Play To Learn - RonaldMah

Ronald Mah, M.A., Ph.D.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist,
Consultant/Trainer/Author
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Play To Learn

Workshops-Consulting > Child Dev Play


Play to Learn, Play to Grow, Play as Essential
From Developmental Play Theory to Play Therapy


FORMAT:
Lecture and Discussion- Participants are encouraged to make the workshop more relevant to their concerns by asking questions.

DESCRIPTION:
Focus is on helping adults understand how play is essential to child development and psychological health. Play as the child's therapeutic method to process anxiety and frightening experiences. Healthy play as distinguished from compulsive acting out play. Developmental theory including the development of symbolic play is made real, understandable, and applicable to your interactions with your children. Implications for activities and appropriate learning materials, and for setting the learning environment developmentally and therapeutically, including seven interest areas foci.

SUMMARY OF CONTENT:
1. WHY CHILDREN PLAY
  • Play to Learn & Grow: Exploration & Experimentation
  • Play to Process Oneself & the World: Assimilation, Mastery,
  • Relatedness, Expression, Self-Esteem, Conflict, & Well Being
  • Play as Therapy & Play Therapy

2. CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS
  • Stages of Development- Example: Cognitive Development- Piaget
  • Sensorimotor (0-18/24 months); Preoperational (18/24 months-age 7);
  • Concrete Operations (age 7-12); Formal Operations (12 to adult)

3. DEVELOPMENT OF SYMBOLIC PLAY
  • Stages of Symbolic Play: Pre-Pretense, Self-Pretend, Other Pretend,
  • Other Substitution, Imaginary Objects & Beings, Active Agent,
  • Sequence No-Story & Sequence Story, Planning
  • Adult Responses for Facilitating Development of Symbolic Play

4. SETTING ENVIRONMENT
  • Environmentally Based Learning
  • Indoor Space & Outdoor Space
  • Roles & Schedules

5. PLAY ISSUES FOR SPECIFIC STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
  • Infant & Toddler Play; Early Childhood Play; Middle Childhood Play
  • Adolescent Play (Oh my!) & Adult Play(?)
ADDRESS:
3056 Castro Valley Blvd., #82
Castro Valley, CA 94546
Ronald Mah, M.A., Ph.D.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT32136
CONTACT INFORMATION:
office: (510) 582-5788
fax: (510) 889-6553
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