example of a critical review

The relationship between play and learning seems obvious to many child professionals and parents, and yet there are still lack of understanding surrounding the importance of children's play. Some people believe that children need to "work" not play, and that playing serves no useful purpose in a learning and development environment. This is surprising considering that play, with its high levels of motivation and potential enjoyment empowers children (as well as people

The lives of children are greatly influenced by the environment they grow up in, and the people they come in contact with. For years, psychologists, researchers, and social workers have studied children, and why they do what they do. All have developed many different perspectives on how to view social problems and the development of individuals.

Haslam, D., Harris, S. (2011). Integrating Play and Family Therapy Methods: A Survey of Play

To enable the children’s voices to be heard, I explored various tools to engage the children from the Mosaic approach (Clark & Moss 2001). I disregarded using questionnaires as the children were unable to read and write so this would have been inappropriate. I disregarded role play as I didn’t feel I would get the responses I needed as directly, and I decided not to use tours as not all the children were confident communicators and they may have found this difficult. I wanted to be as inclusive as possible and ensure the technique was age and development appropriate. Therefore I chose to gather documentation by enabling the children to use cameras to take photos outdoors of what they liked and didn’t like. To ensure confidentiality of the photos taken I kept them in my private locked filing cabinet that only myself and my manager had access to. As my research required the children’s perceptions this technique ensured it was child led as were the later discussion where we came together in a quiet area to talk about why they took their particular images. This discussion enabled me to interpret what they were trying to say to me through the photos. As we looked at the photos it prompted their memory of why they had taken the picture. It was an interactive way to engage the children, and by the children taking their own photos helped lead the

For some, play appears to be a child-specific occurrence associated with the healthy development of a child. However, when it becomes a therapeutic tool, there is limited exposure to fall on. Thus, we are wondering how therapeutic play works in the professional setting. Christina Brown in her discussion of how play is the innate mechanism of expression and communication of a developing child address not only benefits of play, but specific cases where play was the therapeutic tool that overturned positive treatment outcomes. Moreover, this is not play therapy. The cases she provided were not performed in a psychological setting or to render specific psychological benefits. In fact, the cases she uses to bolster her claims demonstrate the therapeutic

Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) allows these children safety and unconditional regard. Among the many therapeutic benefits CCPT offers, is a contradiction to the trauma experiences the child has lived. Although HN continues to be exposed to emotional trauma and confusing messages, he has been able to increase his level of personal safety through an integrated form of CCPT sessions. As HN continues to grow and develop, he will need support and compassion to help him navigate the conflicting messages of what behavior is expected and appropriate in the world. Child centered play therapy is an effective modality that could help him heal from the continued trauma exposure by providing a contradiction through the validation of his emotions, exploration of healthy limits, and providing him with unconditional positive

When I think about the word “play therapy”, I think of it as a tool or a way to help out another individual or child express their anxieties and conflicts through play in a therapeutic setting. In class, the introductory handout on “Playful Thoughts” was a useful way to capture moments from childhood that would emphasize either happy or unhappy play memories. From one of the questions in the handout, a moment I would never forget would be when I accidentally stapled my hand at the age of four, when I was trying to staple a couple of pages back to a coloring book. A couple of students in class discussed their experience; and their experiences were mixed, as in some described happier moments, while others discussed sadder moments. In class we

Play is a way for children to learn about their environment and how interaction occurs within. It is through trial and error that children are able to create options; follow their own interests and show “independence in thought and actions” using their knowledge and understanding (Moyles, 2005, p.3). Children develop resilience though play. However for a number of children can experience stressful occurrences during their lives and play can often be restricted. Therefore the play worker’s role in supporting children’s play is a crucial measure towards children's development. For those that work with children require the dexterity to prompt and contribute to children’s play, which can be seen as a principle aspect of therapeutic alliance.

Play contributes to children’s “physical, emotional and social well-being” (Else, 2009, p.8) and through play, the child’s holistic development and well-being is being constantly accounted for as is it led by the individual. The child decides what s/he wants to do and does it; it is

In the selected case study, The mode of therapeutic intervention will take the Gestalt Play Therapy focus. The interaction between Jacob and I will be an open dialogue with straightforward caring, warmth, acceptance, and self-responsibility that specifically focuses on inclusion, with me fully present in the experience of Jacob, where I will not judge, analyze, or interpret what is observed. My presence refers to expressing observations, preferences, feelings, personal experience, and thoughts to Jacob. Commitment to dialogue will present the opportunity to encourage a sense of connection between Jacob and me. Our dialogue will be active and nonverbal or verbal. It can be any modality that expresses and moves

Children were seen more as people and less as objects. (Moran-Ellis, 2010) also emphasises the idea of using ethnographic studies to look at children and childhood. These types of studies are very common and still used across a wide range of subjects including sociology and childhood studies now. This type of study allows the individual carrying it out to essentially ‘put themselves in the shoes’ of the people/groups they are considering. When looking at childhood, these studies are crucial to look at the experiences children go through in everyday

The primary aim of the gestalt play therapist is to help children become aware of their unique process. The focus is on the experience of the process, what children do and how they do it, which they are, what they feel and what they want. Acceptance of this leads to the realization that they can personally make choices and experiment with new behavior. Gestalt play therapy focuses on children’s direct experience in the here and now. The therapist’s goal is to facilitate the client’s awareness of their process. (Corey, 2000)

In Grounded theory research data is collected until the no new themes emerge known as saturation. At this point the researcher may look at other groups who experience the same phenomena or stop data collection (Glaser 1998). An inadequate study sample leads to gaps in the theory (Glaser and Strauss 1967) which have lead to claims of “mysticism” (Melia 1997 ) from some authors who argue in some studies that codes and categories appear out of nowhere (Breckenridge and Jones 2009). Credibility in the grounded theory approach is maintained by sampling until saturation is achieved. Unlike other forms of quantitative research methodology Grounded theory should have generalizability beyond the immediate sample group (Glaser

Interviewing a child, the thought to me was barbaric. To carry out a processional discussion with a young child was quite the experience and nothing short of extraordinary. I sat in the dining room of my home with my next door neighbor’s fourteen-year-old daughter Sally. She walked through the front door with noticeable hesitation as if she was walking into the principles office to be detained. I could sense a strong level of discomfort that she carried though the hallway into the dining room as she took a seat on the couch. The smell of pumpkin pie filled the air as my mother was baking in the next room, I offered Sally a slice in attempt to gain relief and comfort in her stance. She accepted and gradually I could see the tension release from her body as she sat down and bluntly asked me “okay, what do you want to know”? I had prepared my interview questions some time before and had read them over nervously as I questioned their clarity and worth. I was just as anxious to interview Sally as she was to be interviewed. I ensured I had developed questions that danced around the topics of education, future dreams, social life, and personal life ensuring that I could get Sally’s opinion on an array of different aspects of her learning life. As well, I took into consideration questions brought up in the novel Key Questions for Educators edited by William Hare and John P. Portelli to guide my questions for a deeper and more intense analysis and look into the minds of young

Play is the foundation stone of children’s healthy and productive lives (Oliver & Klugman, 2002) and is also a significant means of child’s learning and development (Zigler, Singer & Bishop-