Scholarly Snapshots is an indispensable jumping off point for anyone seeking to understand the power and vitality of play, not only as the primary mechanism through which children learn, but also as a human right. This concise survey of the work and insights of many of the most important foundational thinkers in the world of play -- from Froebel and Dewey to present day scholars -- is essential reading for anyone who takes play seriously.
— Tom Hobson, "Teacher Tom", educator, writer, international speaker, and author of Teacher Tom's First Book & Teacher Tom's Second Book
Dr. Vivien Geneser and colleagues defend and deeply explore the child’s right to play in this exciting text. From perspectives of historical & contemporary theorists, play is given the reverence that it deserves. As a professor of early childhood education, this is the text I will use in my courses to help future teachers of young children, brain architects, gain the knowledge they need in the 21st. century to advocate for every child’s right to play.
— Zlata Stanković-Ramirez, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Coastal Carolina University
This book is essential for my early childhood library as a mother, grandmother, teacher educator, and as a human being. Beginning with the title: play as a human right, we learn about the history of play from every angle, knowledge of development, pedagogy, and human experience, and I am inspired to fight for children’s right to play. Indeed, I am reminded again and again that we stand on the shoulders of our founding fathers and mothers of early childhood development and education. There are way too many quotes in the book for me to share, but I conclude with Gesell’s quote from the book: ‘When a child is playing, he concentrates with his whole being and acquires emotional satisfactions which he cannot get from other forms of activities.
— Tamar Jacobson, PhD, author of Everyone Needs Attention: Helping Young Children Thrive
This collection is a much-needed counter to the current atmosphere in education of pushing academics earlier and earlier. Children need to play to learn.
— Suzanne Roth Fulton, retired public school teacher, mom, and grandmother
So inspiring. A quick, enticing, helpful read. Brilliant format. Wonderful to see a historical overview, which then sparks your own ideas for which ideas you could adopt and use.
— Derek Sivers, author, How to Live and Anything You Want
For those who have committed to taking schools into new territories with more just ways to learn, it is vitally important to know the past. This volume walks us through the past, beginning with early explorations of the actions of the young up to those more recent contributors to thoughts on encounters in school, the common thread being the elusive endeavor we call, “Play”. There are notable subtexts in this important collection which are not hard to read: From the exclusion of all but masculine pronouns in scholars’ writings on “play” for the first three hundred years, up to the very late appearance of the voices of women of color in scholarship. And along the way, shifting and interconnected notions on that which we so casually call, “Play”. The common thread? That we must take seriously that which students choose: “Play”. This volume explores the serious thought that researchers, theorists and educators have put to that which the young choose to do—whether that choice is joyful, or brings conflict, creative or reproductive of injustices, democratic or demagogic, chimeric or characterizable—students choose to play. It is vital that teachers, researchers, administrators, parents and policy-makers understand the centuries-worth of scholarship about that which human beings do from the start. We play. What does a complicated understanding of play help us do? Move forward into those territories with more just ways to learn.
— Timothy A. Kinard, PhD, associate professor, early education, Texas State University, college of education, department of curriculum & instruction
This collection of the histories of play scholars and their contributions written by contemporary play advocates is a much-needed treasure. Just as the book title promises, each chapter provides a brief yet rich description of the scholar, their work, and its context in portions that are manageable for undergraduate students. As a teacher educator, I am eager to bring this book into my Play course to help preservice teachers appreciate the deep history of play and its diverse voices. The illustrations add a lovely touch to each chapter!
— Deepti Kharod, PhD, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, University of the Incarnate Word Chair, Dr. Joe L. Frost Play Research Collection Advisory Board