A comparison of teachers' and children's perceptions of play and the implications for early years classroom practice

This presentation will discuss current definitions of play which, it is argued, are based on adult observations of the act of play. However, current research suggests that adults and children view play differently. Images of young children playing in a classroom context will be presented to identify children's perceptions of play. Recent research will then be discussed which uses the same methodology to determine teachers' and children's perceptions of play. Similarities and differences between the data will be identified along with implications for classroom practice