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This literature culminates all of my articles into five common themes regarding the importance of play in the Young 5's classroom.

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As an action researcher in a Young 5’s classroom I wish to focus on relevant findings pertinent to early childhood educators. My educational background consists of a Bachelor’s degree from Adrian College in Language Arts and Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood. Having my ZS Endorsement has allowed me to work with both general and special education early childhood students.

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I believe that through action research I can show there is a greater need for play-based learning and that this form of leaning can be just as beneficial, if not more so, than academic rigor. Therefore, I plan to study play-based learning because I want to find out if play-based learning promotes student growth and success in order to show if it is more beneficial than academic learning. This is so that I may better understand appropriate learning styles for early childhood students. This action research project will allow me to expand my knowledge and understanding as an educator in order to better meet the needs of my young learners.

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Ali, A., Aziz, Z., & Majzub, R. (2011). Teaching and learning reading through play.

Barblett, L. (2010). Why play-based learning? (free article) - Early Childhood Australia.Retrieved July 13, 2016, from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/every-child-magazine/every-child-index/every-child-vol-16-3-2010/play-based-learning-free-article/

Guddemi, M., PhD, & Selva, G. (2014). Pretend play and brain growth: The link to learning and academic success.

Leong, D. J., PhD, & Bodrova, E., PhD. (2016). Pioneers in Our Field: Lev Vygotsky – Playing to Learn | Scholastic.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016, from

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/pioneers-our-field-lev-vygotsky-playing-learn

Leong, D. J., PhD. (2016). Why Children Need Play | Scholastic.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/why-children-need-play-0

Lev Vygotsky's Cognitive Development Theory and the Benefits of Play. (2015). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from http://www.childdevelopmentmedia.com/articles/play-the-work-of-lev-vygotsky/

Miller, E., & Almon, J. (2009). Crisis in the kindergarten: Why children need to play in school.

Niland, A. (2009, September 30). The Power of Musical Play: The Value of Play-Based, Child Centered Curriculum in Early Childhood Music Education. Retrieved July 13, 2016, from

http://gmt.sagepub.com/content/early/2009/04/21/1048371309335625.short

Scott Curwood, J. (2016). What Happened to Kindergarten? | Scholastic.com. Retrieved July 13,

2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-happened-kindergarten

Taylor, S. (2012, February 3). Playing to Learn in Kindergarten | Scholastic.com. Retrieved July

13, 2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom-solutions/2012/01/playinglearn-kindergarten

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Play-Based Learning Promotes Reading and Math Skills 

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Play-Based Learning Promotes Reading and Math Skills 

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In the article, Crisis in The Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School by Edward Miller and Joan Almon (2009), an interesting study is explained that took place in Germany in in the 1970’s and 1950’s. In the 1950’s Germany had play-based classrooms, which were reformed to “cognitive achievement classrooms” in the 1970’s (p. 2). Miller and Almon explain how a study compared the students from each set of classrooms and the students from the 1950’s play-based classrooms excelled in math skills, reading skills, socially, emotionally, and in overall creativity and intelligence (2009, p. 2). Ali, Aziz, and Majzub (2011) agree that play offers developmental benefits necessary to promote growth in oral language in reading skills (p. 19).

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Brain Research Supports Play-Based Learning 

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Brain Research Supports Play-Based Learning 

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According to Barblett (2010) play provides open-ended opportunities that are essential to strengthening and building brain pathways (para. 3).  Guddemi and Selva (2014) support the notion that play-based learning aids in the development of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which supports the brain’s ability to synthesize, construct, and reassemble knowledge and new information (p. 10).

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Lev Vygotsky's Research Supports Play-Based Learning 

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Lev Vygotsky's Research Supports Play-Based Learning 

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Deborah J. Leong and Elena Bedrova (2016) continue the discussion that Vygotsky believed child development focused on the interactions among children and their environment (p. 1). Additionally, the article Play: The Work of Lev Vygotsky (2015), defends the notion that play-based learning teaches students language skills, social skills, and problem-solving skills.

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In the article, What Happened to Kindergarten? by Jen Scott Curwood (2016) it is discussed that while a focus on academic rigor can help young learners to gain valuable reading and math skills early on it can “come at the expense of other skills kids need to learn, such as self-reliance, problem-solving, and spatial thinking.” There are ample amounts of research which shows that play-based learning poses several benefits for young learners, proving that an academic learning style may not measure up. Deborah J. Leong (2016) explains that productive play-based learning helps develop skills and lifelong learning habits that academic learning cannot teach young learners, such as self-regulation, goal setting, and to regulate social behaviors (p. 1).

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Play-Based Learning Supported by Scholars 

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Play-Based Learning Supported by Scholars 

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Amanda Niland (2009) discusses how play-based learning is the focus of an “emergent, child-centered approach to curriculum” in order to properly help students grow and develop (p. 1). Similarly Sharon Taylor (2012) defends that “constructive play is an important part of the cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional development of children,” which shows the importance of including a play-based curriculum at the prekindergarten level (p. 1).