from a cord. He puts it over his head. “See<strong>the</strong>re? That’s my name, right <strong>the</strong>re.”“There are lots <strong>of</strong> ways <strong>to</strong> dress up,”<strong>the</strong> teacher acknowledges. Then sheholds up ano<strong>the</strong>r familiar object. “Canyou guess what this is?” she asks.“It’s just a block,” say several <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>children.“Yes, it’s just a block,” agrees <strong>the</strong>teacher. “But sometimes childrenmake blocks be o<strong>the</strong>r things. Thismorning it was a TV!”Young children who are masteringplay are endlessly imaginative.Teachers need <strong>to</strong> practice <strong>to</strong> keepup with <strong>the</strong>m, and so it is importantthat teacher education andstaff development include manyopportunities <strong>for</strong> adults <strong>to</strong> createand critique curriculum ideas.Teachers need <strong>to</strong> play with materials—blocks,books, and paints—and with ideas and feelings, askingeach o<strong>the</strong>r, “What else could you dowith that? What could children do?”Practice in telling s<strong>to</strong>ries andmaking up s<strong>to</strong>ries on <strong>the</strong> spot isessential. Teachers need <strong>to</strong> brains<strong>to</strong>rmcurriculum possibilities:“What are all <strong>the</strong> different thingspeople do at <strong>the</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re? How couldyou enrich that play with moreideas and props?” Play relies ondivergent ra<strong>the</strong>r than convergentthinking; it asks, “What are all <strong>the</strong>ways . . . ?” ra<strong>the</strong>r than insisting,“This is <strong>the</strong> right way.”One child care center direc<strong>to</strong>rinvites her staff <strong>to</strong> brains<strong>to</strong>rmcurriculum, webbing <strong>the</strong>ir ideas in<strong>to</strong>a multidirectional action plan:“‘Collect shells’ is somethingsome <strong>of</strong> us liked <strong>to</strong> do as childrenand like <strong>to</strong> do as adults, <strong>to</strong>o. Supposeyou went <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> beach thissummer, and now you have a collection<strong>of</strong> seashells. . . . Supposeyou’ve decided that <strong>the</strong> shells canbe played with. What do you thinkare all <strong>the</strong> things that might happen,growing out <strong>of</strong> both your ideasand <strong>the</strong> children’s? Let’s see” . . .A web is a tentative plan. Itdoesn’t tell you exactly what willhappen or in what order. Thatdepends in large part on <strong>the</strong>children’s responses. . . .“So if I plan a unit on shells and itturns in<strong>to</strong> dam building, that doesn’tmean I’m an awful teacher whokeeps losing control?” asks Sandra.“No, it means you’re a teacherwho’s paying attention <strong>to</strong> children’sinterests, who’s flexible andcreative,” says Bethany. (Jones &Nimmo 1994, 10–11)Interpreting <strong>the</strong>meaning <strong>of</strong> playThe world <strong>to</strong>day is full <strong>of</strong> goodand bad choices among <strong>the</strong> manyways <strong>of</strong> constructing a life. Children,adolescents, and adults whoare smart—skilled at play withthings, ideas, and people—willhave more capacity <strong>to</strong> createmeaningful lives than people whoare unable <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>lerate ambiguityand <strong>the</strong> unexpected, who are stuckin defending <strong>the</strong> way things are orused <strong>to</strong> be.Early childhood is <strong>the</strong> best time<strong>to</strong> practice <strong>the</strong>se important skillsand attitudes, because adults are<strong>the</strong>re <strong>to</strong> keep things safe. And so, ifyou are a teacher <strong>of</strong> young children,think—playfully but thoroughly—aboutanswers you cangive <strong>to</strong> all those o<strong>the</strong>r people whocriticize you by saying, “But <strong>the</strong>children are only playing. When doyou teach <strong>the</strong>m?”ReferencesCuffaro, H.K. 1995. Experimenting with <strong>the</strong>world: John Dewey and <strong>the</strong> early childhoodclassroom. New York: TeachersCollege Press.Evans, K. 2001. Holding on <strong>to</strong> manythreads: Emergent literacy in a classroom<strong>of</strong> Iu Mien children. In The livelykindergarten: Emergent curriculum inaction, E. Jones, K. Evans, & K. Rencken,59--76. Washing<strong>to</strong>n, DC: NAEYC.Hall, E. 1970. Jean Piaget and <strong>the</strong> Americanquestion: A conversation with JeanPiaget and Barbel Inhelder. PsychologyToday 3: 25–56.Jones, E., & J. Nimmo. 1994. Emergentcurriculum. Washing<strong>to</strong>n, DC: NAEYC.Jones, E., & G. Reynolds. 1992. The play’s<strong>the</strong> thing: Teachers’ roles in children’s play.New York: Teachers College Press.Mead, M. 1970. Culture and commitment: Astudy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> generation gap. Garden City,NY: Natural His<strong>to</strong>ry Press/Doubleday.Owocki, G. 1999. Literacy through play.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Reynolds, G., & E. Jones. 1997. Masterplayers: Learning from children at play.New York: Teachers College Press.PLAY 27