I teach parents about two separate roles they can take on when playing with their children. One role is a Directive Role, where parents structure the playtime to meet the needs of their child. The other role is a Nondirective Role, where parents let their child lead and structure the playtime. To get into either of these roles, I teach several basic skills that parents can use in playtime. One of the most basic and fundamental of these skills is the Describing Skill, and this is what I want to focus on in this Blog.
Blog
The importance of play for adults
There is a growing body of evidence from neuroscientists, psychologists, and educators that play is essential not only for children, but for adults as well.
Children’s play and toys in the digital era
Over the past 20 years there has been increasing sophistication of digital and media–based “toys” replacing traditional toys. This Blog will summarize some of the important research and recommendations for parents of young children, in order to understand some of the ways they and their children can explore and play with digital technologies.
Supervising or playing? What’s the difference?
Do you know the difference between supervising your child in play and engaging with your child in play? I think it is important for parents to understand the difference between being in either a supervisor role or a play partner role with their children.
Hmmm, which way to play?
Child development experts recognize that multiple different forms of play are beneficial for child development. However, parents may get confused and overwhelmed with all the many terms and definitions used for the different forms of children’s play. This article will give you a basic framework to help you understand some of these different forms of children’s play your child may engage in.