2. According to Piaget, children age 2 to 7 are in the preoperational stage of development and are egocentric. Through play they must learn to consider another's feelings and decenter. Play allows children the ability to expand their social skills (Rogers & Sawyers, 1988).
3. According to Vygotsky, play allows children to build their imagination and take on roles they are otherwise not able to (Berk & Winsler, 1995).
4. Play provides children with the opportunities to be social. Social learning and academic learning are intertwined (Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Berk, & Singer, 2009).
5. Self-regulation develops throughout our lifetime. As we get older we are able to understand what is expected and adapt our behavior to different situations (Thompson, 2009). Self-regulation involves thinking and organization. In order for children to play they must organize their thoughts and emotions (Sheridan, 2008).
