Play in the Infants' School

Originally published in 1938, Play in the Infants' School is an account of three years’ work and play with children from three to eight years of age in an Elementary school. The change from traditional organization and discipline to modern methods and creative activity is described in detail and the problems, difficulties and failures are frankly discussed. Part 2 deals with the undirected play activities of the children, their development from the nursery class to Standard I, the equipment and arrangement of the school day, and the work of the teacher in connection with the children’s self-chosen pursuits. The author describes the reaction of the children to art, music and nature experiences and their enthusiasm for drama and their School Theatre. Part 3 shows the relation between undirected and creative activity to the 3 R’s and describes how the children’s interest in these subjects was the result of their freedom to play and of the realities they met in and out of school. The introduction of ‘lessons’ and the children’s response to mechanical practice is carefully explained. Today it can be read in its historical context.