My second journal article that I chose was Rough and Tumble Play: Reflecting on Practice.
This journal was written by Jane Hewes.
You can find this article in Pedagogical Leadership and Rough and Tumble Play – Interaction Volume 28, Number 2, Fall 2014 on page 23-25.
The main focus of this article is about rough and tumble play. This article talks about the difference in how one might perceive rough and tumble play. It also speaks of the benefits/positive impacts on children’s development with rough play. This article points out the difference between rough play and fighting. This article is also backed with a study on rats and their development with rough play.
I chose this article to write about because I am very apprehensive with rough play with the children in my class. I am always very fearful that it is either fighting or will turn into fighting and of course resulting in someone getting hurt. In my pre-school class that I teach, I have some very strong willed little boys with very strong energy. From what I have experienced the rough play usually turns to fighting. I found this article interesting with its point of how rough play allows the child to explore their own strength in a relationship with the other child that they are rough playing with. This article points on how children don’t rough play with people they aren’t friends with or don’t feel comfortable with. If there is rough play with children that may not get along or have the some energy, that is when it turns into fighting. I liked how this article made very clear points on planning for rough play. It points to looking at the environment that children have and does it have areas that may encourage rough play or may not. Also having an area for children that may not engage in this kind of play so that they don’t feel bullied or overpowered with having to be involved in rough play.
Rough play is certainly an area that I need to work on with my own practicing. I am not one to encourage and or really allow it to happen. When I see it engaging I usually defer the play to another direction but reading how it can engage a child with their imagination – I will have to re-look at my rough play bias in my teaching.
interesting that the article was partly based on a study of rats. Rough and tumble play is a controversial topic but I know lots of little ones that crave this type of interaction. I think it is all about supervision and clear guidelines when engaging in this type of play.