Peer-reviewed article
THE EFFECTS OF PLAY-BASED LEARNING ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Erah Ali, Constantino Kaitlyn M, Azhar Hussain, Zaiba Akhtar ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper reviews research on play-based learning in early childhood education and its effects on child development. The authors argue that play is an important mechanism through which children naturally learn skills and that early childhood education benefits children through improved social skills, better academic performance, and enhanced attention spans. The paper uses a descriptive research method based on a review of existing literature from databases.
Key points
- Play-based learning is suggested by researchers as a sturdy mediator of learning various skills throughout a person's life
- Children taught at an early age benefit through improved social skills, lesser need for special education, better grades and enhanced attention spans
- Play-based approaches are aligned with Piagetian theory and developmentally appropriate practice, where teachers facilitate learning through play in the environment
- Early intervention is critical; children who lag in early education periods may face difficulties catching up later
Limitations
This is a literature review that does not present original empirical data or primary research findings. The document does not specify which studies were reviewed, their methodological quality, or provide detailed evidence of the effects claimed.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDThe "sooner-the-better" is the perfect catch phrase for early childhood education.The early childhood education is a powerful methodology acting as a medium to promote continued success in school, workplace and also in social and civic realms.Very little attention has been taken into consideration to the psychological and sociological values of play-based learning in early childhood.Researchers from education and psychology have suggested 'play' is a sturdy mediator of learning various skills throughout a person's life.This is in correspondence to Piagetian, which has significantly influenced developmentally appropriate practice.It includes the perspective that children learn 'naturally' through play with the teachers facilitating opportunities for play in the environment they are exposed to.Children taught at an early age usually benefit in the following ways such as improved social skills, lesser or no need for special education instruction during subsequent school years, better grades and enhanced attention spans.If a child lags in those early periods of early education, chances are they might face difficulties in catching up.This paper aims at providing an overview of research and theory relayed to play in the early educational system, the stepwise progression and its benefits in structuring the children's lives in diverse ways. MethodologyFor this study, the descriptive research method was used.The information was obtained from review articles from databases.