Small World Play involves providing children with small, beautiful natural or recycled objects to use their imagination in play. The child creates their own small world and transfers their thoughts and feelings onto the objects rather than themselves. The space for small world play is clearly defined and private, allowing the child to explore materials alone or in a small group. The role of the adult is to observe and support the play in a non-intrusive way. Materials are regularly rotated to regenerate interest and extend play.

1. Small World Play
Small World Play is imaginative play where children are provided with small beautiful objects with which
to play. This type of play is similar to role play put different in that the child creates the small world and
transfer their thoughts and feelings onto the objects. The thoughts and feelings then belong to the object
not to the child. These objects are not "commercially bought toys" and are often made of natural or
recycled materials. Materials are open ended and may include the following:
wood or cardboard boxes
wooden or cloth family figures, vehicles or animals
small blocks, shells, stones, seeds, feathers
wooden, metal or porcelain bowls, dishes, bottles, cups, trays
fabrics: silk, velvet, lace, voile, wool
The objects are often "fragile" and children learn to play in an appropriate manner. The child is provided
with a clearly defined private and enclosed space such as at or under a small table or in a small secluded
corner. This space provides the opportunity for the child to explore the materials alone or in a small group
of two or three children. Types of materials provided are simple and appealing and materials are regularly
rotated in order to regenerate interest, and extend or change the direction of play. Children are involved
in the swapping of materials and the choosing of new objects which will be incorporated into the small
world.
The role of the adult in Small World play is to sit nearby to support and observe the play and to provide
sensitive non-intrusive responses.
http://www.redhen.ie/smallworldplay.htm
What is a mathematical game?
When considering the use of games for teaching mathematics, educators should
distinguish between an 'activity' and a 'game'. Gough (1999) states that "A 'game' needs
to have two or more players, who take turns, each competing to achieve a 'winning'
situation of some kind, each able to exercise some choice about how to move at any time
through the playing". The key idea in this statement is that of 'choice'. In this sense,
something like Snakes and Ladders is NOT a game because winning relies totally on
chance. The players make no decisions, nor do that have to think further than counting.
There is also no interaction between players - nothing that one player does affects other
players' turns in any way.
Oldfield (1991) says that mathematical games are 'activities' which:
involve a challenge, usually against one or more opponents; a
re governed by a set of rules and have a clear underlying structure;
normally have a distinct finishing point;
have specific mathematical cognitive objectives.

2. Benefits of Using Games
The advantages of using games in a mathematical programme have been summarised in
an article by Davies (1995) who researched the literature available at the time.
Meaningful situations - for the application of mathematical skills are created by
games
Motivation - children freely choose to participate and enjoy playing
Positive attitude - Games provide opportunities for building self-concept and
developing positive attitudes towards mathematics, through reducing the fear of
failure and error;
Increased learning - in comparison to more formal activities, greater learning can
occur through games due to the increased interaction between children,
opportunities to test intuitive ideas and problem solving strategies
Different levels - Games can allow children to operate at different levels of
thinking and to learn from each other. In a group of children playing a game, one
child might be encountering a concept for the first time, another may be
developing his/her understanding of the concept, a third consolidating previously
learned concepts
Assessment - children's thinking often becomes apparent through the actions and
decisions they make during a game, so the teacher has the opportunity to carry
out diagnosis and assessment of learning in a non-threatening situation
Home and school - Games provide 'hands-on' interactive tasks for both school
and home
Independence - Children can work independently of the teacher. The rules of the
game and the children's motivation usually keep them on task.
Few language barriers - an additional benefit becomes evident when children from
non-english-speaking backgrounds are involved. The basic structures of some games are
common to many cultures, and the procedures of simple games can be quickly learned
through observation. Children who are reluctant to participate in other mathematical
activities because of language barriers will often join in a game, and so gain access to the
mathematical learning as well as engage in structured social interaction.
Hints for Successful Classroom Games
These tips come from Alridge & Badham (1993):
Make sure the game matches the mathematical objective
Use games for specific purposes, not just time-fillers
Keep the number of players from two to four, so that turns come around quickly
The game should have enough of an element of chance so that it allows weaker
students to feel that they a chance of winning
Keep the game completion time short
Use five or six 'basic' game structures so the children become familiar with the
rules - vary the mathematics rather than the rules

3. Send an established game home with a child for homework
Invite children to create their own board games or variations of known games.
http://nrich.maths.org/2489
Play is the natural way in which children learn. It is the process through which children
explore,
investigate, recreate and come to understand their world. Play is an activity in which
everything that a
child knows and can do is practised or used to make sense of what is new.
Maths through Play
To many adults, the words Maths and Play have absolutely nothing to do with each
other. For many
of us, maths was a torture, something we had to do, and something we didn’t
understand and
couldn’t do. Play on the other hand was something we loved.
Young children are learning maths all the time through a wide variety of play
experiences. From
the time they are born, babies are surrounded by sense impressions. Shapes in
particular are of
immediate importance: babies react instinctively to the arrangement of shapes which
make up the
human face.
In the home, in parent and toddler groups, and pre-school settings, children have many
opportunities
to enjoy and learn Maths through Play.
“Play is an effective vehicle for fostering Mathematical concepts and developing positive
attitudes to
mathematics… Adults in the pre-school setting should seek to extend informally the
mathematical
experiences the children have already had in their home environment.” (Curricular
Guidance for Preschool
Education) (back page)
Physical Play
• Develop fi ne motor skills through physical activity, e.g. Sorting out a jigsaw, Threading
beads
• Block play or playing with toy cars can help to develop sequencing by encouraging
your child to
sequence according to size, colour, use (e.g. bike, car, lorry)
• Playing with different sized blocks can help to develop an understanding of weight and

4. dimensions.
• Tidying toys away allows children to sort into different sizes and colours.
• It can also develop mathematical language – fi rst, second, third, how many are blue,
which is
largest / smallest.
http://www.early-years.org/parents/positive_parenting/maths_through_play.pdf
Definition of Play
While most of us know play when we see it, academics have had
trouble defining it (Johnson, Christie, & Yawkey, 1999). "Play
involves a free choice activity that is non-literal, self-motivated,
enjoyable and process oriented. Critical to this definition is the non-
literal, non-realistic aspect. This means external aspects of time, use
of materials, the environment, rules of the play activity, and roles of
the participants are all made up by the children playing. They are
based on the child's sense of reality" (Wardle, 1987, p. 27). "Children
do not play for a reward-praise, money, or food. They play because
they like it."(p. 28). Children who compete to make the best wooden
ship are not playing. Children who are told they must use the block
with an "A" on it to create a word are not playing, and children who
are asked to label the colors of their paints, instead of using them to
create a picture, are not playing.
This child-centered aspect of play creates the central dilemma.
Increasingly, we expect education programs to meet prescribed adult
objectives. Schools, funding sources, and curricular developers
expect programs to teach specific outcomes and provide child-based
results (Kagan & Cohen, 1997). And more and more parents expect
their young children to be learning specific academic skills. If adults
develop these standards and outcomes, there is no room left for
child-centered learning-play. Ironically, at the same time we are
eliminating play from the formal education of young children.
Therefore, many of our children do not have access to the natural
play experiences we experienced as children. They don't walk in the
park collecting leaves, throw stones in the water to see the ever-
expanding ripples, play racing-of-the-sticks under the bridge, build
muddy castles on the banks of a cold stream, or create a frontier fort
with their buddies. They don't scramble up gnarled trees, skip across
meadows full of flowers, pick nuts from low branches, use a fallen
tree as a natural balance beam, or sit on an old tractor imagining that
they are leading a convoy of explorers across the Sahara Desert.
Why is Play Critical to Future Academic Success?
As we push more academics and computer instruction on young
children; as we observe many of our children's homes become
dominated by passive TV watching and computer games; and as we
see many of our publicly funded early childhood programs become
downward extensions of public schools, we need to advocate for
children's right to play. More and more parents question the value of
young children climbing trees, playing in the sandbox, and splashing
paint all over themselves. Below are some of the various kinds of

5. play, and why they are important.
Types of Play
Motor/Physical Play
Motor play provides critical opportunities for children to develop
both individual gross and fine muscle strength and an overall
integration of muscles, nerves, and brain functions. Recent
research has confirmed the critical link between stimulating
activity and brain development (Shore, 1997). Young children
must have ample opportunities to develop physically, and motor
play instills this disposition toward physical activity. With so many
American adults experiencing health problems from being
overweight, we have a responsibility to encourage physical
activity in young children.
Social Play
A variety of opportunities for children to engage in social play are
the best mechanisms for progressing through the different social
stages. By interacting with others in play settings, children learn
social rules such as, give and take, reciprocity, cooperation, and
sharing. Through a range of interactions with children at different
social stages, children also learn to use moral reasoning to
develop a mature sense of values. To be prepared to function
effectively in the adult world, children need to participate in lots
of social play.
Constructive Play
Constructive play is when children manipulate their environment
to create things. This type of play occurs when children build
towers and cities with blocks, play in the sand, construct
contraptions on the woodworking bench, and draw murals with
chalk on the sidewalk. Constructive play allows children to
experiment with objects; find out combinations that work and
don't work; and learn basic knowledge about stacking, building,
drawing, damming, and constructing. It also gives children a
sense of accomplishment and empowers them with control of
their environment. Children who are comfortable manipulating
objects and materials also become good at manipulating words,
ideas, and concepts.
Fantasy Play
Children learn to abstract, to try out new roles and possible
situations, and to experiment with language and emotions with
fantasy play. In addition, children develop flexible thinking; learn
to create beyond the here and now; stretch their imaginations;
use new words and word combinations in a risk-free
environment; and use numbers and words to express ideas,
concepts, dreams, and histories. In an ever-more technological
society, lots of practice with all forms of abstraction-time, place,
amount, symbols, words, and ideas-is essential.
Games With Rules
Developmentally, most children progress from an egocentric
view of the world to an understanding of the importance of social

6. contracts and rules. Part of this development occurs as they
learn that games like Follow the Leader, Red Rover, Simon
Says, baseball, and soccer cannot function without everyone
adhering to the same set of rules. This "games with rules"
concept teaches children a critically important concept-the game
of life has rules (laws) that we all must follow to function
productively (Wardle, 1987).
But Why Play?
Play opponents argue that the ever increasing amount of information
and skills needed by young children require direct teacher instruction
to specific goals and objectives. They believe we cannot afford to
take valuable time away from important academic activities to allow
children to hide in a fantasy world of play. But play is, in fact, the
most efficient, powerful, and productive way to learn the information
young children need.
First, children progress through stages of play, and through levels
(complexity) of play. As children master new concepts and practice
them through repetitive play, they progress to the next level. In
essence, children create their own curriculum. Because children like
to learn new information and want to master new tasks (ever
watched a child persist in learning to ride a bike?) and because they
hate to be bored, children self-diagnose what they know and what
they can learn next.
Play provides the ultimate curriculum for social, physical, and
cognitive advancement. Secondly, by using materials, interactions
with others, and mastery of tasks and skills to progress through
levels of play, children develop a sense of control of their
environment and a feeling of competence and enjoyment that they
can learn. Finally, play provides a natural integration between all the
critical brain functions and learning domains that are often missing
with discrete teacher instruction. Recent brain research shows that
this integration is very important to development (Shore, 1997). Play
is also a very effective way for children to accumulate a vast amount
of basic knowledge about the world around them, knowledge needed
for later learning in language, math, science, social studies, art, and
medicine. When playing with sticks in the sand a child learns about
the properties of sand, how posts are used for building, the way
materials must be retained from rivers, roads, and mountainsides,
the effect of moisture on materials, the impact of wind and the nature
of gravity, and ways of creating patterns, shapes, and lines by
drawing in the sand. A child playing with tadpoles in a pond learns
about the cycle of life, the properties of water including sinking and
floating, the effect of cold water on the body's thermal system, and
concepts related to water safety and drowning. Children engaged in
socio-dramatic play experiment with words, phrases, and idioms they
have heard and learn new and more complex ways to express
themselves.
Role of the Teacher
Somehow the phrase, "free play" has entered our vocabulary. "Free
play" means play free of structure and adult involvement. This is
unfortunate, because adults have a variety of critical roles in

7. supporting children's play. These roles include providing materials
that encourage high-quality play, structuring environments, modeling
play (like when the teacher becomes a participant in a socio-
dramatic activity), and introducing children to new play opportunities
(girls on the workbench and boys in the dramatic play area).
Vygotsky's idea of scaffolding (Berk & Winsler, 1995) is particularly
useful in explaining the role of the teacher in extending play. Further,
his concept of the use of private speech by children to structure,
extend, and expand their own play, illustrates children's
internalization of teacher scaffolding. The teacher does, in fact, have
a central role in children's play.
Conclusion
To succeed in an ever-more complex and technological world, our
children need a solid foundation based on play. We must be very
careful about accelerating them too quickly into abstract skills and
isolated concepts (Wardle, 1996). Lots of play at an early age
enables children to develop the wide, integrated foundation required
for future academic success. It also will develop in our children a
love of learning, a love that is desperately needed by children who
can look forward to a minimum of 13 years of formal education.
Francis Wardle, Ph.D., teaches for the University of Phoenix
(Colorado) and is the executive director for the Center for the Study
of Biracial Children. He is also the author of the book, Tomorrow's
Children.
References
Berk, L.E., & Winsler, A. (1995).Scaffolding children's learning:
Vvgotsky and early childhood education. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Johnson, J.E., Christie, J.F., & Yawkey, T.D. (1999).Play and early
childhood development.(2nd ed.). New York: Longman.
Kagan, S.L., & Cohen. N.E. (1997). Not by chance. Creating an early
childhood and education system for America's children.New Haven,
CT: Yale University Press.
Shore, R., (1997).Rethinking the brain. New insights into early
development. New York: Families and Work Institute.
Wardle, F. (1987). Getting back to the basics of children's play. Child
Care Information Exchange, Sept., 27-30.
Wardle, F (1996).Of labels, skills, and concepts. Urbana, Ill. ERIC
Clearinghouse.

8. Constructive Play
Constructive play is when children manipulate their environment to create things. This type of play
occurs when children build towers and cities with blocks, play in the sand, construct contraptions on
the woodworking bench, and draw murals with chalk on the sidewalk. Constructive play allows
children to experiment with objects; find out combinations that work and don't work; and learn basic
knowledge about stacking, building, drawing, damming, and constructing. It also gives children a
sense of accomplishment and empowers them with control of their environment. Children who are
comfortable manipulating objects and materials also become good at manipulating words, ideas, and
concepts.
But Why Play?
Play opponents argue that the ever increasing amount of information and skills needed by young children
require direct teacher instruction to specific goals and objectives. They believe we cannot afford to take
valuable time away from important academic activities to allow children to hide in a fantasy world of play.
But play is, in fact, the most efficient, powerful, and productive way to learn the information young children
need.
First, children progress through stages of play, and through levels (complexity) of play. As children master
new concepts and practice them through repetitive play, they progress to the next level. In essence,
children create their own curriculum. Because children like to learn new information and want to master
new tasks (ever watched a child persist in learning to ride a bike?) and because they hate to be bored,
children self-diagnose what they know and what they can learn next.
Play provides the ultimate curriculum for social, physical, and cognitive advancement. Secondly, by using
materials, interactions with others, and mastery of tasks and skills to progress through levels of play,
children develop a sense of control of their environment and a feeling of competence and enjoyment that
they can learn. Finally, play provides a natural integration between all the critical brain functions and
learning domains that are often missing with discrete teacher instruction. Recent brain research shows
that this integration is very important to development (Shore, 1997). Play is also a very effective way for
children to accumulate a vast amount of basic knowledge about the world around them, knowledge
needed for later learning in language, math, science, social studies, art, and medicine. When playing with
sticks in the sand a child learns about the properties of sand, how posts are used for building, the way
materials must be retained from rivers, roads, and mountainsides, the effect of moisture on materials, the
impact of wind and the nature of gravity, and ways of creating patterns, shapes, and lines by drawing in
the sand. A child playing with tadpoles in a pond learns about the cycle of life, the properties of water
including sinking and floating, the effect of cold water on the body's thermal system, and concepts related
to water safety and drowning. Children engaged in socio-dramatic play experiment with words, phrases,
and idioms they have heard and learn new and more complex ways to express themselves.
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=127
How Dramatic Play Can Enhance Learning
By Marie E. Cecchini MS
Dramatic play can be defined as a type of play where children accept and assign
roles, and then act them out. It is a time when they break through the walls of reality,
pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, and dramatize
situations and actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play. And while
this type of play may be viewed as frivolous by some, it remains an integral part of the
developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as
abstract thinking, literacy, math, and social studies, in a timely, natural manner.
The Proper Environment
In many classrooms the dramatic play area has traditionally been centered in
“housekeeping”. However, when we actually watch children play, we see them
reinventing scenes that might take place in other areas of life such as gas stations,

9. building sites, department stores, classrooms, or libraries. This should tell us, that in
order to derive the full benefit from dramatic play as it relates to learning, early
educators should “set the stage” throughout the classroom.
Setting the Stage
Any dramatic play area should be inviting. Presentation alone should inspire creative
and imaginative play. This should be an area where the children can immediately take
on a role and begin pretending. In establishing these areas, you will want to consider
the following.
1. Each area should incorporate a variety of materials that encourage dramatic play,
such as hats, masks, clothes, shoes, tools, vehicles, etc. You can include both
teacher-made and commercial materials. The types of materials you supply will
depend on the “theme” of the area.
2. Part of your materials list for each area should include items that stimulate literacy
activities, like reading and writing. Paper, pencils, a chalk board, wipe-off board,
address books, and greeting cards are all examples of materials that might be used to
promote the development of literacy skills.
3. Materials should be developmentally appropriate and allow for both creativity and
flexibility in play. This includes materials that can be used by all children (unisex) and
those that may be used in more than one way (a table as a table, or with a blanket
over it, as a dog house).
4. The goal of all areas should be to reinforce grade level appropriate physical,
cognitive, and social skills.
Finally, try to change the materials (or props, as they are sometimes called) on a
regular basis. Different materials on occasion will enhance the area, spark new
interest in a much used area, and allow the children to incorporate new experiences in
their play.
The Dramatic Play Skill Set
There are basically six skills children work with and develop as they take part in
dramatic play experiences.
Role Playing – This is where children mimic behaviors and verbal expressions of
someone or something they are pretending to be. At first they will imitate one or two
actions, but as time progresses they will be able to expand their roles by creating
several actions relevant to the role they are playing.
Use of Materials/Props – By incorporating objects into pretend play, children can
extend or elaborate on their play. In the beginning they will mainly rely on realistic
materials. From there they will move on to material substitution, such as using a rope
to represent a fire hose, and progress to holding in their hands in such as way to
indicate that they are holding an actual hose.
Pretending/Make-Believe – All dramatic play is make-believe. Children pretend to be
the mother, fireman, driver, etc. by imitating actions they have witnessed others doing.
As the use of dramatic play increases, they begin to use words to enhance and
describe their re-enactments. Some children may even engage in fantasy, where the
situations they are acting out aren‟t pulled from real-life experiences.
Attention Span/Length of Time – Early ventures into the field of dramatic play may
only last a few minutes, but as the children grow, develop, and experience more, they
will be able to incorporate additional actions and words, which will lengthen the time
they engage in such activities.
Social Skills/Interaction – Dramatic play promotes the development of social skills
through interaction with others, peers or adults. As children climb the social skill ladder
of development through play, they will move from pretending at the same time without
any actual interaction, to pretending that involves several children playing different
roles and relating to each other from the perspective of their assigned roles.
Communication – Dramatic play promotes the use of speaking and listening skills.

10. When children take part in this type of play, they practice words they have heard
others say, and realize that they must listen to what other “players” say in order to be
able to respond in an appropriate fashion. It also teaches them to choose their words
wisely so that others will understand exactly what it is they are trying to communicate.
Dramatic Play and Development
Dramatic play enhances child development in four major areas.
Social/Emotional – When children come together in a dramatic play experience, they
have to agree on a topic (basically what “show” they will perform), negotiate roles, and
cooperate to bring it all together. And by recreating some of the life experiences they
actually face, they learn how to cope with any fears and worries that may accompany
these experiences. Children who participate in dramatic play experiences are better
able to show empathy for others because they have “tried out” being that someone
else for a while. They also develop the skills they need to cooperate with their peers,
learn to control their impulses, and tend to be less aggressive than children who do
not engage in this type of play.
Physical – Dramatic play helps children develop both gross and fine motor skills – fire
fighters climb and parents dress their babies. And when children put their materials
away, they practice eye-hand coordination and visual discrimination.
Cognitive – When children are involved in make-believe play, they make use of
pictures they have created in their minds to recreate past experiences, which is a form
of abstract thinking. Setting a table for a meal, counting out change as a cashier,
dialing a telephone, and setting the clock promote the use of math skills. By adding
such things as magazines, road signs, food boxes and cans, paper and pencils to the
materials included in the area, we help children develop literacy skills. When children
come together in this form of play, they also learn how to share ideas, and solve
problems together.
Language – In order to work together in a dramatic play situation, children learn to use
language to explain what they are doing. They learn to ask and answer questions and
the words they use fit whatever role they are playing. Personal vocabularies grow as
they begin to use new words appropriately, and the importance of reading and writing
skills in everyday life becomes apparent by their use of literacy materials that fill the
area.
Dramatic play engages children in both life and learning. Its‟ real value lies in the fact
that it increases their understanding of the world they live in, while it works to develop
personal skills that will help them meet with success throughout their lives.
Marie is the author of five books. She continues to write articles for parents and
teachers.
TEKNIK SIMULASI
Simulasi ditakrifkan sebagai satu situasi yang diwujudkan hampir menyerupai keadaan
sebenar yang memerlukan pelajar berinteraksi sesama sendiri berdasarkan peranan
masing-masing bagi membuat keputusan menyelesaikan masalah, isu atau tugasan
semula.
Melalui teknik ini para pelajar dapat menggunakan kemahiran belajar seperti
mengumpulkan maklumat, menjalankan temuramah dengan individu tertentu dan
mencatat isi-isi penting.
Dalam proses ini pelajar digalakan untuk memberi pendapat, cadangan, membuat
keputusan dan menyelesaikan masalah berdasarkan peranan yang
dipertanggungjawabkan. Memberi peluang kepada pelajar mengalami sendiri situasi dan
masalah.

11. Melalui teknik ini pelbagai kemahiran dapat digabungjalinkan dan dipertingkatkan
terutamanya dalam kemahiran lisan membaca dan menulis.
Dapat menwujudkan pelabagi aktiviti menarik yang menjadi sumber motivasi kepada
pelajar untuk meneruskan proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran.
TEKNIK MAIN PERANAN
Main peranan bermaksud melakonkan sesuatu situasi atau masalah atau peristiwa yang
dianggap penting.
Pelajar diberi peranan dan bertindak sebagai watak-watak yang ditentukan dalam satu
situasi yang disediakan.
Main peranan ialah dramatisasi yang tiada kaitan atau penghafalan skrip, dimana
pelakon-pelakon cuba menyelesaikan atau menjelaskan situasi kepada kepada pelajar-
pelajar lain supaya mempraktikan kepada diri mereka berdasarkan peranan yang
dimainkan secara spontan.
Proses ini biasanya dimulakan dengan pemikiran masalah yang sesuai. Masalah ini
dikemukakan kepada pelajar dengan cara membacakannya atau memperlihatkannya
melalui filem, televisyen, mendengar rakaman dan sebagainya.
TEKNIK DRAMA
Sering digunakan dalam kaedah komunikatif dan kaedah yang berasaskan pendekatan
induktif iaitu kaedah terus, elektif dan audiolingual.
Tujuan utama adalah untuk melatih pelajar menggunakan unsur bahasa, unsur
paralinguistik (jeda, nada dan intonasi) dan bukan linguistik (mimik muka, gerak tangan,
kepala dan dll) dengan berkesan dalam sesuatu interaksi bahasa atau perbuatan.
Penggunaannya dapat mendorong dan merangsang pelajar untuk menghubungkan
perasaannya dengan matapelajaran yang dipelajarinya.
Pelajar bebas meluahkan sesuatu, membuat penemuan, memberi dan berkongsi sesuatu.
Drama berperanan sebagai ragam pembelajaran iaitu sebagai salah satu alat bantu
pengajaran dan pembelajaran.
Dapat menimbulkan keseronokan dan keberkesanan pembelajaran kepada pelajar,
disamping dapat menyuburkan sahsiah pelajar.
http://bobezani.tripod.com/teknik.htm
1. 1: PERANAN MAIN DALAM PROSES PEMBELAJARAN KANAK-KANAK
Konsep dan Peranan Main
Konsep main boleh dijelaskan sebagai “… tingkah laku dinamik, aktif dan konstruktif
yang telah disebatikan dalam diri kanak-kanak. Ia merupakan satu keperluan dalam
alam kanak-kanak, dari peringkat bayi sehingga peringkat remaja” (Brewer, 2001,
m.s.144).
Sudah tentu anda masih ingat pengalaman bermain semasa anda di bangku sekolah.
Pengalaman tersebut masih meninggalkan perasaan kegembiraan, kebebasan dan

12. emosi yang menenangkan jiwa. Sebenarnya dari perspektif psikologi, kesemua
perasaan ini memberi kesediaan kognitif kepada individu tersebut untuk belajar pada
tahap optimum. Maka sebagai pendidik, kita harus bawa unsur keseronokan ini ke
dalam bilik darjah.
Bermain merupakan aktiviti di dalam kehidupan seharian kanak-kanak. Melalui aktiviti
bermain, kanak-kanak belajar berkenaan diri sendiri dan hubungan dengan alam
persekitarannya. Main adalah proses di mana pembelajaran berlaku, main ialah tugas
belajar kanak-kanak. Oleh yang demikian, ibu-bapa, orang dewasa dan guru perlu
memahami peranan dan kepentingan main dalam proses pembelajaran kanak-kanak di
sekolah rendah. Tanpa pengetahuan dan kefahaman tentang konsep ini, main
dianggap tidak mendatangkan faedah dan hanya membuang masa dan tenaga sahaja.
Pengalaman Langsung Melalui Bermain
Cara pembelajaran terbaik untuk kanak-kanak belajar tentang dunia mereka adalah
melalui pengalaman langsung. Ibu bapa tidak akan berkata, “Jangan tengok labahlabah
ini, baca buku tentang labah-labah.”
Seseorang akan memahami apa yang diperkatakan oleh orang lain berdasarkan
pengalaman mereka. Kanak-kanak mungkin mempunyai pengalaman langsung yang
terhad, guru dan ibubapa harus mengaturkan peluang untuk kanak-kanak
mengalaminya. Oleh itu proses pembelajaran adalah lebih berkesan bagi kanak-kanak
yang masih dalam peringkat perkembangan Operasi Konkrit (7-12 tahun) untuk
mengalami persekitaran pembelajaran yang berunsurkan hands-on, penglibatan dan
eksperiential. Pengalaman langsung yang paling asas dan semula jadi ialah bermain.
1. 2: KEPENTINGAN MAIN DALAM PROSES PEMBELAJARAN KANAKKANAK
Mengapa Bermain?
Mengikut Piaget (1962), kanak-kanak memerlukan aktiviti bermain kerana:
1. Main memberikan peluang kepada kanak-kanak meluahkan idea, perasaan dan
emosi
2. Main dapat mewujudkan perasaan tenang dan menghiburkan hati
3. Main menyediakan saluran untuk kanak-kanak menggunakan tenaga yang
berlebihan
4. Main membolehkan kanak-kanak menyediakan diri ke arah kedewasaan atau
kematangan
5. Main memberikan peluang kepada kanak-kanak belajar menyelesaikan pelbagai
bentuk masalah (kognitif, motor, sosial) yang menyumbang kepada
perkembangan intelek
6. Main membudayakan proses pembelajaran termasuk mengulang, latihan, latih
tubi, peniruan, penerokaan, penemuan, perkaitan, membuat huraian, rumusan,
mensintesis dan menguji
7. Main membantu dalam pembentukan jati diri, ketrampilan diri, pemupukan nilai
murni seperti motivasi intrinsik, penglibatan, ketahanan, kemahiran interpersonal,
keyakinan diri dan berani bertindak.
Kepentingan dan Faedah Bermain
Secara umum, bermain boleh membantu kanak-kanak dalam perkembangan fizikal,
perkembangan sosioemosi, perkembangan kognitif dan perkembangan bahasa.
1. Perkembangan Fizikal
Kanak-kanak menguasai kawalan motor halus dan motor kasar melalui bermain.
Kemahiran motor kasar yang dapat dikembangkan melalui aktiviti seperti berlari
bebas, melompat, memanjat, menendang, mengangkat, membaling dan
menyambut (bola). Ini memberi kesedaran kepada kanak-kanak tentang fungsi
badan sendiri, kegunaan ruang dan arah tujuan.

13. Aktiviti membutang, mewarna, melukis, menampal dan mencantum dapat
mengembangkan kemahiran motor halus dan koordinasi mata-tangan. Kemahiran
manipulatif dapat dibina melalui aktiviti seperti mencucuk benang ke dalam manik,
jigsaw puzzles, mengikat reben, kraft tangan dan membentuk menggunakan doh.
2. Perkembangan Sosioemosi
Semasa bermain, kanak-kanak berpeluang belajar berinteraksi dengan orang lain
secara positif, mengajak kanak-kanak keluar daripada pola egosentrik, mengambil
kira pandangan rakan, menghormati hak orang lain, bersabar dan bertolak ansur.
Mereka dapat belajar untuk menangguh kehendak semerta diri (delayed
gratification) untuk mencapai matlamat jangka panjang. Dengan itu main memberi
peluang kepada kanak-kanak membina konsep kendiri yang positif, keyakinan diri
serta melahirkan sentimen dan menstabilkan emosi.
Aktiviti main peranan seperti berpura-pura menjadi doktor dan pesakit atau menaiki
bas olok-olok memberi latihan kepada kanak-kanak untuk menguasai pengetahuan
dari persekitaran serta membantu perkembangan kemahiran bersosialisasi.
Permainan imaginatif seperti ini memberi latihan kepada kanak-kanak mengenali
alam dewasa. Mereka belajar bekerjasama untuk mencapai matlamat kumpulan.
3. Perkembangan Kognitif dan Bahasa
Bermain juga dapat membantu memperkembangkan kebolehan kognitif seperti
mengenal pasti, mengkategori, membuat urutan, memerhati, membezakan,
meramal, membuat rumusan, dan membuat perbandingan.
Akiviti seperti membina blok, permainan bahasa, permainan dam, puzzle, teka-teki,
nyanyian dan congkak membantu mengembangkan kemahiran bahasa, matematik
dan sains serta berfikir secara logik dan kreatif. Kanak-kanak juga dapat
meningkatkan kemahiran penggunaan bahasa dalam persekitaran yang relaks,
semulajadi dan seronok.
3. Main Konstruktif
Piaget dan Inhelder (1969) menjelaskan mainan konstruktif sebagai peningkatan
daripada mainan simbolik di mana kanak-kanak perlu membuat penyesuaian atau
ciptaan untuk menyelesaikan masalah/menghasilkan sesuatu. Sebagai contoh,
kanak-kanak menggunakan kotak, bongkah, kertas, pasir, doh dan sebagainya
secara bergabung atau berasingan untuk membina menara, kereta kotak, istana
pasir, „figurine’ dan hasilan kreatif yang lain.
Main konstruktif melibatkan bermain untuk membina pengetahuan dan mengenali
dunia. Bahan-bahan di persekitaran diguna pakai secara kreatif dan fungsional
untuk menghasilkan ciptaan mengikut daya kreativiti.
Main konstruktif memberi kepuasan dan kebanggaan kepada kanak-kanak terhadap
hasilan mereka. Kanak-kanak mempunyai kebebasan untuk memilih dan membuat
keputusan serta bertanggunjawab terhadap benda yang ingin dihasilkan.
Guru perlu mengaturkan peluang untuk main konstruktif di kalangan pelajar kerana
ia merupakan aktiviti yang melibatkan aras pemikiran tinggi, mencerakin
persekitaran untuk menghasilkan sesuatu yang bermakna.
CIRI-CIRI MAIN
1. Motivasi intrinsik (intrinsic motivation)
Keinginan untuk bermain berlaku secara semulajadi dan datang dari dalam diri
individu itu sendiri. Seringkali kanak-kanak bermain untuk keseronokan dan
kepuasan diri, bukannya disebabkan oleh ganjaran luar.
2. Bebas untuk memilih (freedom of choice)
Main tidak boleh dipaksa. Pemilihan jenis permainan harus datang dari keputusan

14. kanak-kanak sendiri. Kanak-kanak sendiri pilih apa, cara dan bila hendak bermain.
Dengan itu kanak-kanak dapat meneroka cara bermain serta menjelajah alam
sekeliling serta menyesuaikan dirinya dengan persekitarannya. Peranan guru ialah
untuk menyediakan persekitaran yang memberangsangkan dengan sekatan yang
minima.
3. Proses penyesuaian yg menyeronokkan (pleasure adaptation)
Semasa bermain kanak-kanak melalui proses penyesuaian diri dengan persekitaran,
peraturan, budaya, keperluan hidup dan lain-lain peranan yang dijangkakan. Main
sosiodrama atau simbolik seperi main perang, doktor, kahwin dan lain-lain
menyediakan peluang kepada kanak-kanak membuat penyesuaian yang
menyeronokkan berdasarkan budaya hidup di dalam atau luar masyarakatnya.
4. Penglibatan Aktif (active involvement)
Apabila kanak-kanak bermain, pergerakan badan diperlukan. Mereka menggunakan
motor kasar dan motor halus. Mereka juga membuat manipulasi terhadap bahanbahan.
Mereka melibatkan diri secara aktif berinteraksi dengan rakan dan
persekitaran.
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5. Penerokaan (exploration)
Kedua-kedua jenis main, sosial dan kognitif, terdapat ciri penerokaan seperti
meneroka alat permainan, tempat permainan, cara berkomunikasi, dan persekitaran.
Setiap peristiwa/ bahan/ rakan merupakan pengalaman baru dan mempunyai
kelainan
Membuka dan memasang alat permainan merupakan penerokaan. Kanak-kanak
meneroka cara menggunakan fungsi alat permainan dengan efisien. Aktiviti berlari,
memanjat, melompat dan membuai di taman permainan merupakan penerokaan
persekitaran fizikal dari segi ruang, jarak, kelajuan dan arah.
6. Simulasi (Simulation)
Main merupakan bentuk simulasi jika ia dilakukan menyerupai situasi sebenar.
Lakonan dan main peranan yang disediakan dengan kostum dan props yang mirip
kepada senario sebenar dapat memberi kefahaman dan penghayatan pelakon
(kanak-kanak) merasakan watak yang dimainkan.
Bermain Dalam Persekitaran Sekolah Rendah (Brewer, 2001)
Konsep main dalam persekitaran sekolah rendah adalah berbeza dengan persekitaran
prasekolah. Kadang-kadang guru berpendapat peluang pembelajaran akademik
mungkin terjejas jika kanak-kanak sekolah rendah menghabiskan masa untuk bermain.
Sebenarnya main membantu dalam perkembangan kebolehan akademik mereka. Apa
yang penting ialah kebijaksanaan guru untuk mengenal pasti pengalaman main yang
bersesuaian dengan peringkat umur kumpulan kanak-kanak tertentu.
Kanak-kanak sekolah rendah belajar daripada aktiviti main seperti membuat binaan
daripada pelbagai bahan, mencipta alat/mainan daripada bahagian-bahagian terbuang,
mereka robot dan model, yang lebih berbentuk penerokaan, pengujian hipotesis secara
saintifik. Semasa bermain, kanak-kanak berpeluang untuk berbual, memberi pendapat,
mempertahankan idea, memujuk dan memberi penerangan. Pengalaman mainan pupet
atau lakonan muzikal menyediakan kanak-kanak untuk memperkembangkan bahasa
lisan serta menyalurkan idea secara simbolik – yang merupakan asas kepada
kemahiran membaca. Guru perlu memastikan terdapatnya peluang, masa, bahan-bahan
dan juga peraturan yang bersesuaian untuk mengendalikan aktiviti main sambil belajar.
Aktiviti bermain dalam persekitaran sekolah rendah boleh dilihat sebagai satu kontinum
yang bermula daripada main bebas kepada main terancang kepada main terkawal.
1. Main Bebas (Free Play)
Main bebas merupakan tingkah laku yang dimotivasikan secara intrinsik, aktif dan

15. menyeronokkan, tanpa matlamat nyata. Kanak-kanak memilih daripada
kepelbagaian bahan yang ada untuk main bebas. Peranan guru ialah untuk
menyediakan persekitaran yang memberangsangkan dengan sekatan yang minima.
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2. Main Terancang (Guided Play)
Main terancang mempunyai unsur-unsur main bebas tetapi unsur-unsur berkenaan
telah dirancang oleh guru dengan rapi untuk mencapai matlamat tertentu. Guru
mengenal pasti bahan tertentu dan kanak-kanak membuat pilihan. Aktiviti ini
dijalankan bawah bimbingan guru. Contohnya, dalam subjek matematik, guru
menggunakan permainan Monopoli untuk memperkukuhkan pembelajaran konsep
nombor, tambah, tolak dan kemahiran membuat keputusan.
3. Main Terarah (Directed Play)
Permainan ini ditetapkan oleh guru seperti yang diarah atau ditetapkan mengikut
peraturan atau undang-undang. Guru memberi arahan dan kanak-kanak
menyempurnakan tugasan tersebut, contohnya, nyanyian sambil melakukan aksi
seperti “Kalau rasa gembira tepuk tangan,” mainan dalam bulatan seperti “Follow the
leader” dan sebagainya.
Peranan Guru Dalam Proses Main
Guru memilih pengalaman main untuk disepadankan dengan matlamat program
• Jika matlamat menekankan penemuan – mainan bebas
• Jika ia memerlukan kanak-kanak untuk meneroka konsep – mainan terbimbing
• Jika guru ingin pelajar mempamerkan kemahiran khusus – mainan terarah
Guru perlu
 membuat pemerhatian tentang kelakuan kanak-kanak, memberi bantuan di
mana dan jika perlu.
 menyediakan persekitaran yang kaya dan aktiviti perlu ditukar dan diubah
susunannya dari semasa ke semasa
 merangsang main dengan menunjukkan minat dan sokongan terhadap tindakan
kanak-kanak
 bertindak balas terhadap minat kanak-kanak atau berkongsi pengalaman.
Hormati pemikiran kanak-kanak dan sistem peraturannya.
 kemukakan soalan-soalan fokus, berikan maklumat bila dikehendaki oleh kanakkanak.
 mencelah pada masa yang sesuai. Pencelahan tidak berbentuk halangan untuk
mematikan semangat dan minat kanak-kanak
 menilai untuk mengesan perkembangan dan keperluan kanak-kanak,
merekodkan tingkahlaku, pencapaian dan perkembangan kanak-kanak dari
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aspek fizikal, emosi, intelek, sosial dan bahasa. Data-data yang diperolehi
dijadikan asas perancangan bagi setiap individu