Abstract
Children’s play frequently reflects the ways they understand and cope with personal life experiences and those in the wider world. Drawing connections to many of the tenants of Jonathan Silin’s lifelong work, the author offers illustrative examples of why play and children's social worlds matter as well as why adults should pay attention to what children do and say in their play. Through personal stories, the author shows how integrating play(full) experiences into the daily life of a classroom can foster children's understanding of seemingly "difficult" or "adult" ideas and events that may be confusing, fear-inducing or represent significant loss. Ultimately, the author highlights the possiblities and hope inherent in children's play as they reimagine more just futures.
Author Biography
Cassie J. Brownell
Cassie J. Brownell is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Her research takes up issues of educational justice and equity in early childhood.
Recommended Citation
Brownell, C.
(2021).
Playing Through Tragedy: A Critical Approach to Welcoming Children’s Social Worlds and Play as Pedagogy.
Occasional Paper Series,
(45).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1389
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