7 Elements of Play & How They Impact Learning in the Classroom
Element #2: Sliding

by Deborah Stevens-Smith View Bio & Jami Murdock View Bio

Deborah Stevens-Smith

Dr Deborah Smith has taught at Clemson University for 28 years in the College of Education. She teaches elementary physical education methods to preservice teachers with a focus on enhancing play in the classroom. Dr. Smith is a professor in the College of Education at Clemson University, Clemson, SC. She can be reached at stevens@clemson.edu.

Jami Murdock

Jami Murdock has been an early childhood educator for over 25 years with a focus on using play to prepare children for upcoming educational experiences. She operated an “in home” daycare center for 13 years and has been teaching preschool for the past 12 years. She has experience working with children on the autism spectrum and sensory processing dysfunction. Jami presents on “How Important are Playground Activities to a Child’s Success in the Classroom.” Her passion is her family and her work with children. She can be reached at jamimurdock@yahoo.com. Visit www.abcreative.net for more information on the author's work

Playgrounds are where the magic happens for children!

Adults need to understand the importance of play and all it can do to build cognitive and physical development in children. With the push for higher test scores in our schools, many leaders think the answer is to decrease or eliminate physical education and play time. The current brain research is telling us just the opposite. Exploration and discovery are critical elements in the environment that enable children to learn. Even with the reimaging of today's modern playgrounds, with new designs, layouts, and equipment, there is still a focus on objectives related to playing and how they enhance learning in the classroom environment. We know without a doubt that physical activity enhances the neural connections in the brain that impact learning. If we eliminate play and activity, then we are impacting the child's ability to have the opportunity to learn.

In our second article in the series, we focus on the element of sliding. Sliding can be indicative of developmental delays, if not efficiently practiced.

SLIDING:

The definition of sliding is to move over a surface while maintaining smooth continuous contact.

BENEFITS ON THE PLAYGROUND:

1. W-sitting involves a child that sits on the floor, his bottom is between his legs, and his knees bent with legs rotated away from the body. Standing above the child, you will see their legs and body make the shape of a W. The child's trunk posture is often droopy, and they cannot move their arms outside of their base of support to play. This inhibits the child's ability to shift their weight, develop core strength, balance, and cross the midline. Sliding helps prevent W-sitting, which can be a precursor to developmental delays, by allowing the hips to become more flexible and forcing W sitters to put the legs in front.
2. Sliding helps with spatial awareness, by forcing the child to judge when it is an appropriate time to start to slide and when to put their feet down at the bottom to stop the inertia from sliding.
3. t also enhances balance and coordination skills, especially as children experiment with going up the slide backward, which is good for kids!

BENEFITS IN THE CLASSROOM:

1. Sliding promotes spatial awareness as children learn to move without bumping into others or things.
2. On paper, the learning of spatial awareness helps children who struggle with and the placement of (and spacing between) letters as they learn to write.
3. It teaches patience as children wait in line to use the slide and promotes cooperative play.
4. Finally, sliding aids in developing critical thinking skills as children decide how to vary the way they slide using different techniques (like two at a time backward, on the belly, and what made me go so slow?)

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