Essay on Value and Appropriateness of Non-Competitive Games

Initially, games which were played in classrooms and on the playground were competitive where in the end there were distinct winners and loser. Nonetheless, child psychologists noticed the unique facet that losing leads to the disheartening feeling in children. This has thus culminated in a paradigm shift where the modern day ideology proposes that it can benefit children to play games that foster cooperative spirit rather than endorsing a win-lose situation. Non-competitive games focus on getting the participants acquainted with each other rather than winning (Mandic et al., 2012). Such icebreaker games are appropriate especially during a child's early stages of growth where he is beginning to learn and establish a sense of social interaction. For instance, an ordering game where children organize themselves in order based on a particular trait such as alphabetical names. Additionally, non-competitive games encourage children to work together to complete a specific task which enhances the quality of teamwork as in the case of treasure and scavenger hunts. Cooperative games also benefit all students as its objective is to focus on the success of the team as a whole instead of focusing on individual accomplishment.

Appropriate Table Top Games for Children

The use of simple materials such as the active involvement in the creation of drawings and problem-solving apparatuses (as illustrated above) is essential in the stimulation of a child's imagination and encourage unstructured play. Moreover, access to creative equipment and materials for activities such as finger painting enhances the sense of touch and being a positive outlet to express a childs emotions.

In addition to emotional fulfillment and inspiring teamwork, tabletop games enhance physical development in a child. This may be achieved through the integration of activities such as building blocks, drawing and cutting all of which culminate in the development of fine motor skills. The development of the mentioned proficiencies is instrumental in preparing children to begin writing as they grow. Hand-eye coordination is also developed through creative play and is essential especially in participation in sporting activities at school.

Tabletop games are beneficial for the improvement of cognitive and intellectual skills in children particularly proficiencies in critical thinking, imagination and problem-solving. This phenomenon may be achieved by allowing young ones to experiment with educational toys which enables them to exploit different options while developing solutions of their own. Reading also improves the intellectual abilities of children as their imagination is allowed to run wild which encourages exploration of a world beyond their own (Diamond & Lee, 2011). For some children, creativity serves as a social act through which they may strengthen bonds with friends through group activities such as singing and dancing. Moreover, group work assists children to comprehend underlying social rules such as sharing and cooperation.

Task 3: Cooking with young Children

Making fruit kebabs and sandwiches

The inaugural step involves introducing children to the seemingly novel idea of cooking by explaining that they will be dealing with lots of different fruits such as strawberries, apples, bananas, and grapes. Additionally, the children may be requested to identify the resources that are required for the activity and the measures to be undertaken before any cooking activity begins. In the case of making fruit kebabs and sandwiches, some of the items required include slices of bread, an assortment of fruits, butter, tablecloth, small chopping boards, sharp fruit knives and barbecue skewers. The next step involves sensitizing on the need to observe the rules of hygiene such as washing hands thoroughly before handling food. The instructor may also ask the children if they can describe the sequence of events that are required in making sandwiches and kebabs. The typical procedure for making fruit kebabs would incorporate the process of selecting fruit and equipment, cutting and peeling, threading onto skewers, tidying up and rewashing hands. On the other hand, making sandwiches of sandwiches involves spreading chocolate-flavored buttercream on the slices of bread and attaching different pieces of fruit to mimic faces. Equally important is the fact that it is vital to speak about safety aspects working with food and knives.

Task 4: Enjoy music your children

Influence of music on child development

Singing and music play an instrumental culture as they touch on various aspects of life such as theatre, movies, television, celebrations, holidays, government and military ceremonies. In a home setting, music forms part of the family culture which denotes that natural part of everyday experiences. Since birth, parents have been known to instinctively utilize music as a means of soothing and calming children including the expression of happiness and create a sense of interaction. Indeed, studies indicate that musical experiences in the childhood phase accelerate brain development, especially in the expanse if reading skills and language acquisition (Hallam, 2010). Additionally, learning to play instruments such as the piano can significantly improve the mathematical learning. Music not only focuses on academic achievement but also augments proficiencies in areas such as motor skills, skills for school readiness overall literacy, social and emotional development. Exposing children to music during early development assists them in learning the meanings of words. Furthermore, dancing to music helps children build motor skills while creating a platform where they practice self-expression.

Planning a creative activity

Developing a creative activity may be achieved through the exposure to different types of musical instruments while asking children if they can identify any of them. Moreover, the children should be trained on how to distinguish to use the different types of musical instruments. Perhaps the best approach of introducing musical instruments in a classroom is through the establishment of a makeshift music center. The fundamental step would incorporate taking a large container such as a plastic tote and filling it with percussive instruments to be integrated into improvisational play. The next step would involve setting up a stereo where children may listen to CDs of jazz and classical music while letting them play with their instruments along with the rhythm. Furthermore, the instructor ought to set up a small bin to leave flashcards of mixed instrument symbols to denote where and what the children should play. Another idea would comprise of setting up a karaoke session where kids can sing songs such as nursery rhymes. School-age children also have a high affinity for sing-along songs which involve spelling, counting and remembering the sequence of events and this may be incorporated as a learning activity.

How music enhances a childs learning and development

Music cultivates the culture of learning in children through the enhancement of fine motor skills, boosting memory, preparing the brain for achievement and improvement in abstract reasoning. Furthermore, the incorporation of music as a learning activity is necessary since the subsequent notes and rhythms create strong neuro-pathways by means of musical patterns which later add up to higher mathematical aptitudes Music also makes significant contributions in the improvement of literacy due to the widely accepted notion that human beings process musical sounds the same way we internalise speech. Hence children who are active participants in music lesson possess higher listening skills which ultimately improves the way they process language. Equally important is the fact that that music inspires creative spirit whether the exercise involves singing to the lyrics of a song or dancing wildly to the beat. Research indicates that there is a notable difference in inter-hemispheric communication for individuals with training in music (Spodek & Saracho, 2014). Accordingly, it is believed that higher connectivity, as in the case of children who undertake music lessons, fosters greater creativity. The music builds the confidence of a child where they can express themselves freely while practicing how to perform in front of an audience.

Task 5: Books and Stories

Description of how books and stories can promote the learning and development of children

More often than not, children are engrossed in a highly social world that not only comprises of people but also inanimate objects and values which for part of their culture. Such items provide a context in which cognitive growth and development thrive. As a child develops, his thinking skills undergo a major transformation where their ability to use representational thought and symbols become more complex. This implies that pre-schoolers begin to use logic to think about how to think work in their immediate environment. Nonetheless, there exist inevitable cognitive limitations and as such teachers play a vital role in the development of a child's cognitive development. One of the fundamental practices of engaging kids' thinking skills would incorporate reading quality children's books which stimulate aspects of cognition such as symbolic pay, problem-solving, social cognition and metacognitive knowledge (Lapp et al., 2013). For instance, teachers may promote logic and problem-solving skills using children's books as the guiding material for a problem-solving activity. Books such as How to Build a House' by Gail Gibbons allows instructors to present children with building materials such as glue, paper, straws and craft sticks while challenging them to figure out how to build a house of their own using the resources that they have been given.

Criteria for Selecting Appropriate Books for Young Children

Babies and infants gravitate towards picture books which contain objects in their world where the common items may include animals, common household objects, clothing or animals. Additionally, cloth books and books which are made of heavy cardboard are durable, easier for toddlers to manipulate without damaging the book and easy to clean. Babies prefer learning by turning pages while listening while an adult speaks including showing a positive response towards good rhythms and simple texts. On the other hand, pre-schoolers enjoy books that contain a lot of actions, pictures stories about themselves or other children their age (Mayesky, 2014). Furthermore, such children prefer reading the same book over and over again, and although this might seem quite tedious, it is beneficial to the child's learning. Accordingly, the instructor may select books that are of quality literature which vary from different genres such as fairy tale, participation, predictable books and those which are wordless.

Appropriate Books for Children

Age/Stage Appropriate Book

Bartes (6-12 months) That...