ERIC Number: EJ1330047
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1522-7227
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Why Play Equals Learning: Comparison as a Learning Mechanism in Play
Infant and Child Development, v31 n1 e2285 Jan-Feb 2022
Play is an essential component of childhood, but parents and educators sometimes view it as an optional add-on, which gets in the way of learning. This view persists in spite of evidence that play is helpful and sometimes critical to learning in multiple domains, perhaps because precise mechanisms whereby play occasions learning are not well understood. Here, I propose a new research perspective on playful learning, which might fill this gap, and solidify our understanding of both play and learning: a focus on comparison and structural alignment. Comparison (and structural alignment, which highlights useful comparisons) is a well-studied learning mechanism, and it occurs often during free and guided play. Do we learn through play because we compare during play? I briefly summarize the learning benefits of comparison and sketch the ways in which play may trigger comparison. I then list several concrete research questions, through which we may inspect the role of comparison in mediating between play and learning.
Descriptors: Play, Child Development, Learning Processes, Correlation, Evidence, Comparative Analysis, Educational Benefits, Role
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A