Bedrock#2 2021

Book review:

Play-Responsive Teaching in Early Childhood Education Play is at the centre of our practice, our philosophies, our National Quality Framework (did you know that ‘play’ is mentioned over 70 times in the Early Years Learning Framework) and our everyday work with children, writes IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Early Childhood Council member Melinda Gambley.

But how well do we really understand the connection between play and learning, and the role of teachers in children’s play? Through an examination of research and practice from Sweden, this book invites us to learn more about play – its history, its importance to early childhood education, and how teacher participation in play can enhance children’s involvement and learning.

Reading this book has given me pause to reflect on my own involvement in children’s play. In my own practice as Teacher and Educational Leader at Clunes Community Preschool in NSW, I’ve seen that, while we all agree that play is important, how we plan for and involve ourselves in children’s play can be contentious, with other early childhood professionals that I meet in my work having wide ranging opinions and philosophies around play.

of the traditional view of play in early childhood settings, that is, that play should be ‘hands-off’ by the adults, with content unimportant, balanced by the more contemporary view that the adults do have a role in pedagogical play.

Interestingly, they talk about the contradictions of play in our communities, and this is evident to me as I move through my own centre, town, and community, and the cities and spaces that I visit.

There is the contemporary adult belief that we often hear in our preschools, schools and centres: that play should be spontaneous, child directed, and completely free from adult interference.

In apparent opposition to this, we (the adults) intentionally plan and designate spaces specifically for play, for example early childhood centres, playgrounds and theme parks. I begin, through my reading, to reflect on what we say about play and how this is reflected (or not!) in our spaces for play and leisure.

“While play is often romanticised as something free and innocent, the authors refer to the ‘free’ in free play as ‘illusory freedom’.”

History and beliefs about play The authors begin by summarising the history of play and the image of the child. There is a discussion of the role of post-developmental theories in play, and a comparison 16 | Bedrock | issue 2 | Vol 26 | 2021

Is ‘free play’ actually free?

While play in Europe, where the research for the book originates, and also here in Australia, is often romanticised as something free and innocent, the authors refer to the ‘free’ in free play as ‘illusory freedom’, that is, bound by the cultural rules of the group to which the child belongs.

They give the example of a type of play that we see frequently: where the child takes the role of parent with a doll in the role of the baby. The child’s actions in play