Roles of Play

 

The Vital Role of Play in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers

As the long-time director of an infant/toddler care and education program, you have worked with caregivers who have innately understood the value of play to children’s healthy development and translated that understanding into fostering children’s exploration, discoveries, and growth. You have also worked with caregivers who haven’t been able to understand the complex yet exciting relationship between play and children’s growth. You have seen caregivers with the best of intentions limit children’s explorations, challenge their play endeavors inappropriately, over direct their activity, and, often due to great enthusiasm, take the lead in children’s play, limiting their opportunities for creative expression, independence and safe risk-taking. Because you deeply believe in offering a stellar play-based program, you’ve decided to draw on a variety of strong resources in order to create a PowerPoint presentation synthesizing the inter-relationship between infant/toddler play, exploration, and learning while underscoring three vital roles: 1) the role children have in their own play; 2) the role of adults in truly fostering play and development while honoring children’s individuality, initiative, interests, and imaginations; and 3) the role of appropriate and inspiring play spaces in fostering children’s growth.

You decide to create your PowerPoint and include narration, substantiated by current resources, so your current staff will benefit from hearing your passion and sincerity along with quotes, examples, and narrative prose to better illustrate the points you want people to understand and think about. Use the Play PowerPoint template to create a PowerPoint presentation with narration, using the following structure:

• First Slide: Introduction explaining your definition of infant/toddler play based on current resources
• At least 5 slides synthesizing the inter-relationship between infant/toddler play, exploration, and learning (with examples from varying age levels and insights substantiated by resources)
• At least 5 slides explaining 1) the vital role children have in their own play, and 2) the role of adults in truly fostering play and development while honoring children’s individuality, initiative, interests, and imaginations (with examples from varying age levels and insights substantiated by resources)
• At least 5 slides synthesizing the role of appropriate and inspiring play spaces in fostering children’s growth (with examples and insights substantiated by resources)
• At least 2 slides synthesizing the inter-relationship between child-directed/independent play, play spaces in infant/toddler care and education programs, and children’s healthy development and learning (with examples and insights substantiated by resources)

©2017 Walden University 1

Competency DI4002: Infants and Toddlers: The Role of Play: Synthesize why play is critical to healthy development
and learning.

Assessment Rubric

0
Not Present

1
Needs Improvement

2
Meets Expectations

Topic 1: Play and Exploration

Introduction explaining
your definition of
infant/toddler play.

LO1: Define
infant/toddler play.

Response is not present.

Definition of play is vague,
inaccurate, and/or incomplete.

Response provides a clear,
accurate, research-based
definition of infant/toddler play.
.

At least 5 slides
synthesizing the inter-
relationship between
infant/toddler play,
exploration, and
learning (with
examples from varying
age levels and
insights)

LO2: Synthesize the
inter-relationships
between infant/toddler
play, exploration, and
learning.

Response is not present.

Synthesis of the inter-
relationship between
infant/toddler play, exploration,
and learning is vague,
inaccurate, and/or incomplete.

Response provides a clear,
accurate, research-based
synthesis of the inter-relationship
between infant/toddler play,
exploration, and learning.

©2017 Walden University 2

At least 5 slides
explaining 1) the vital
role children have in
their own play, and 2)
the role of adults in
truly fostering play and
development while
honoring children’s
individuality, initiative,
interests, and
imaginations

LO3: Explain the vital
role children have in
their own play and the
role of adults in fostering
infant/toddler play while
honoring children’s
individuality, initiative,
interests, and
imaginations
.

Response is not present. Explanation of the vital role
children have in their own play
and the role of adults in
fostering infant/toddler play
while honoring children’s
individuality, initiative,
interests, and imaginations is
vague, inaccurate, and/or
incomplete.
.

Response provides a clear,
accurate, research-based
explanation of the vital role
children have in their own play
and the role of adults in fostering
infant/toddler play while honoring
children’s individuality, initiative,
interests, and imaginations.

Topic 2: Creating Space for Play
At least 5 slides
synthesizing the role
of appropriate and
inspiring play spaces
in fostering children’s
growth (with examples
and insights)

Response is not present.

Synthesis of the role of
appropriate and inspiring play
spaces in fostering children’s
healthy development and
learning is vague, inaccurate,
and/or incomplete.

Response provides a clear,
accurate, research-based
synthesis of the role of appropriate
and inspiring play spaces in
fostering children’s healthy
development and learning

©2017 Walden University 3

LO1: Synthesize the role
of appropriate and
inspiring play spaces in
fostering children’s
healthy development
and learning.
At least 2 slides
synthesizing the inter-
relationship between
child-
directed/independent
play, play spaces in
infant/toddler care and
education programs,
and children’s healthy
development and
learning

LO2: Synthesize the
inter-relationships
between child
directed/independent
play, play spaces, and
children’s healthy
development and
learning.

Response is not present.

Synthesis of the inter
relationship between child
directed/independent play,
play spaces, and children’s
healthy development and
learning is vague, inaccurate,
and/or incomplete.

Response provides a clear,
accurate, research-based
synthesis of the inter relationship
between child
directed/independent play, play
spaces, and children’s healthy
development and learning.

©2017 Walden University 4

Written Communication: Write with clarity, coherence, and purpose.
0

Not Present
1

Needs Improvement
2

Meets Expectations
LO1: Construct complete
and correct sentences.
(AWE 2; Sentence-Level
Skills)

Sentences are
incoherent and
impede reader’s
access to ideas.

Sentences are incomplete
and/or include fragments and
run-on sentences, limiting
reader’s access to ideas.

Sentence structure effectively
conveys meaning to the reader.

LO2: Demonstrate the
effective use of grammar
and mechanics. (AWE 2;
Sentence-Level Skills)

Multiple inaccuracies
in grammar and
mechanics impede
reader’s access to
ideas.

Some inaccuracies in grammar
and mechanics limit reader’s
access to ideas.

Use of grammar and mechanics is
straightforward and effectively
conveys meaning to reader.

LO3: Create cohesive
paragraphs with a clear
central idea. (AWE 2;
Paragraph-Level Skills)

Paragraphs, or lack of
paragraphs, impede
reader’s access to
ideas.

Construction of main idea
and/or supporting paragraphs
limit reader’s access to ideas.

Main idea and/or supporting
paragraphs effectively convey
meaning to reader.

LO4: Use supporting
material to support a
claim. (AWE 2; Use of
Evidence)

Supporting materials
are not present.

Supporting material is used
inconsistently or
inappropriately.

Supporting material is used to
enhance meaning. Writing is
appropriately paraphrased and
uses direct quotes as applicable.

LO5: Demonstrate
appropriate essay level
writing skills, providing
transitions between an
introduction, body, and
conclusion. (AWE 2; Essay
Level Skills)

Ideas are disorganized
with no/poor transitions.

Ideas are loosely organized with
unclear paragraphing and
transitions.

Ideas are organized with cohesive
transitions.

LO6: Identify sources.
(AWE 2; Credit to
source)

Sources are missing. Writing inconsistently identifies
or misrepresents sources.

Writing clearly identifies the source
of non-original material and/or
ideas.

©2017 Walden University 5

LO9: Use appropriate
tone and vocabulary for
a given audience. (Awe
3; Awareness of
audience and discipline)

Vocabulary and tone
are inappropriate for
the audience.

Vocabulary and tone vary
throughout the writing, limiting
reader’s access to ideas.

Vocabulary and tone communicate
key concepts that are appropriate
for the audience.

LO10: Apply APA
formatting and style
guidelines. (Awe 3
awareness of audience
and discipline and credit
to source)

APA formatting and
style are not present.

Writing inconsistently uses in-
text citations and references.
Major errors in APA style
impede understanding and/or
violate standards for academic
integrity.

Writing uses in-text citations
appropriately, includes references
when applicable, and is formatted
according to APA style. Minor
errors in APA style do not impede
understanding or violate standards
for academic integrity.

Technology: Use technology effectively.
0

Not Present
1

Needs Improvement
2

Meets Expectations
LO1: Apply the features
of technology programs
(i.e, Excel, Word,
PowerPoint) to
communicate information
effectively.

Technology program
is not applied
appropriately.

Technology program includes
multiple formatting issues
and/or is difficult to interpret.

Technology program includes
proper formatting.

Data can be easily read and
interpreted.

Mastery Rubric
Exceeds Expectations: In-Depth Analysis
LO1: Synthesizes in-
depth information

Synthesis of the inter-relationships between infant/toddler play, the child’s role in his/her own play,
the adult’s role in fostering play, spaces for play, and healthy development and learning is based
on multiple relevant sources and incorporates clear, relevant, and unique examples and insights.

©2017 Walden University 6

from multiple
relevant sources.

¨ Yes

¨ No

The Vital Role of Play in the Lives
of Infants & Toddlers

Title Slide
1

Introduction

First Slide: Introduction explaining your definition of infant/toddler play based on current resources

2

The Inter-Relationship Between Infant/Toddler Play, Exploration & Learning

At least 5 slides synthesizing the inter-relationship between infant/toddler play, exploration, and learning (with examples from varying age levels and insights substantiated by resources)

3

Play: The Role of Children & Adults

At least 5 slides explaining 1) the vital role children have in their own play, and 2) the role of adults in truly fostering play and development while honoring children’s individuality, initiative, interests, and imaginations (with examples from varying age levels and insights substantiated by resources)

4

Appropriate & Inspiring Play Spaces

At least 5 slides synthesizing the role of appropriate and inspiring play spaces in fostering children’s growth (with examples and insights substantiated by resources)

5

The Inter-Relationship Between Child-Directed Play, Play Spaces & Healthy Development & Learning

At least 2 slides synthesizing the inter-relationship between child-directed/independent play, play spaces in infant/toddler care and education programs, and children’s healthy development and learning (with examples and insights substantiated by resources)

6

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