Corey Shuffle

Allow me to reminisce for a moment; my youngest has turned 18. One of my favorite sounds of his childhood is what we affectionately called the “Corey Shuffle.” He would read about or see something, then without saying a word to us, we would begin to hear it. Scratch, scratch, scratch, shuffle, shuffle, click, click. Those are the sounds of the search and rescue of just the right Lego from a crate. This cycle of sounds would continue, often for hours, until he emerged from the room with an amazing creation. He would then embark on a detailed explanation of the function of each part of this creation.

He was completely independent, completely isolated, yet demonstrated one of the most valuable activities in a child’s development: child-driven play. Peter Gray in Psychology Today states that “play, by definition, involves imagination. Play naturally leads us to think of things as they might be rather than just as they currently are.” Often, parents and teachers, in an effort to accomplish some lofty educational experience, limit the opportunity that children have to play. Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, emphasizes that “play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.” Play enhances brain development and appropriate interaction within the world where they live. One of our son’s teachers told us recently about how impressed he has been when he observes Corey clearly explaining the technical processes necessary in his CAD class to other students. I wonder if Legos had anything to do with that.

Child-driven play can be divided into a few categories:

• Solitary – children playing alone and independently, following their own interests without reference to others.
• Onlooker – children watch other children playing, ask questions and make suggestions, but do not enter into the play.
•  Parallel – children playing the same activity or with similar materials beside each other, but not talking or interacting with one another.
• Associative – children playing with each other, sharing similar materials and activities in an unorganized way.
• Cooperative – children working together and interacting, to play or create something in an organized and purposeful way.  (adapted from The Value of Play by Mardi Lucich)

Here are some resources to consider:

• http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200812/the-value-play-ii-how-play-promotes-reasoning-in-children-and-adults
• http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full