’s philosophy of education rested on four basic ideas: free self expression, creativity, social
participation, and motor expression.
In theEducation of Man , Froebel articulated the following idealist themes:
(1) all existence originates in and with God;
(2) humans possess an inherent spiritual essence that is the vitalizing life force that causes development;
(3) all beings and ideas are interconnected parts of a grand, ordered, and systematic universe.
Froebel based his work on these principles, asserting that each child at birth has an internal spiritual essence–a life force–that seeks to be externalized through self-activity. Further, child development follows the doctrine of preformation, the unfolding of that which was present latently in the individual. The kindergarten is a special educational environment in which this self-active development occurs. The kindergarten’s gifts, occupations, and social and cultural activities, especially play, promote this self-actualization.
Friedrich Froebel believed that humans are essentially productive and creative – and fulfilment comes through developing these in harmony with God and the world. As a result, Froebel sought to encourage the creation of educational environments that involved practical work and the direct use of materials. Through engaging with the world, understanding unfolds. Hence the significance of play – it is both a creative activity and through it children become aware of their place in the world. He went on to develop special materials (such as shaped wooden bricks and balls – gifts), a series of recommended activities (occupations) and movement activities, and an linking set of theories. His original concern was the teaching of young children through educational games in the family. In the later years of his life this became linked with a demand for the provision of special centres for the care and development of children outside the home.
Froebel was convinced that the kindergarten’s primary focus should be on play–the process by which he believed children expressed their innermost thoughts, needs, and desires. Froebel’s emphasis on play contrasted with the traditional view prevalent during the nineteenth century that play, a form of idleness and disorder, was an unworthy element of human life.
All age groups prefer games as per their age level and especially the child group likes to play very much. A man during his childhood spends more time in games. Therefore, play is the natural instinct of children. Surely, it is the natural expression of their needs. It develops physical, cognitive, social and emotional growth of a child and strengthens them in a bigger way.
For Froebel, play facilitated children’s process of cultural recapitulation, imitation of adult vocational activities, and socialization. He believed the human race, in its collective history, had gone through major epochs of cultural development that added to and refined its culture. According to Froebel’s theory of cultural recapitulation, each individual human being repeated the general cultural epoch in his or her own development.
By playing, children socialize and imitate adult social and economic activities as they are gradually led into the larger world of group life. The kindergarten provided a milieu that encouraged children to interact with other children under the guidance of a loving teacher.
As an educator, Froebel believed that stimulating voluntary self-activity in the young child was the necessary form of pre-school education .Self-activity is defined as the development of qualities and skills that make it possible to take an invisible idea and make it a reality; self-activity involves formulating a purpose, planning out that purpose, and then acting on that plan until the purpose is realized .One of Froebel’s significant contributions to early childhood education was his theory of introducing play as a means of engaging children in self-activity for the purpose of externalizing their inner natures. As described by Dewey ,Froebel’s interpretation of play is characterized by free play which enlists all of the child’s imaginative powers, thoughts, and physical movements by embodying in a satisfying form his own images and educational interests. Dewey continued his description by indicating that play designates a child’s mental attitude and should not be identified with anything performed externally; therefore, the child should be given complete emancipation from the necessity of following any given or prescribed system of activities while he is engaged in playful self-activity. In summarizing Froebel’s beliefs regarding play, Dewey concluded that through stimulating play that produces self-activity, the supreme goal of the child is the fullness of growth which brings about the realization of his budding powers and continually carries him from one plane of educational growth to another.
To assist children in their development of moving from one plane of educational growth to another, Froebel provided the children with many stimulating activities to enhance their creative powers and abilities. Froebel designed a series of instructional materials that he called “gifts and occupations”, which demonstrated certain relationships and led children in comparison, testing, and creative exploration activities .A gift was an object provided for a child to play with–such as a sphere, cube, or cylinder–which helped the child to understand and internalize the concepts of shape, dimension, size, and their relationships .The occupations were items such as paints and clay which the children could use to make what they wished; through the occupations, children externalized the concepts existing within their creative minds (Staff, 1998). Therefore, through the child’s own self-activity and creative imaginative play, the child would begin to understand both the inner and outer properties of things as he moves through the developmental stages of the educational process.
A third component of Froebel’s educational plan involved working closely with the family unit. Froebel believed that parents provided the first as well as the most consistent educational influence in a child’s life. Since a child’s first educational experiences occur within the family unit, he is already familiar with the home environment as well as with the occupations carried on within this setting. Naturally, through creative self-activity, a child will imitate those things that are in a direct and real relationship to him-things learned through observations of daily family life .Froebel believed that providing a family setting within the school environment would provide children with opportunities for interacting socially within familiar territory in a non-threatening manner. Focusing on the home environment occupations as the foundation for beginning subject-matter content allowed the child to develop social interaction skills that would prepare him for higher level subject-matter contnt in later educational developmental stages .
Over one hundred and fifty years ago, Froebel (1907) urged educators to respect the sanctity of child development through this statement:
We grant space and time to young plants and animals because we know that, in accordance with the laws that live in them, they will develop properly and grow well. Young animals and plants are given rest, and arbitrary interference with their growth is avoided,/because it is known that the opposite practice would disturb their pure unfolding and sound development; but, the young human being is looked upon as a piece of wax or a lump of clay which man can mold into what he pleases (p. 8).
Motor expression, which refers to learning by doing as opposed to following rote instructions, is a very important aspect of Froebel’s educational principles. Froebel did not believe that the child should be placed into society’s mould, but should be allowed to shape his own mould and grow at his own pace through the developmental stages of the educational process. Corbett upholds Froebel’s tenets that a child should never be rushed or hurried in his development; he needs to be involved in all of the experiences each stage requires and helped to see the relationships of things and ideas to each other and to himself so that he can make sense out of both his subjective and objective world. Corbett further agrees that development is continuous, with one stage building upon another, so that nothing should be missed through haste or for any other reason as the child moves through the educational process. Responsible educators should strive to recognize each child’s individual level of development so that essential materials and activities to stimulate appropriate educational growth can be provided. Froebel believed that imitation and suggestion would inevitably occur, but should only be utilized by the teacher as instruments for assisting students in formulating their own instructional concepts .
Difference between work and play:
Work and Play are the two different entities. What is ‘work’ for one person may be a ‘play’ for another. Maintaining a garden is the work of a gardener for his livelihood; whereas the same work becomes a hobby for a house wife to relieve her mental stress. Basically, both the activities remain the same. The work is the same for the gardener and the housewife.
Characteristics of Work
It is considered difficult.
It is being thrust by others.
Physical work brings tiredness.
More concentration on work makes tired.
It is controlled.
Characteristics of Play
It gives pleasure.
Voluntary acceptance with involvement
Physical work turns into an enjoyable experience
More concentration but no tiredness
There is more freedom
A stimulant which consists of pleasure and satisfaction is the basic play.
Principles of Play Way Method.
• Play way method is based on Activity Based learning; it stimulates creative skill and self expression.
• This system is life oriented; it serves school as a second home for the children.
• The needs of the children can be fulfilled and increased.
• It narrows down the gap between the children and the teachers.
• It creates apt learning environment.
• It helps to prolong the memory skill.
• It provides opportunities to all children to participate.
• Therefore, the teacher has to plan in the initial stage itself to fulfill the needs of every child and act accordingly in the classroom.
The Role of Teachers in Play way Method:-
In the early twenty-first century, kindergarten teachers continue to emphasize Froebel’s ideas of developing the social side of a child’s nature and a sense of readiness for learning. The important outcome for the kindergarten child is readiness for the intellectual learning that will come later in his educational career.-
The creative skill of the teacher helps to develop new learning activities and feasible classroom climate.
The learning environment must make the children feel that learning is a joyful experience.
Relevant teaching learning materials are to be prepared after designing the learning activities.
The learning activities are to be arranged from simple concept to complex.
During the learning process, the teacher must be a guide, supervisor and a leader for the learners.
Evaluation of the students must be achieved through playway activities. Evaluation should not be ignored.
‘Playing’ is the predominant factor in this method. It rejuvenates the children in their leaning. It enhances their learning abilities. So, it is the duty of a talented teacher to make use of the best aspects of this play way method in the higher level of teaching and learning too.
Procedural Details in Play way Method
Children love to play and it is their natural instinct. The play-way method was conceived by Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, who is also the father of the Kindergarten method. ‘Play’ according to Froebel is the work of the children. It is ‘the purest, the most spiritual, and product of man at this stage.’
There is a theory, which states that a child understands his needs and goals while playing. So it is very important to teach children with the play way method. It has been proved that maximum amount of learning results while playing games. While playing games the environment is very relaxed, this makes learning interesting and fun. This is the most desirable method of learning for kids. The informal and free atmosphere gives the kids a chance to learn concepts, ideas, math and even language. Toys can sometimes be the root of mathematical concepts. Thus, in the play way methodology toys and apparatus like checkers, magic squares, Puzzles and building blocks are used to make teaching and learning a memorable experience for the learners.
Inventing Kindergarten uses extraordinary visual materials to reconstruct this successful system, to teach young children about art, design, mathematics, and nature.
Freidrich Froebel’s ideas provided the major direction for kindergarten curriculum during the last half of the nineteenth century.
Many of his ideas can still be observed in kindergarten today: learning through play, group games, goal oriented activities, and outdoor time. His theories on “Spiritual Mechanism,” as well as others have beenforgotten or discredited, but his role as the developer of kindergarten is remembered.
Froebel developed a series of gifts and occupations for use in kindergartens. Representing what Froebel identified as fundamental forms, the gifts had both their actual physical appearance and also a hidden symbolic meaning. They were to stimulate the child to bring the fundamental concept that they represented to mental consciousness. Froebel’s gifts were the following items.
• Six soft, colored balls
• A wooden sphere, cube, and cylinder
• A large cube divided into eight smaller cubes
• A large cube divided into eight oblong blocks
• A large cube divided into twenty-one whole, six half, and twelve quarter cubes
• A large cube divided into eighteen whole oblongs: three divided lengthwise; three divided breadthwise
• Quadrangular and triangular tablets used for arranging figures
• Sticks for outlining figures• Whole and half wire rings for outlining figures
• Various materials for drawing, perforating, embroidering, paper cutting, weaving or braiding, paper folding, modeling, and interlacing
As a series, the gifts began with the simple undifferentiated sphere or circle and moved to more complex objects. Following the idealist principle of synthesis of opposites, Froebel’s cylinders represented the integration of the sphere and the cube. The various cubes and their subdivisions were building blocks that children could use to create geometrical and architectural designs. Using the sticks and rings to trace designs on paper, children exercised the hand’s small muscles, coordinated hand and eye movements, and took the first steps toward drawing and later writing.
The occupations were items such as paper, pencils, wood, sand, clay, straw, and sticks for use in constructive activities. Kindergarten activities included games, songs, and stories designed to assist in sensory and physical development and socialization. Froebel published Mutter-und-Kose-lieder, (Mother’s songs, games, and stories), a collection of kindergarten songs, in 1843.
Play-way in Teaching – Some Practical Ways -
In Play, a person experiences the pleasure of performing a task for its own sake. Thus, when enjoyment is introduced in an activity, it is said to be done in the “play way” spirit. The play way makes difficult and boring task, delightful and pleasurable to the doer, but it does not mean shirking from real work; it is introducing element of happiness and satisfaction into otherwise dull and irksome tasks.
The activities in the play way method are according to the person’s ability and physical fitness in which the spirit of play may be utilized in the work of the teaching of mother-tongue.
I. Dramatics.
The drama or the piece of drama which is to be selected should be according to the mental level of the students, and that must have learning significance also. The story of the play is to be given to one child and the child is free to express himself accordingly. Here the teacher can only show the guidelines, not interfere in their ways of expression, in pronunciation or in anything else connected with the use of the mother-tongue. The children should be encouraged to have their own plays. Besides dramatic activities, mock trials or mock interviews etc. can be taken up.
II. Magazines
To write articles for the display magazine in the class or for the school magazine will definitely add greatly to the interest taken in writing in the mother-tongue. Everyone in the class is expected to make some contribution. But the topics must be properly selected. If there is financial problem, it can be written by the students who have good hand-writing and discussed in the class so that the participants will be encouraged.
It is suggested that as magazine is a good creative device in using the play way method, both the class and school magazines should be published only to develop the creative talents of the children.
III. Games
The nature of games differs according to the level of intelligence. Here, it is important to highlight the various devices used I for different classes.
Play-way in Teaching Primary Classes
Games are most important for developing intelligence among the students. During the childhood period, the students are not in a position to receive direct instructions. However, they are interested in learning through different types of games and activities. Some such games and activities are suggested below:
1. Pictures.
A picture with a large number of objects is shown to the children. They are required to write down all the names accordingly or they may be asked to detect one particular object among all the objects. This is the very principle that is applied to the Kindergarten school now-a-days.
2. Matching Board.
It is prepared with letters or words in horizontal lines. Below each letter or word, a space is left empty. The children have sets of letters or words. They are required to select their sets corresponding to the first one on the board, and put in the space on the board under the first letter or word.
3. Flashing the Card.
It is a card which is shown by a child to a group or the child of another group for two seconds and then he is asked what is written on it. If the child says the word correctly, the child who asked the question comes to the other group and vice versa. The group which has more members wins in this competition.
4. Passing an order.
The class is seated in a large circle. The teacher whispers a sentence or an order to the first child. Then that child whispers exactly what he heard to the next child and so on right round the circle. Then at the end, the last child will say what he hears.
5. Word building.
Saying the word by one child using the letters given by another
6. Spelling games.
The child may be asked to spell the word as quickly as possible when it is said to him/her.
7. Making sentences.
Framing the sentences using the words given by the teacher is a good language game. In the sentence making game, it is for the teacher to put up on the board a number of words. The pupils are then asked to make as many sentences as possible using only those words but using them as often as they like.
8. Finding the stranger.
A list of words is given in which one word is not linked to the other words. It will be detected by the child as stranger in the line.
9. Description game.
The teacher describes some object without mentioning its name. The class has to guess what the object is.
Play-way in Teaching Middle Classes
1. The story game.
In terms of a story, the teacher can present the facts before the students. The students are welcome to appreciate the story and also say the similar events.
2. Description game.
In this game the class is divided into two groups. Two different things decided by these two groups but one member of each group must remain outside. So, they will be stranger to the decision of the group. The game starts which one child speaks a sentence on the decision so that the stranger can know about the decision taken. If he fails another student speaks another statement. If one child fails, to understand the decision, then he will be out from the game. In this way, this game continues.
3. Question game.
Questions are asked between two groups and marks are given to the group that gives the correct responses.
Here the child is given two related terms, i.e., one word is related to the other. But in case of blank, giving only one| word, the child has to fill up the blank taking cue from the given pair.
Lastly, it is more accepted as it stresses on the use of the three H’s-Hand, Heart and Head. It makes the teaching- learning process active one which is the basic idea of educational setting.
Merits of Play way Method:-
Playing is a natural process for children. So, a child actively involves in it. It gets pleasure and satisfaction.
Similarly, learning takes place naturally through playway method.
Opportunity is given to a child for full participation in this method.
It not only develops the knowledge skill of children, but also brings satisfaction in their cognitive level.
It paves way for self-discipline.
It gives more opportunities for children’s learning with perception and mind.
Demerits of Play way Method:-
This method is more suitable to the pre-primary and primary level students only.
The contents and concepts of all subjects cannot be introduced in this method.
Few children may give more importance to playing games than learning through play way method.
At present, realising the importance of the play way method and its use for different levels of teaching, it is introduced from the Pre-school stage onwards. Good planning and efforts of the teacher make the application of this method a successful one.
All the child is ever to be and ever to become, lies however slightly indicated, in the child and can be attained only through development from within outward. -Froebel”