Gender and Play within the Foundation Stage Dissertation

Gender and Play within the Foundation Stage - Dissertation Example In spite of this wide difference in the styles of individual children’s play, it is generally believed that the gender of children greatly influences the style in which they will play, especially for the children under the age of six. I had paid particular concentration to the activities and the roles that each child had taken and the characteristics of the social interactions exhibit by the children like their readiness to listen, share, and to react to the requirements of other children. Aims and Objectives: To identify the role of gender in the play activities of children in the foundation stage. To study the behavior of the children in the play group, particularly when they participate in the same gender group and when they are involved in different gender group To identify the social communication displayed by children while playing in a group Introduction to Gender and Play: It is important to study the role of gender in the play of children and play related behavior. It is well recognized that when the age of children increases, they are more inclined to get engaged in social play, taking place from less to more mature types of social interaction. Still, there are noticeable differences in individuals, in the extent to which children shows their willingness to take part in the peer play. The qualities of children’s play are associated with measures of social motivation and competence, in particular with peers† (Barbu n.d.). One ultimate realm or the channel of development in a child is gender identity. The growth of gender identity cuts across the developmental dimensions related to physical, social, cognitive, and emotional aspects. However, just like all channels of development, it is essential to bear in mind that every child is unique, and can develop more quickly or gradually (than the other children). The theory of development of gender identity explains about how little children learn to realize their gender, and what gender si gnifies in their day to day life.     Young children recognize the distinction between girls and boys, and thus they mark people. As young children grow up, they attain an enhanced understanding of gender identity. Children realize that gender is constant over time. The children in the age of six are aware of the consistency of gender, the thought that they belong to one gender for life. The gender identity of a child appears in the early stages of life and as soon as the gender identity is recognized, the change occurs in the form of play initially. When a child identifies himself or herself boy or as a girl, it paves the way in playing further with other children belonging to that gender. Once the children engage in gender-specific play, they form the tendency to play more with their same gender group and they will play with opposite-gender group, very rarely. This inclination increases along with the growth of the children in the years of preschool. â€Å"Children’s p lay is generally considered to be spontaneous, imaginative and child-initiated. When a progressive philosophy is ascendant in early child education policy and practice, play assumes a privileged position as the key means by which children are considered to develop cognitive, emotional and social competencies† (Irby & Brown 2011, p. 31). The interaction with children at the age of six revealed that, these children do trust that there are playthings that are certain meant only for boys, and that there are some