Introduction
Play can be understood to mean activities conducted in the field by children or child to obtain pleasure and refreshment while literacy, on the other hand, can be understood to mean the ability to read and write ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). Early childhood education forms the foundation of child's education and therefore demands a proper attention as early as possible to ensure that the child's process of learning is not negatively impacted as they learn in later years. The emergent concept of literacy proposes that a child embarks on the process of learning, in theory, as soon as it is delivered. At these early stages of the learning process, the process can be made interesting to the child by incorporation of play activities that enhance the process of literacy and also make it fun (Drifte, 2013; Selmi, Gallagher & Mora-Flores, 2014). Therefore, play and literacy can be amalgamated at the early stages of childhood education to help the child master literacy.
Research Problem
Understanding and linking play and literacy and the role of teachers in enhancing the process have been a subject of research by many. Understanding these concepts and how they affect the preschool education system in Iceland, a country with rich playschool activities, motivated the research ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). The Icelandic preschool institutions have traditionally incorporated plays in education but not to the perfect sense of literacy materials: the incorporation of literacy materials inspired the research. Children are naturally playful beings. They engage in play at various levels and with varied energy and determination based on their stage of development learning from each other in the process ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). The difference in the level of play and the energy associated implies that through the plays they learn skills or integrate processes that make each level more complex than the previous. Therefore, there is a connection between the play and learning and understanding this in the acquisition of literacy in schools where not only children interact but teachers regulate the levels of interaction and how the teacher’s involvement affect the process is paramount.
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Research Purpose
The research sought to involve the participants in an action program aimed at equipping them with relevant skills in incorporating literacy in play activities and assessing how the research action program has modified their perception on play and literacy (Einarsdottir, 2014).
Research Participants
The participants were two Iceland preschool teachers whose pseudonyms are Maria and Anna who had a long working experience of 20 years: working with oldest children in the school playground. The preschool is located in Reykjavik city. The two teachers collaborated with the University of Iceland in a research program that not only involved research but also the training of the teachers on the incorporation of literacy pedagogy in the preschool plays by improving the teachers’ skills on how to do so. The teachers were awarded certificates as a reward for participation in the program ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). Therefore, the research involved the University of Iceland and two preschool teachers.
Research Question
The research had two research questions. The first research question sought the answer to how the participants' work and skills evolved on handling play and literacy. This was the main research question followed by sub question seeking to understand how the participants’ ideas on the relationship between work and literacy evolve ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). These research questions are specific and helped the researchers to stay on course in solving the research problem.
Literature Review
Conceptual Framework and Seminal Researches
The preschools in Iceland and Iceland generally have a rich history of playschool practices. Researches have linked the connection between plays and literacy in early childhood development and school learning ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). This practice has long been in practice in Iceland nonetheless it has not been developed to the level of incorporating vigorous literacy materials. The research considered this and involved preschool teachers in a work program to observe how the action program will influence their understanding of play and literacy and ways of incorporating their skills and play literacy ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ).
Theories
The research relied on the learning theory developed by Lev Vygotsky who agrees that play occupies a central point in children’s learning as the child takes up roles ahead of itself. For example, a child who is playing father or mother role and that children are more likely to remember firsthand experience obtained during plays than from an oral narrative (Mielonen & Paterson, 2009).
Topics and Themes
The research is structured in topics and paragraphs to provide a good flow of thoughts. It begins by an abstract then goes on to the introduction, then conceptual framework, research question, methodology, findings, summary and discussion and finally reference list.
Methodology
The research methodology involved qualitative approach such as observation, capturing of photos, video capturing, note taking, interviews, journal research, and recording of meetings ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ).
Findings
Initially, at the school, children were divided into groups based on their phonological similarities. The exercise involved free plays with less demanding activities. They participated in drawing of pictures, rhyming, playing with words among others ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). The teachers viewed play as separate from learning and therefore did not demand much from the children. However, when the action research program consummated and progressed, the teachers learned to combine play and learning and introduced literacy materials, which were found to be beneficial in the children’s learning ( Einarsdottir, 2014 ). Thus, both the teachers and the researchers found out that literacy can be incorporated into plays through print materials and other activities. Therefore, the research questions were met in terms of the teachers’ perception in relating literacy and play and how they evolved to incorporated literacy materials in play.
Need for the study
As indicated earlier on, children are playful and obtain lessons from their plays which they enjoy to do. This inherent need by children to play can be tapped through the incorporation of literacy materials in the plays. This will not only enable them to improve their phonology but also motivate them to appreciate learning process later on in life.
Practical implications
The practical implication drawn from this research is that children can be led to enjoy learning as early as possible through incorporation of literacy materials in the plays.
References
Drifte, C. (2013). Literacy Play for the Early Years Book 4: Learning through Phonics . Routledge.
Einarsdottir, J. (2014). Play and literacy: A collaborative action research project in preschool. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research , 58 (1), 93-109.
Mielonen, A., & Paterson, W. (2009). Developing literacy through play. Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education , 3 (1), 2.
