Taking Play Seriously (2nd Ed.)

A Challenge of Learning

By:
Ole Fredrik Lillemyr, Queen Maud University College

Published 2020

In the book, the author is focusing the importance of play for children from 0 years up to 8-12 years of age, e.g. in ECE centers and elementary schools. In particular, the importance of play for learning, through motivation as related to self-competence, inspiration and engagement. In this second edition, the author is emphasizing more thoroughly the importance of play as a challenge of learning, with implications for children, as well as for teachers. Further, the author is referring to how meaning making in children’s production of multi-module narrative products can contribute to their digital personal formation. The selection of theories presented in the second edition is somewhat expanded, and in the end the author is presenting a few important educational challenges of the field of children’s play.

CONTENTS
Foreword. PART I: THE PHENOMENON OF PLAY CHAPTER 1: New Perspectives on Children and Childhood. CHAPTER 2: The Phenomenon of Play: Play as Diversity. CHAPTER 3: The Actuality of Play in Today’s Society. CHAPTER 4: Play - A Challenge of Learning. PART II: VALUES AND PLAY CHAPTER 5: Educational Values and Play. CHAPTER 6: Psychological Approaches and Play. CHAPTER 7: Educational Approaches and Play. PART III: SELECTED THEORIES ABOUT PLAY CHAPTER 8: Cognitive and Sociocultural Theories of Play. CHAPTER 9: Personality Theories of Play. CHAPTER 10: Society Critical Theory of Play. CHAPTER 11: Social Anthropological Approaches to Play. CHAPTER 12: Philosophical Theories of Play. PART III: EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES CHAPTER 13: Play as an Educational Means. CHAPTER 14: Play and Social Motivation: Reflections for Practice. CHAPTER 15: Theory and Practice about Children and Play. CHAPTER 16: Social Anthropological Approaches to Play. References.