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Playing and cognitive reinforcement in childhood – Theory

Understanding, memory, reasoning, critical capacity and creativity

Cristina Coggi, Paola Ricchiardi

Product: Book

Trim size in cm: 21x29,7cm

Pages: 160

ISBN: 978-88-6137-951-0

Publication date: 01/11/2011

Suitable for: Nursery 1st Level (ages 3-4), Nursery 2nd Level (ages 4-5), Primary 1st level (ages 6-7)


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In light of international research, this volume explores the power of recreational activities, providing operational guidelines for structuring courses aimed at increasing school readiness.

Free time lived creatively through games allows for healthy and balanced growth. If the game/activity is integrated into the learning process, the child:

  • increases his/her knowledge
  • develops self-regulation
  • acquires the meaning of things
  • gains the ability to cooperate and deal with problems in different areas, developing original solutions.

On the basis of specialized literature, numerous activities suitable for children aged 3-6 are proposed, and a structured itinerary for cognitive and motivational enhancement–called «Fenix»–is given.  This itinerary has been experimented and successfully verified in different Italian and foreign contexts.

The study, presented by Play and Cognitive Enhancement in Childhood, proposes:

  • in the first part: the educational value of play, its contribution to the healthy and balanced growth of children, its importance in today’s Western culture, and deepens the specific contributions of playful activity to the socio-emotional cognitive development of the child;
  • in the second part, working indications for structuring programs that make use of play in order to favor the harmonious development of the cognitive and motivational processes of children

The book is accompanied by resources for creating these programs, which have been collected in the Play and Cognitive Enhancement in Childhood KIT: tried and tested by the author herself, Anna Maria Venera, and available separately.


Introduction

CH. 1 – Planning and experimenting with the games
Recipients
Planning the materials
The final evaluation and the results achieved in the experiments

CH. 2 – How to use the games
Setting up the area
Simple games: farm animals; bingo for little ones; colored shapes; animal dominos; memory
Games that require the production of more complex relationships: animals and environments; who is the mother? people and jobs; the shadow game; symmetries; portraits from around the world; which is your face?; sort by size; my clothes; sort by sequence; hot air balloons and slides; start counting.
Games mainly using reasoning: sounds and noises; recognize the expression; before and after.
Games that exercise higher cognitive processes: what is strange?; find the intruder; discover the differences; reality or fantasy?; now I'll tell you.

CH. 3 – An example of the program
The cognitive and motivational enhancement program

Bibliography