Measuring Play: The significance of the setting level towards a holistic understanding of early-childhood skills development

• In Event: Measuring Learning through Play in low- and middle-income countries: Innovations across contexts

Proposal

There is much convincing evidence supporting the positive impact of play on various domains of child development and learning (Danniels & Pyle, 2018; Dore, Smith, & Lillard, 2015; Goldstein, 2012; Parker & Thomsen, 2019; Toub, Hirsh-Pasek, Rajan, & Golinkoff, 2016; Tominey & McClelland, 2011). Thus, Learning Through Play (LTP) has become an increasingly integral part of the global discourse on improving quality learning experiences in early childhood education (ECE). Nevertheless, there is still much empirical examination that is left to be done on the conclusions that can be drawn from the various conceptualizations of play and the measurement strategies employed (Fink, Mareva & Gibson, 2020). Play has been conceptualized by educators on a spectrum ranging between free play to various forms of guided play (Pyle & Danniels, 2017; Danniels & Pyle, 2018; Pyle, Prioletta, & Poliszczuk, 2018). And while initially, much of the research on play focused on the individual child’s disposition to play (i.e. personality traits), increasing attention has been called to the importance of setting-level factors that inhibit or support playfulness (Whitebread et al., 2012) as well as the fact that there can be potential variation in child playfulness across different settings (Rigby & Gaik, 2007).

Therefore, we posit that any single measure would be inadequate to capture all dimensions of a multi-faceted construct such as play: play should be measured at both the individual and the setting (e.g. classroom, small-group, family) level. In line with the LEGO Foundation’s holistic redefinition of play and learning, we propose a measurement approach that will complement individual assessment of child play. A well-established theoretical base for the manner in which social settings can affect individuals and their behaviors serves as the foundation for our argument. Many existing play measures are based upon the dyadic parent-child interaction, which can be limited because interactions with a caregiver overlook the nature of play in interactions with other children (i.e. social aspects of play could be lost in a 1:1 direct assessment).

We will outline the conceptualization, development, and cultural adaptation of a setting-level observed play measure to assess play for Rohingya children participating in BRAC’s Humanitarian Play Labs (HPLs) for 2-4 year olds in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. A well-designed measure of the quality of processes within a setting can not only be used to measure HPL’s desired impact on play but also serve to support professional development for its playleaders in the form of actionable feedback. Results from the measurement pilot on development and psychometrics will be presented (pending lifting of COVID restrictions). They will inform further validation of the instrument’s relevance and usability in the current context. Strengths and limitations of our approach as well as future directions for the development of the instrument will be discussed, including its potential adaptability for other contexts.

Author

• Sharon Kim, New York University / Global TIES