Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
Department
Education
Abstract
Early education is an essential part of development (Jalongo, Fennimore, Pattnaik, Laverick, Brewster, & Mutuku, 2004), however, there is much debate about what type of program will best meet the needs of young children. Programs have great variation with children attending as little as 12 hours a week to children attending 40 to 50 hours a week. A qualitative research design was used to analyze playful learning within a high quality early education center examining possible differences between a full day program and a part day program. The focus of this study was on the amount of time children spend playing at a center, and how long they are using materials as the curriculum used intends. Results suggest that young children can become fully engaged in their learning when presented with intentional activities and interesting materials, regardless of how many hours they spend in a classroom.
Recommended Citation
McDonald, Ashley, "Full Day Play vs. Part Day Play" (2019). M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Research Projects. 38.
https://scholarworks.umf.maine.edu/ech_projects/38
