Saturday 2 August 2014

PLAY AND TEWHARIKI CURRICULUM OF NEW ZEALAND



Play needs to be constructive and healthy for children. ‘Monster’ toys like battery operated toys, computer games are not toys as they lead to many socio-emotional and cognitive problems. So then what kind of toys should teachers select to enhance the play experience kids?
The Te Whariki curriculum framework for the early years, a New Zealand government framework is one of my favorite. I have been inspired by it and have designed the following criteria based on it to help teachers select the right toys and play material for early childhood classrooms. I call them the 9 Navratna’s of toy selection-
1.    Empowerment- toys should make children independent rather than dependent, so avoid battery operated toys.
2.     Holistic development- try choosing toys that develop more than one skill.
3.    Family and community- it is seen that the level of children's play rises when adults join in the play with them. However, a word of caution- "joining in" should not be about controlling the play because controlling creates stress and will not lead to any cognitive development.  Choose toys that are like group projects
4.    Relationships- toys such as role play kits are good for dramatic play. When children follow the rules of make-believe and push one another to follow those rules, they develop important habits of self control.
5.    Well being-  toys should make children feel safe. Any kind of games of play that bring about fear or anxiety would not be good for the well being of the child.
6.    Belonging- toys must belong to the child, let him put them away, let him decide and let him take care. Toys that always need adult supervision while playing will not inculcate a sense of belonging in the child.
7.    Contribution- the child should be able to contribute in the play or in the use of the toy, toys that work on their own will breed boredom that leads to frustration and violence.
8.    Communication- language development is one of the important skills developed through play and toys ensure that correct toys are selected to enhance this.
9.    Exploration- allow children the chance to explore the entire toy, do not interfere or lead the game. A sense of exploration and excitement, is an integral part of all learning and play
With brain research facts available to teachers today, it is important that teachers make the right choice of turning their classrooms into learning and nurturing spaces and not drilling and coping spaces. When enough people raise ‘Play’ to the status it deserves in our lives, we will find the world a smarter place for kids.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel two of the most important things that play can develop in the class are interest and motivation. 9 Navratna’s of toy selection will really help teachers to achieve their formal lesson goals .

Pritijayant said...

Today every parent wants to give best toys to the child but in this competition we are purchasing only monster toys which is not good for our children. Toy selection with Navratnas will really help teachers as well as parents.

Unknown said...

The toys and games used for the Learing Centre Free Play corners everyday at PJK reinforce the 9 Navratnas of toy selection to the fullest. Thank you, Ma'am for providing the right kind of toys for the kids at school. When we demonstrate these toys at Sing With Parents and other such occasions, the parents understand, appreciate and realize the need for these toys.

Jumbo Kids, Chakan said...

Giving the child the right kind of toy is very important.Toys that you choose helps in early development of the child.9 Navratnas will help us in selecting the correct toy for our children.

Unknown said...

playing is learning for the child.This 9 Navratna's of toys section will help parents,teacher for the holistic development of the child.This Navratna's will help the kids to be independent rather than dependent.

Anonymous said...

Research has proven that children who participate in caring,
safe, play-centered, intellectually
challenging environment have a far greater possibility of being future ready.Toys enhance the visual,auditory and tactile skills of children.If carefully chosen it can do wonders for an enriching and challenging play based learning environment.

Anonymous said...

As we know that Early childhood education focuses on children's learning through play, based on the research and philosophy of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, John Dewey and Lucy Sprague Mitchell which aims to involve children in acquiring competence via learning through discovery. While reading blogs of Ms.Vats I feel connected and upgraded with the worlds fashion of learning. It makes me easy to understand how a teacher can be motivated to make child play, parents select toys. Its time for us to make our kids – play as opportunity not only to develop specific individual areas of development, but develop several areas and tend to grow as smart child.

Ankita Suchak said...

"Play is the work of childhood" But playing with the right kind of toys is also important.This article will benefit our parents & teachers for the selection of toys with Navratnas.

Unknown said...

It is very important for the parents as well as teachers to select correct toys for the children at early childhood. It is not necessary that only expensive toys are good for them. Selection of the toys should be age appropriate that will bring joy to the babies. in addition, toys for young children need to match their stages of development and emerging abilities. Thank you Swati Ma'am for sharing 9 Navratna's for toy selection.

nagpur jumbo kid said...

153wToday every parent wants to give best toy to their child but in this competition They purchase only monster toy which is not good for child's holistic Development .

Uma Wagh PJK Jalgaon said...

Play helps kids to grow , they learn sharing,understand to wait for their turn, improves communication skill,it inculcates good habits,but only when good & right toys are given to students.

Navratan's of toy selection will definitely help teachers , parents
to make learning centres effective.

One more feather of knowledge is added today. And thank you so much for making us aware about the current happenings in education field.

Unknown said...

Play is a right of every child.

Thank you Maam for guiding us on the toy selection for our tiny toddlers. The 9 Navratna’s of toy selection will provide the children with the right kind of toys and it will promote learning, They will l have lots of fun and stay busy during playtime. It will also help to gain their confidence, develop problem-solving skills, resolve differences, communicate with others and broaden their imaginations.

Unknown said...

Through play, children make sense of their environment. Children learn important social roles through interaction with adults, and the use of toys. Toys are important tools that support physical and cognitive growth.
Toys selection keeping in mind Navratna formula will help teachers and parents enhance the learning experience of the child and help them become independent.

PJK Wagholi said...

Toys play important role in child's life. Thank you madam for giving us the right kind of toys for the school.These Navratnas will help both the parents and education centres to understand the importance of it.As it is an value added aid for each child.

Uma Nagdeo said...

Play helps in building the smarter brain, children learn better, retain better and enjoy the learning process. surely the above 9 Navratna's will help teachers and parents for better selection of toys
and we are very glad to use such toys at our centre which will help developing so many skills among children.

Anonymous said...

select the right toy...and the emotional attachments of the child with a specific toy ..handling that toy with love and care teaches the child to be loving caring and sensitive...

Unknown said...

Thanks ma'am once again to aware all of us how to select toys and also providing such a nice toys for children in classrooms.

Unknown said...

Play is the work of a child. Playing with an age appropriate toy influences the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability. Parents and teachers should always remember the 9 Navratna's while selecting toys.

Unknown said...

Yes,very important for parents to understand this before they choose toys.Toys make children creative, helps to develop their imagination, logic, language skills, it also helps them to be social. RightToys can make your child busy,patient and interested and wrong kinds of toys and just do the opposite.

vaishali joshi said...

Education should be application base. what i observed this year when i read the entrance exam paper of engineering,IIT and NEET all questions were application base. Student worked hard but not able to apply their knowledge, as logical thinking was not sharpen in the system. The Navratan's mentioned above are really helpful to develop thinking skill gradually logical thinking and taking decisions. Ma'am, proud to have part of such system which take care of brain development as well as frame the curriculum to make the child a decision maker and a leader in the social world.

Unknown said...

very true ma'am toys really play important role in child's life and we are lucky to have curriculum which emphasize on freeplay which is mainly concern to 9 Navratnas and really help in development of child.Even when we explain parents use of some toys in development of child'd growth during open house they really appreciate and even get right guidance for making selection of toys.

Unknown said...

Respected Mam,

Thank you very much for providing such a valuable information and had clear idea about the toys .

Radhika Joshii said...

Play time is absolutely necessary for children as they learn things by doing. When children play with toys they learn and develop various skills that will support them to succeed in school and in life. Toys for free play support children to develop a sense of self, responsibility for themselves and others.Multiple skills can be developed with right choice of toy. That's why at PJK we promote free play as important part of the day. These 9 Navratnas will be very helpful for parents. Thank you Ma'am for sharing with us.

pjkparbhani said...

Te Whariki is a framework for providing children's early learning and development within a sociocultural context. It emphasises the learning partnership between teachers, parents, and families. We are following criteria based on it in Podar Jumbo Kids which is very helpful for teachers to select the right toys and play material for early childhood classrooms.

jayshree shah said...

Thanks for your wonderful article. Play is the important work of childhood, giving child a right toy is also important for the growth of child.

Unknown said...

There are so many toys in the market, and juggling our kids needs & wants, along with advertising and peer pressure influence is tricky. The 9 Navratnas will help us to choose right toys for child's development. Thank you ma'am for this wonderful article.

Unknown said...

Thank you , Madam , for the wonderful tips. This information will, definitely, help the parents and the teachers a lot in making selection of the right toys.
Sometimes the exploring hands of the child might dissuade us to allow him to play freely with wisely chosen newly bought toys. But this Blog makes a very healthy appeal to allow the child the chance to explore the toy

Jumbo kids Latur said...


Thank you ma'am for sharing information, today's parent need this kind of guidance how and what to choose for the child.

Unknown said...

Thank You Ma'm for providing us with such valuable information. We can share this with parents that right kind of toys are very important for the early development of our children. Definitely toys develop the interest of the child and also concentration.

Unknown said...

Thank You Ma'm for providing us with such valuable information. We can share this with parents that right kind of toys are very important for the early development of our children. Definitely toys develop the interest of the child and also concentration.

PJK,Nigdi said...

The 9 navratna's of toy selection will definitely make the play to be constructive and healthy for children.Thank you ma'am.

Unknown said...

As we all believe that play is the work of child. The ensure that we at school give the children the right kind of toys which help in overall development. Thank you Ma'am for giving us the knowledge about the right kind of toys that we can select for our children.The children see their toys as their best friends and it is our duty to choose the right kind of toys for them.

Ms Vaishali Chaudhary(PJK Chinchwad) said...

Play is incomplete without toys.Constructive play supported by a proper selection of toys will always help us to achieve a Holistic development of our beloved children.Respected Swati maam has given us the 9 Navratnas to help our teachers to create their classrooms into learning and nurturing spaces.Thank you Maam.

Unknown said...

I think this blog is very informative for all parents and teachers to make a right choice for giving toys to kids for playing.

PJK Vadgaonsheri 2 said...

Thank you Ma'am for the reminder that play is the “work” of childhood. Good toys help kids learn new skills and practice relationships with others and their world.
Parents, when you choose a toy, ask yourself if it is really for the child or for yourself. (It’s okay to use toy buying as a nostalgia trip. Just don’t expect the child to share your enthusiasm.)
Don’t get hung up on gender-specific toys. Little girls and little boys both need to learn to be comfortable with babies and with tools in the world they are going to inhabit as adults.
Get in there and play with your kids. It’s part of the fun of being a parent.

Unknown said...

A general meaning of a toy from the point of view form all the adults are that the toys are an object for a child to play with, typically a model or miniature replica of something to keep the child busy and a time pass thing.But this article teaches us that "TOY" is a learning equipment with which the child can explore,discover and learn.So the selection of toy places an important role in the holistic development of a child. Podar Jumbokids students are really blessed by our Director's Curriculum where they get this opportunity to explore them self everyday .Than You Ma'am.

Unknown said...

If play is the route to healthy development,toys are the pathway to play. Toys stimulate
and prolong play and contribute to social,language, intellectual and emotional well being.By keeping 9 Navratnas in mind would definitely help teachers and parents to select right toys for children for their holistic development.

shilpa said...

Best and simple article 9 Navratna’s of toys this will help teachers and parents to learn more for children .

Shashikala Ghosh said...

Toys are vital tools that help foster the mental, physical, emotional and social development of the child. Toys are basic instruments for the development of children’s fantasy, thoughts and creativity.9 Navratnas will help us in selecting the correct toy for our children.

Anonymous said...

Students of PJK are lucky that they get a chance to play with toys that are selected by keeping in mind the Navratnas mentioned. Hence everyday the time spent in Learning center is is an essential contribution in the holistic developments of our little ones. Thank you ma'am for the ocean of knowledge you share.

Unknown said...

Toys are the best friends of children. Choosing the right kind of toys for our kids is very important. Thank you ma'am, for guiding all of us & the 9 nauratnas will help us in selecting the right kind of toys for our kids.

Unknown said...

"Play is the work of childhood ". This should be understood by we teachers and as well as by parents .This blog will help them in selecting right kind of toys for their children . Thank you Mam for such information which helps in holistic development of children .

kamal said...

Very informative article, aboyt the 9 Navratn's of Toys, which helps the teachers and to the parents for making the right selection of the toys for their kids.

Unknown said...

Many of us might not have thought that play can educate children in this many ways, thank you for such detailed explanation/suggestion to all of us in choosing toys for children--Chitra

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