Encouraging Physical Development Through Movement-Play
- Carol Archer - Advisory Teacher, Camden
- Iram Siraj - University of Oxford, UK
Movement-play, put simply, is encouraging physical activity in a child-led manner for the benefit of children's health, learning and wellbeing. This book looks at the theory behind the importance of movement and:
- how movement play links with all the areas of early childhood development
- physical activity guidelines for young children
- practical advice and photos to support implementation in settings
- how to assess your own setting
- how to best work with parents on this topic
- comprehensive guidance on writing a physical development policy
The early years is one of the critical periods in the establishment of physical behaviours and physical development is also one of the prime areas of the EYFS as well as other, global, curricula. A must-read for students on Early Childhood and Early Years courses and Early Years practitioners to improve their practice and understanding of psychical development for the benefit of young children.
A good base for students to begin to study physical development from. The photographs were particularly helpful - especially for those students who have not yet been in a setting - to give idea of how to promote physical development
A useful text that I will be adding to our reading list. Foundation degree students may find the sections on play-based curricula relating to ages and stages particularly informative. Photography usefully indicates where module content, such as the development of proprioceptive systems, can be observed in settings -- a valuable link between theory and practice.
This is a timely and important resource that finally explains fully the importance of physical development, and the link between movement, cognition and physical development. It is an absolutely essential text for early years students, which is firmly grounded in up to date research. Highly recommended.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1: Movement-play and its influence on young children's development
