Entry #6 Open entry: Literacy play centers

An idea that stuck out to me in Tompkins, as soon as I read it, was the idea of "Literacy Play Centers (Tompkins, 2017 pg. 116)." I understand this idea is geared more towards kindergartners and I am studying to be a childhood educator, which is just beyond kindergarten, but this concept is something that I feel can be overlooked when dealing with literacy. Children learn through everything they do, and they love to play, so combining play with literacy seems like a natural combination. 

 This one act of playing to learn covers so much of what we have learned already this semester. Tompkins points out that play centers "become literacy play centers when materials for reading and writing are included: Food packaging, price stickers, and play money are props in a grocery store center; letters, stamps, and mailboxes are props in post office centers; and appointment book, prescriptions pads, and folders for patient records are props in medical centers (Tompkins, 2017 pg.116)." They use play to go through all stages of Kucer's Dimensions of Literacy (2015). They are code breakers and code makers by having "a focus on the communication systems (Kucer, 2015 pg. 4)" in writing prescriptions, letters, or prices. They are learning to communicated with others through these tasks by writing instead of just speaking. They are meaning makers, "creating and constructing rather than picking up meaning (Kucer, 2015 pg.4)," using play and literacy to make meaning of the world around them and the words they encounter outside of school in these centers. Students learn how to be user of text and "how various groups use literacy (Kucer, 2015 pg. 4)." While playing they will be playing with different groups of friends and their varied backgrounds and learning how they use language that might be different than theirs. They become construction workers and "build an understanding of the other dimensions, becoming rather than being literate (Kucer, pg. 5)," they use the other three dimensions to build meaning of language. They put together how to communication is spoken and written, how to make sense of the modes of communication, and how to communicate with those who have a different life experience. 

They also develop within Muhammad's Historically Responsive Literacy Model (2020). They can use play and literacy as identity meaning-making, "helping them gain confidence in knowing who they are (Muhammad, 2020 pg. 57)," they get to play and pretend to be someone else to help find out who they are or maybe who they want to become. They can use literacy as skill, "fining meaning in language and the construction of meaning Muhammad, 2020 pg. 57)," by using play they find meaning in what they say to each other or writing to each other during play. Students also gain criticality in play, learning to cooperate with each other, which can serve as "a step towards social change (Muhammad, 2020 pg. 58)." Play allow students to work together to see each other as equals across backgrounds which can be carried throughout their lives.

They can learn so much in the simple act of play. A simple act that is often overlooked in education, forgotten about. Play is very powerful.