WEEK TWO:  SHARING THE VALUE OF PLAY.  This week we will be reading CHAPTER 2, which focuses on being able to share the value of play with families, funders, colleagues, and directors/principals.  Please use this week as an opportunity to consider how you, as an advocate for how young children learn, would respond to questions about the value of play.  If you are taking this course for graduate credit, developing a brief speech/discussion/powerpoint about the value of play is one of the options available to you for your final project.

There are several articles that you may find useful in addition to your reading and reflections this week.  These articles can be found in the Play Livebinder: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1717363

Alliance for Childhood (2009).  Crisis in the kindergarten:  Why children need to play in school. http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/kindergarten_report.pdf

Bartlett, T.  (2011).  The case for play:  How a handful of researchers are trying to save childhood.  http://chronicle.com/article/The-Case-for-Play/126382

There are a few other resources that might be of interest, particularly when explaining the importance of play to others:
Policies and practice:  Sharing the power of play with parents.   http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/policies-practices-sharing-power-play-parents

The value of play:  A fact sheet for families.  http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/family-resources/factsheets/play.pdf

The power of play in the early learning environment.  http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/07/the-power-of-play-in-the-learning-environment/

NAEYC articles on play:  http://www.naeyc.org/play

Enjoy this week's discussions.