International Approaches to Early Childhood Education: The Role of Play in Cognitive and Social Development of 4-5 Years Old Children

This paper explores the importance of play in early childhood education, drawing on Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of development. It also examines the implications and types of play in the early years of childhood, and legislations related to play in early childhood education in the UK and Nigeria contexts.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Rationale and context......................................................................................................................3
Implication and types of play in the early years of childhood.........................................................7
Significance of playing in children's learning in early childhood development..............................9
Piaget's stages of cognitive development theory...........................................................................12
Vygotsky social constructivist theory............................................................................................15
Legislations related to play in early childhood education: The U.K and Nigeria contexts...........16
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
References:....................................................................................................................................24

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The Role of Play in Cognitive And Social Development Of 4 - 5 Years Old Children
Introduction
Studies of Fawowe (2011) have observed that individuals regardless of time and location
have tended to yearn for the existence of young children. Such an endeavour typically involved
ascertaining that young children receives all round development resulting to a satisfying
existence in the broader realm of the society(Obanya, 2011).
During the period of early childhood, the amount of care and encouragement acquired by
the child significantly establishes the level of physical and intelligence growth a child tends to
obtain during the later phase of life(UNICEF, 2008). On the other hand, Bakken, Brown and
Downing (2017) have claimed that preliminary period starting from birth to 5 years as highly
crucial for establishing fundamental bases of thoughts, behavioural patterns along with emotional
welfare. Furthermore, as per the view of child development specialists, it is during early
childhood period that young children develop diverse skills, which envisage children’s
subsequent functioning in numerous domains (Trawick-Smith, 2014; Woolfolk & Perry, 2012).
However, such an impact of early childhood care not only controlled physical and intellectual
growth of young children but further expanded to their social development. Physical
development nonetheless implies to the growth of child’s body whereby the bones resulted to the
growth of weight and mass, intellectual progress implies maturity of intellect along with
linguistic ability while social development identifies development of relationship competence.
Conversely, when diverse aspects of growth have been successfully controlled in development
process of early childhood, the outcome tends to be usually advantageous for healthy growth and
maturity.

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Additionally during early childhood, educators, childcare specialists along with parents
align with the idea that young children attain substantial amount of insights and further get
accustomed to new environments. On the other hand, there can be identified varying perspectives
on the way learning has its incidence in children with considerable amount of study on this
aspect. Such perspectives often enable an individual to speculate: Could play, which has been
considered as a natural inclination in young children (Mastrangelo, 2009, cited in Briggs and
Hansen, 2012), as one of the approaches? Or does play or physical activity tend to benefit young
children by any approaches during the period of early childhood. The following paper will aim to
present the rationale and context of work, which will be followed by relevant literature on the
meaning and types of play in the period of early childhood. In addition to this, comprehensive
insights will be gathered on the importance of play in relation to children’s learning.
Further to this, critical evaluation will be conducted regarding the way Vygotsky’s and
Piaget’s theories of development have shaped the understanding of role of play in children’s
cognitive as well as social growth. Moreover, by drawing relevance to the contexts of the United
Kingdom and Nigeria, the following paper will reveal certain legislations in relation to play in
the field of early childhood education along with a study of way play could be incorporated into
early childhood curriculum.
Rationale and context
Several scholars (such as, Goldstein, 2012; Bilton, 2014; Bilton and Waters, 2016) have
been of the opinion that play has been a critical determinant in child’s growth and maturity as it
primarily adds up to the cognitive, physical as well as emotional interests of young children and
youths. Thus, during play, parents and teachers obtain the competence to engage and share

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quality time with children. Berke (2016) has claimed that children tend to learn most efficiently
when they have been offered the prospect to choose as per their ability and establish
individualistic objectives.
Such an assumption reinforces the claim that play has been an essential part for young
children because it enables them to attain self-regulation and confidence from an early age.
However, it is essential to note that some forms of play such as outdoor games, which involves
risks taking.
This assumption further persuades that adults require guarantee that play offers children
with wide prospects to take ‘safe risk’ in order to benefit their personal learning course.
Nonetheless, regardless of the advantages of play to young children’s learning and healthy
development, some adults consider play as highly ‘non-profitable’ activities and therefore reduce
children’s play. Drawing relevance to these aspects, Ogunyemi and Ragpot (2016) have
speculated that educators and parents with constricted idea of play consider the play activity as
simple physical actions of walking, moving, clapping as well as singing outside class activity.
Meanwhile, for these parents, children are believed to perform ‘serious and productive work’ in
school rather than indulging into playful activities. Consequently, according to Goldstein(2012)
adequate time allocated for free play has radically been declined in educational institutes.
Such a drastic decline further has led to conditions where young children currently
receives less assistance from educators and parents for engaging into play while learning and
also at home. Meanwhile, several scholars, teachers and practitioners consider importance of
play in early childhood period. For instance, Sylva and Pugh (2005) stated that early learning has
the capacity to contribute to the intellect growth and that most basiclearning between child and

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child carers offer the cultural structure further supporting the growth of intellectual
representations. Thus, drawing reliability from these evidences, authors have mentioned in Sylva
and Pugh (2005) which claims that for provisions aimed for three years onwards, the indication
has been reliable that school provisions has been constructive for educational as well as social
development for the entire populace.
Recent studies of Whitebread, Basilio, Kuvalja, and Verma, 2012; Ogunyemi and Ragpot
(2016) have highlighted the areas of concerns regarding the importanceof superior quality care
and education of children aged 0 to 8 years. Such concerns have acquired substantial attention,
resulting to investigate into the methods of attaining effective outcomes. However the increased
consideration of the significance of early childhood education has shed light on the need to
develop effectual as well as resourceful teaching strategies along with procedures which would
aid young children to successfully obtain education in the foundation years. It has been because
of such advocacy in early childhood education growth and care that ‘play’ has been seen as an
essential factor in teaching young children.
At this juncture Ogunyemi and Ragpot (2016) have focused on how play has sustained as a
recognised but debatable theory among early childhood education researchers as well as
practitioners and parents specifically in developing nations including Nigeria. These scholars
have been strategic using renowned playgroup school rhyme in Nigeria: “Work while you work
and play while you play to be useful and happy, this is the way” in order to enlighten the claim
further. According to the early childhood practitioners of Nigeria, this rhyme reveals a distinct
departure of the concepts play from work. It has been noted that the concept of play essentially
represents activities a child usually does during his or her leisure time whereas the latter has been
explained as classroom activities. Meanwhile another renowned nursery poem which must be

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taken into consideration at this stage is: “Up to the mountain, down below the hills, we cannot go
to hunting because of laziness, we go to school, for going to school is better than hunting on the
mountains and down below the hills”. However, considering this nursery rhyme “going to
school” has been represented as a better form of intellectual activity for children rather than
inclining towards physical activity such as “hunting on the mountains and down below the hills”.
One of the major explanations regarding greater level of inclination towards intellectual
development relies on parenting and often practitioner’s apprehensions and uncertainty related to
children's productive future and safety as typically outdoor activities have been seem to be
posing risks of physical injury to the young children.
Regardless of the risk factors, related to physical injury it is important to emphasize on
whether going to school tends to restrict children within the four walls of classrooms and
monotonous class work. Thus taking into consideration the vital factors that outdoor
environment efficiently offers a greater level of learning experience to young children and that
experimental physical activity have been fundamental to provision(Briggs and Hansen, 2012).
Consequently early childhood practitioners must aim for searching these in establishing growth
and maturity in children. Knight (2011) have emphasised on facts that when young children are
permitted to acknowledge taking risks in outdoor place it enables them to develop knowledge
and insights at the very edge of their own abilities. However it is important to know that
situations where young children are often refrained from performing physical activities majorly
emerged by pressure from parents. These scenarios however remind me of my personal
experiences I had while teaching in a local nursery school in Nigeria during my undergraduate
teaching course. While the National Policy on Education(Federal Government of Nigeria, 2013)
has proposed the implementation of playful activities in teaching curriculum in the early

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childhood education several parents along with the one who had adequate educational
qualification stated that their children should focus more on academic field rather than spending
time on playful of physical activities.
Such disagreements however makes one assume factors related to play and what role and
importance it has in the field of children's cognitive and social development? Secondly, in which
ways can play be implemented in order to improve or support the learning development of young
children? These are some of the important questions which this paper will aim to explore.
Implication and types of play in the early years of childhood
Comprehensive studies of Briggs, Hansen and Hansen (2012) have emphasised on the
way play has been regarded as a critical concept to describe within the field of educational
literature. Nevertheless, these authors have cited Mastrangelo (2009:34) and considered factors
related to play as a multifaceted occurrence which takes place naturally for majority of children.
Through this complex phenomenon, young children undergo true seven stages of play
development and further begin to encounter higher levels of complexities skills creativity and
resourcefulness to their thought processes and activities. Play according to Goldstein (2012) has
been perceived as a form of activity which is spontaneously been chosen inherently motivated
and self regulated. Significantly, Haughton and Ellis (2016) have witnessed that and universal
determinant related to play depends on actions which children primarily except for liking and
thus has developed into one of the children’s fundamental needs in the process of maturity.
Drawing relevance to these evidences White (2012) have claimed that while young children
indulge into playful activities the concept of learning develops into something which occurs
naturally with children's laughter experiments, thoughts, imagination and creativity. As a

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consequence several advantages of playful activities have been seen to be leveraging diverse
categorisation of play depending on types of viewpoints through which play has been taken into
consideration.
Meanwhile Whitebread et al (2012) have provided their understanding of play as a
physical activity, representative play or pretence or socio-dramatic play. It has been noted that
physical activities primarily involved lively and energetic form of exercises such as playing ball,
jumping, and running, dancing, slipping and sliding. While young children acquired capacity to
discover their own physical environment along with the entities pay find within it such actions
can be regarded as play with objects while being in symbolic play. However many children often
tend to use linguistic skills in order to support their abilities to articulate and reflect upon their
experiences concepts and emotions. Lastly, physical activities involving certain rules and
instructions comprise of physical games such as catching objects, hide and seek along with
different types of chasing games. However, Wood (2013:23) has highlighted various forms of
play:
a) Exercise plays sensorimotor stage: experimental play based on physical activities (0 to 2
years)
b) Symbolic and building play preoperational stage: imaginary fictitious and socio- dramatic
play comprising application of intellectual illustrations. this activity primarily involves
young children making one thing stand for another and does has been considered as an
intellectual activity played mostly by children aged 2-7 years
c) Games with instructions concrete operational stage: games constructed with set of rules
made by children aged above 6 or 7 years.

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Considering insides of different authors, it has been quite evident that all evidences reflect
similar outlooks regarding the different types of play, but all scholars have been drawing
relevance from Piaget's classifications related to stages of play along with Vygotsky's concepts
regarding children's play learning and development. Regardless to the classification which an
individual choose to study, there can be observed evidence-based in literature and practice
reflecting the importance of play in children's learning and maturity progress specifically in the
early years.
Significance of playing in children's learning in early childhood development
Bodrova and Leong (2010) and Walsh et al. (2010) by strengthening the importance of
play to children's learning and development in the early years have claims that play or physical
activities offers significant openings for young children not only to discover their surroundings
and establish their personality but further create knowledge which has been exceptional to them.
Such factors however have been fundamental as through playful activities young children
engross information and actively generate ideas concepts objects and events with which they
come in association.
Nancy Carlsson-Paige, in her approval speech of the Deborah Meier award organised by
the National Centre for Fair and Open testing has explained the importance of play in childhood
education and concurrently exhibits qualms over its declining status in educational institutions:
“Play has been regarded as a fundamental driver of human development and is a common
activity similar to walking and speaking. During the pre-stage children develop the competence
to construct ideas and apply them in order to reveal the way they give meanings to their own
experiences and further feel protected.

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However if an individual observed all the mathematics theories and models at work in the
complex structures of nurseries or witness the young child of 4 years age wearing a cap and
playing a character of a superhero after viewing some fear provoking event. However, it must be
taken into consideration that children at the early age have been refrain from indulging into any
form of physical activities which can expand their thought process and help them to grow
naturally. Regardless of the significance of play in early childhood development, several scholars
have been weaving its significant decline and a growing importance of academic coaching. Such
a reduction of physical activities as per the opinion of Strauss (2015), have led young children to
engage in academics while being confined into limited school premises rather than engaging into
physical activities and experimenting on learning.”
There can be observed various forms of clay, which benefits children’s education and
growth namely, play with objects and elements symbolical play, or games with predetermined
rules and instructions. However, uneducated play has been regarded as a form of physical
activity, which can facilitate children's educational skills, which can be performed either indoor
or outdoor whereby an educated can reveal the areas of competencies and motivate environment
for the young learnersOgunyemi and Ragpot (2016).
At the time of performing physical activities, young children utilize their energy in order
to make bodily movements and further to control objects especially with peers, siblings,
caregivers and parents (Whitebread et al, 2012).
Furthermore according to Eager and Little 2011 cited in Brussoni et al. (2012), as such
form of physical activity primarily comprises of physical movement young children who engages
into such forms of play have shown greater ability to circumvent disorders such as obesity,

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learning difficulties lack of independence confidence and judgemental abilities. These evidences
however have underlined the assertion that play has been advantageous to children in the early
childhood period and not unconstructive as it facilitates the child to take precautions of actions
which they can easily execute and identifying areas where they lack their ability thus helping
them to realize there competence for future situations. Additionally as several safety principles,
rules instructions and regulatory practices have gained considerable attention; children’s
approach towards play has been constrained, further being consequential in damaging the
education and growth of young children (Brussoni et al, 2015).
On the other hand, Whitebread et al (2012) have identified a critical area of concern
whereby due to burdens of urban lifestyle with loss of natural ambiance and protected awareness,
children in the early years have been highly manipulated and experience lack of prospects of
'risky outdoor physical activities which acknowledges their freedom of growth, productivity
along with self-reliance and confidence. However in summary of Moyles (2010), cited in
Palailougou (2016) have evaluated the potential gains of play for early education and
development as constituting the following:
a) Children develop confidence in play or physical games and thus have affirmative effect
on enthusiasm, concentration and self-identity.
b) Play primarily engage young children in creativity and thoughtfulness
c) Physical activities required exploration and seeking new insights
d) Children show my inclination in collaborating and associated with friends while
performing any physical activity
e) Young children acquire knowledge of decision making skills and arrange their personal
time space and activities

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f) Physical exercises nurture the mind along with the body and enables sensorimotor and
perceptual growth
Lending credibility to the aforementioned evidences it has been identified that play in early
childhood enables young children to seek out new and advanced ways of executing things. Such
performance however enhances their creative thinking whereby often young children exhibit a
tendency to generate ways of playing outdoor games.
However at this stage, Howard and Wood(2010) have refuted that activities related to risk
taking can add to the resilience to the way young children perceives the surrounding, which has
been regarded as the crucial factor of original and creative thinking. Furthermore, Bundy et al.,
(2009) have accentuated on the way risk play has developed critical thinking skills of children
through greater level of creativity and knowledge. Thus permitting a child to be exploratory and
courageous in play offers opulent prospects for them.
Piaget's stages of cognitive development theory
Drawing relevance to Piaget’s theoretical aspect of cognitive development, young
children undergo four different stages of mental development. At this stage Briggs and Hansen
(2012) have found that the speculations of Piaget primarily has shed light not only on the
understanding of the way children obtain insights and ideas but further on understanding the
characteristics and attributes of intelligence.
Piaget's stages are:
 Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years
 Preoperational stage: 2 to 7years

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 Concrete operational stage: 7 to 11 years
 Formal operational stage: 12 years and above
Agreeing to the studies of Marwaha, Goswami and Vashist, (2017), Piaget has proposed that
the maturity of intellectual capacity tends to have its occurrence in the range of comparatively
discrete stages. Furthermore, it has been found that child's thought process as well as his or her
way of construing the world varies at different stages. Thus, Piaget’s theoretical approach has a
substantial impact on the understanding of early child education and development over the years.
However for instance, Cherry (2018) has observed that Piaget’s stress on qualitative
development played a decisive role on children's education. As a result early educators, scholars
and practitioners are of the opinion that young children must be educated at the level for which
they have been developmentally prepared.
These factors however can be seen as a type of defence for the use of developmentally
suitable curriculum in the field of early childhood education in current times. Significantly, it is
important to understand that as young children enjoy physical activities and play, hence it is
unavoidable for any child practitioner to offer a learning ambience. Such a learning environment
must be suitable with the age and intellect development of the learners whereby children can
easily communicate with the educators, interact among themselves, and further receive play
materials to improve their process of education and growth.
However, at this stage Morgan (2012) has drawn relevance to the planning and
development approach of childcare practitioners whereby a challenging environmental setting
can be applied in order to expand and acknowledge specific areas of children's learning in order
to help them again their own educational aims and objectives. Thus from the preceding

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arguments it can be discussed and further recommended that parents as well as caregivers of
young children should efficiently deliver valuable experiences for the children as they discovered
their surroundings. These explorations however help to improve the maturity and development of
children in their physical emotional intellectual as well as social growth. Nonetheless such aims
can be acquired by the means of physical activities such as physical games, playing with objects,
reciting poems or nursery rhymes along with pretence play.
While Piaget's theory has received considerable important among scholars, parents of
young children as well as early childhood practitioners, certain aspects of theoretical approach
have remained provocative and questionable. For instance, as Piaget's theory primarily relies on
stage, his consideration focuses on the fact that children must attain readiness biologically as
well as developmentally prior to the achievement of constructive learning. Moreover, according
to Piaget, young children do not acquire significant insights from education, which has been
given prior to biological inclination.
Moreover, in the late 1970s as per Morgan (2012), Donaldson replicated research, which has
been conducted by Piaget in formulating his stage dependency theory, and observed that younger
children in the experimentation showed high ability to perform at the advanced development
level if they comprehended the questions asked to them. Conversely, regardless of these
criticisms Piaget's theory has sustained to influence early childhood practitioners even in recent
times.

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Vygotsky social constructivist theory
Vygotsky's theory has focused on three important themes namely social interaction the More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone Of Proximal Development. David (2014) has
reviewed these themes accordingly:
‘Social interaction fundamentally associates with the child relationship with others around
him and the way he interprets, adapts and internalizes the insights received by him during these
interactions further contributing to his own value to such interactions within himself in order to
shape his growth and maturity. On the other hand, the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) has
referred to an individual who has an enhanced understanding or higher level than the learner in
relation to specific task method or idea.’
Vygotsky has further emphasised on the aspects of social interaction in his theoretical
approach. According to him, children have their existence within their families, it is through the
interaction process with other children, and adults they observe the way matured and experienced
members of their family auto group behave associate and seek advices to problems, which they
encounter. These evidences however have indicated that the matured individuals with young
children mostly associates have decisive roles to play by illustrating good experiences of them to
the children in order to replicate for prospective days. Vygotsky's assumptions have significantly
influenced early education practices in various ways. For example in the early years Foundation
State policy (EYFS) policy document, early childhood education experts have been appreciated
not only for providing critical and challenging situations to children but also offering framework
and adequate guidance in order to improve their learning procedures (Morgan, 2012).

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Moreover, Vygotsky has been of the opinion that cognitive development mainly occurs
through the interactions and verbal exchanges of children with matured members belonging to
his environment. These verbal dealings can take place during playtime with peers or during class
interaction with classmates and teacher. However, it could be stated that the significance of
Vygotsky’s concepts towards early childhood education is that learning comprises of process of
idea sharing and distribution. However, while young children share their creative ideas and
perspectives especially during playtime our classroom discussions they obtain greater amount of
knowledge than other children do. As a result, it has been vital that early childhood educators
efficiently provide significant openings for young children in order to engage into frequent
interaction.
Legislations related to play in early childhood education: The U.K and
Nigeria contexts
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has set standards for the education
development and care of children from 0 to 5 years in England. As per the rules and directives,
all the schools and Ofsted-registered early year education providers must adhere to the EYFS
which includes child minders, preschools, nurseries as well as school reception classes
(Department for Education, 2017). This legislation however demands criterion for early
childhood practitioners, children along with their parents. However taken as an example, there
are other provisions intended for minimum credentials and certifications for each level of
practice and have been stringently followed. Moreover another important constituent of the
policy document has focused on the issue regarding the safety and security of young children.

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These standards have been identified as doctrines which have been well rooted in the EYFS and
curriculum of the practitioners for successful completion.
Meanwhile Palailougou and Male (2016) have theorized that the Early Years Foundation
Stage has been initially introduced and executed in England for all children age 0 to 5 years in
2008. However in 2017 this policy document has experienced amendments with latest
modification. This revision has comprised all current documents specifically every child matters,
full day care national standards for children below 8 days care curriculum guidance for
foundation stage as well as child minders and thus provided a unified legislative framework for
early child learning and care (Palailougou and Male, 2016). Such an endeavor to a certain degree
has proficiently offered early childhood education experts and accessible resource to focus on
their practice rather than looking for wide-ranging or speckled sources for guidance. Thus an
individual can undoubtedly state here the way children's well being progress and learning have
been given grave and due attention in the United Kingdom.
This however has not been identified as a practice in most developing nations such as
Nigeria which will be discussed at later stage in the paper. In accordance to the Action for
Children (n.d), the EYFS guideline has an incorporated approach in early education and care and
further offers practitioners arrange of universal principles and commitments in order to deliver
quality only education along with child care experiences to all young children in England.
Moreover regardless of the cote documents for all practitioners engaged in the foundation years,
the EYFS Framework offers parents of young children with utmost confidence even if they show
interest to their child's early education, they will be guaranteed with same and equal statutory
commitments and regulations which will efficiently support their child education and
development experience (Action for Children, n.d). Moreover Morgan (2010) has stated that the

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EYFS acts as a form of play which is based on curriculum which developed into a statutory in
England since 2008. Furthermore Morgan has noted that the guideline necessitates early
childhood service providers to efficiently safeguard the stability of child initiated as well as adult
controlled play based activities.
At this juncture the aforementioned principles have been derived from the concepts and
theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Moreover the EYFS supports and acknowledges the use of play
or physical activities in order to aid children successfully develop and extensive knowledge base
and talent with the suitable foundation for future development through educational facilities and
in the course of life.
At a brief outlook it has been observed that Early Years child education provision in the
UK showed no signs of issues or challenge. However Bilton and Waters (2016) have reported
that a comparative evaluation between Wales and England has revealed that well educated
mainly aim and strategies to use their outdoor spaces specifically for curriculum related learning
done their English equals to have been observed to disregard such specific curriculum related
learning outcomes. On the other hand the English educators show reliance towards personal,
collective and dispositional factors of development for young children while they are outside.
Moreover, the extent to which early education experts helps children to play; depend on the view
of individual practitioners about factors of play. This is also a function on the way different
interpretations of children’s physical activities leverage the practitioners’ outlook.
An early childhood education expert who supports children's play as a learning
opportunity develops the competence to strategize his learning lessons in order to incorporate
both children initiated as well as teacher managed play. However in developing countries like

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Nigeria, the National Policy on Education identifies early childhood learning as preprimary
education. On the other hand Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN, 2013) lists teaching the
fundamentals of numbers, figures, letters, colours, and shapes through play as one of the primary
objectives of early childhood education. Furthermore in significance of play’s benefits to the
child maturity and learning the National Policy Of Education (2013) has suggested that educated
and caregivers should demonstrate by using the play way method.
These evidences however imply that regardless to the curriculum educators aim to teach
the children, it should be introduced to them through play activities, rhymes nursery, songs and
dance. The NPE however supports the educators to facilitate the students in the process of
cooperating and socializing among themselves and further discover the environment to study.
Meanwhile in Nigeria as Ogunyemi and Ragpot (2016) have witnessed it appears that the
environment for early childhood care, learning and development do not encourage complete
expression of child's authority's equality and justice implicit in early childhood curriculum.
In addition to this, the National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013)
has categorised preschool education into ages 0-4 years positioned in daycare or crèches. These
units are operated by current conventional government primary schools, private sector communal
associations along with social development services providers. Nevertheless Ogunyemi (2012)
has stated that reliable findings on the conditions of Nigeria’s early education learning do not
propose any impression of high quality contributions as afield in government's stated purposes
and strategies and further those advocated by the United Nations Children's Fund.
Evidences of these critical areas have been observed by Akinrotimi and Olowe (2016) in
problems related to preschool education curriculum as well as employment of unqualified Early

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Years Education practitioners. For example, several educators have been obligated by parents
and school management of young children to apply certain curriculum which would emphasize
on academic demand rather than supporting physical or playful activities. Consequently ‘as
significant amount of children struggle to acquire sufficient academic standards which are
developmentally inappropriate… simultaneously that there has been an increased academic
pressure in the lives of young children's through unsuitable principles, scholars have managed to
destabilize their primary tool for dealing with such anxieties-generously picked, child managed,
inherently motivated play’ (Nicolopoulou, 2010).
Meanwhile another critical area of early childhood education in Nigeria has shed light on
the multiplicity and fraudulence of policy documents. Nigerian education system comprises the
national policy on education the integrated National Early Years Curriculum in addition to the
national minimum standards for early years. However as there is an absence of proper regulation
by relevant government management agencies education service providers specifically in the
private sector tend to recruit unqualified teachers who have the willingness to accept low wages.
Moreover as educators have lack of adequate knowledge and expertise they at times show the
Incompetence of proficiently teaching children using Play.
Conclusion
Akinrotimi and Olowe (2016) have upheld the notion that early years in life have been
generally accepted as the most crucial period in which young children experience cognitive,
linguistic, perceptual, socio-emotional as well as motor development which further assist them in
their future achievements. Thus it could be stated that the periods of early years in the life of any
individual should be sustained with all exclusive and comprehensive attention. In such of

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compliance Oduolowu and Olowe (2011) have noted that the foundation years as the use of
severe exposure and critical potentials in which sufficient protection wellbeing and
encouragement has been regarded as vital factors to provide the essential for growth and welfare.
Thus Early Childhood Education (ECE) has served a critical role in offering this base during the
Early Years of Children. However from the provided insights there can be identified much
evidence that the initial 5 years of a child's life contribute to the significant potential for
positioning basics of conceptual education and for the developing in the important life
competencies habits and attitudes which are fundamental for establishing a constructive outlook
towards learning. As demonstrated in this paper, play has been highly critical to the growth and
education of children. Moreover through these fun activities children tend to develop relevant
skills as they are offered avenues to play and educate themselves (Golinkoff,Hirsh-Pasek, and
Singer, 2006). Moreover regardless of all these advantages there can be witnessed certain areas
of challenges with play in the domain of early childhood education. Scholars along with early
childhood practitioners and even parents of young children have appeared to possess varied
perceptions regarding the idea behind play. Drawing relevance to this they can be identified
misleading interpretation of play as you perceive it as for children perform as day but your to
initiate engaging in grief and comprehensive learning.
These factors however are not accurate as earlier implied play is learning and learning is
clean author. As a result it could be argued that misleading perceptions regarding playful
activities tend to make some early childhood practitioners inhibit children's play (Golinkoff,
Hirsh-Pasek and Singer, 2006). Sutton-Smith (1997) have cited in Goldstein (2012, p.27) are of
the opinion that lack of playful activities has been destructed children's ability as ‘a child who is
not been acknowledged by being played with and who has fewer openings to seek his or her

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INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
surroundings me show in competence to associate fully with those neutral linkages and pathways
which will be vital for future educational development. These factors however highlight the
relevance of the importance of play in early years of childhood education in Nigeria as well as in
the UK. Moreover and evaluation of regulations and policy documents in Nigeria and the UK has
exposed that play has been considered as one of the vital components for education and
development of young children.
This perspective has been reflected in Policy Documents related to early years in both
contacts. Moreover it has been witnessed that the Earl Years Foundation Stage has put
importance on people activities and proposes ways in which these activities can be applied in the
curriculum of young children. On the other hand the National Policy On Education in Nigeria
states that apart from stating that one of the purposes of early childhood learning is to educate
‘the basics of numbers, figures, letters, colours through play the policy document does not
clearly state procedure through which it should be implemented by early education experts in
specific details. These factors have a walk gives rise to several misleading perceptions among the
practitioners who are expected to offer playful learning experiences to young children.
Critical evaluation of the importance of playing in Early Children's education it has been
argued that for comprehensive learning and optimal growth of young children physical activities
especially play should be efficiently supported and acknowledged by Early Years Specialists,
schools and parents. Nevertheless through these implementations practitioners must develop
adequate awareness and understanding of children safety and well being. However schools and
early childhood experts must have the ability to initiate teacher centric educated play activities
with young children and enable them to involve in supervised free play. Through these initiatives

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INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
young children will gain the resources and prospects of involving themselves voluntarily in play
activities which will stimulate their cognitive as well as social development.
Hence to conclude Early Years Education Practitioners must always involve play into the
curriculum as playful activities and education have been regarded as vital components of the
education and learning process which are collectively enthused. As an result, Samuelson and
Johanson (2006) have stated that play can be viewed as an inseparable and integrated whole
which will be a significant part of young children's experience and which improve their capacity
and ability to create an interpretation of their environment in the sustainable and enduring
process.

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INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
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