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441). As For Children, They Regard The Play As A Self-initiated Activity That ...

441). As for children, they regard the play as a self-initiated activity that is subordinate to learning activities within the school realm. According to BERA Early Years SIG (2003), the controversies in the early years research and the failure of British authorities to improve children's learning in the preschool setting occur because policy-makers and practitioners still adhere to the notion of a distinct pedagogy, practices and ways of understanding early childhood, as well as a distinct set of purposes for early childhood institutions (p.8).
2.3. Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage
Recently, British authorities have developed the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (DfEE/QCA, 2000), where the importance of the interaction between adults and children in the outdoor environment is advocated. Major attention in the Guidance is paid to the role of play; as is stated, Well planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge (DfEE/QCA, 2000 p.25). Nowadays when children of 3-5 years spend so much time at home or in other indoor environments, watching TV, playing computer games or sitting motionlessly during lessons, it is especially crucial to establish good outdoor environments within the preschool realm. The Guidance stipulates that educators should make good use of outdoor space so that children are enabled to learn on a larger, more active scale than is possible indoors (DfEE/QCA, 2000 p.15).

Undoubtedly, fresh air, freedom of action and physical exercises positively influence children; besides, the outdoor environment implicitly teaches them to accept challenges and find appropriate decisions. In this regard, educators should direct preschool children towards outdoor activities (See Appendix 2 for the Guidance's regulations), as these activities stimulate their imagination, incite their interactive skills and evoke their diversity and sincerity (Moore & Hong, 1997). The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (DfEE/QCA, 2000) identifies six learning aspects in the preschool setting: 1) personal, emotional and social development; 2) communication, language and literacy; 3) development of mathematical skills; 4) understanding and knowledge of the world; 5) physical development and 6) creative development (pp.32-126). As is clearly revealed in the Guidance, those educators who are able to go beyond the limits of indoor activities will contribute much to children's learning. Diversified learning possibilities will allow children to express themselves and investigate the world around them. However, although this provision recognises the importance of the adult-child interaction in the outdoor environment, it mainly advocates the pre-planned teacher-initiated interaction, underestimating the spontaneous teacher-initiated interaction and the spontaneous child-initiated interaction.


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