Code of Ethics

I am an employee at Liberty Mutual Insurance Group; Founded in Boston in 1912 to write workers compensation insurance. Liberty Mutual Group today has grown to become a diversified group of insurance company with operations worldwide. They offer Auto, Home, Commercial, Life, and Umbrella Policies. Like every business in the USA, Liberty has a Code of Business Ethics and Conduct-Guiding Principle. The purpose of the code is to create and maintain a sense of professionalism and give the public a standard to which it can hold a corporation or profession.I will discuss two of the guiding principle I feel are important. The first one is Honesty and Integrity. Liberty Mutual states that we conduct our business and interactions with fellow employees, customers and business contacts with the utmost honesty and integrity. We are dedicated to helping our customers and each other live safer, more secure lives. The strength of this code dictates that as a company the human quality of communicatio n is to act truthfully and adhere to a code of honor.This code gives employees a sense of pride to work for an organization promoting this type of behavior. It inspires workers to behave ethically. The weakness of this code is how do you monitor honesty and integrity in a large company such as Liberty Mutual, where there are 45,000 employees worldwide. The instruction in this code tends to be too general or vague. The second is a Safe and Professional Workplace; Liberty states that they are committed to treating all people with dignity and respect.This includes maintaining a safe and professional work environment that provides equal employment opportunities to all, is free of harassment or discrimination, and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws. The strength of this code is to discipline people that violate any of the codes mandate. Employers have seen an increase in complaints of employees dealing with a hostile environment. The weakness in this code is that it’s sometimes inconsistent with one another. Most of the complaints are based on the individual experience; there is no actual witness or persons involved. That makes it inconsistent. Code of Ethics The Phar-Mor Code of Ethics Phar-Mor strives to be the leading retailer in providing the lowest priced and highest quality goods for our communities, while delivering exemplary levels of customer service. Phar-Mor believes in providing a positive and ethical working environment to help guide all employees in word and action, which promotes an unshakable framework of integrity and trust between all stakeholders. Phar-Mor endeavors to proactively contribute to its communities through local philanthropies, scholarship programs, and community service.Phar-Mor appreciates and respects all employees equally and strives to reward hard work, and provide training to enhance the value of all employees. Phar-Mor believes in providing a safe, secure, and healthy working environment, and stands behind a zero-tolerance policy of any discrimination or harassment. Phar-Mor maintains both an open-door policy, which respects the concerns and suggestions of all employees and strives to continually impr ove the organization based on these recommendations. Also, Phar-Mor upholds a whistle-blower policy, which guarantees the anonymity of employees who courageously choose to report illicit activity.Phar-Mor is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity in all customer relationships. Phar-Mor strives to achieve customers’ satisfaction by providing the best services, products and prices through ethical and socially responsible practices. Phar-Mor understands the importance of communicating clearly with its customers, which fosters trust, openness, and a thorough understanding of the spirit of Phar-Mor. Phar-Mor does not make any promises unless they believe that they will be able to keep.Phar-Mor respects the privacy of its customers' confidential information by protecting it and make sure it is in safe place. Phar-Mor maintains integrity with its shareholders through proper use of its assets and property in its effort to continually create shareholder and value. Phar-M or strives to present accurate and honest records and reports that will reflect the true financial situation of the company to provide investors the ability to make accurate decisions. Phar-Mor strictly upholds high accounting standards and provides complete and detailed accounts of all relevant transactions, assets, and accounts.Phar-Mor operates business based on honesty and fairness and upholds strict policies against bribery, corruption, and unethical practices with suppliers. Phar-Mor believes in prompt payments to suppliers and encourages collaboration to find the most effective and efficient logistical system, which will enhance cost savings that will be passed on to its customers. Phar-Mor works to serve and uphold the communities, in which it operates, through strict adherence to the laws, as well as proactively managing its environmental impact.Phar-Mor believes in contributing a portion of its profit to the local communities through donations to local schools for sports a nd scholarships, volunteer work with nonprofit organizations, and community service. Phar-Mor’s code of ethics is addressed to all company stakeholders including all who directly and indirectly work toward the company’s objectives. Phar-Mor maintains easily accessible channels of communication, including anonymous hotlines and access to management, which can be used by personnel to report violations of the code or make suggestions to improve the code of ethics.Phar-Mor then reviews and takes necessary action if any violations are ascertained or improvements are warranted. Phar-Mor is committed to foster and ensure an appropriate understanding of the code of ethics and to disseminate knowledge of the code among all stakeholders through internal and external publications and annual statements. Phar-Mor strives to obtain valuable feedback through a unique feedback system on the effectiveness of the code of ethics. Suggestions are openly accepted and every year the review committee evaluates the suggestions and any other required compliances and includes/modifies the code of ethics. Code of Ethics The Phar-Mor Code of Ethics Phar-Mor strives to be the leading retailer in providing the lowest priced and highest quality goods for our communities, while delivering exemplary levels of customer service. Phar-Mor believes in providing a positive and ethical working environment to help guide all employees in word and action, which promotes an unshakable framework of integrity and trust between all stakeholders. Phar-Mor endeavors to proactively contribute to its communities through local philanthropies, scholarship programs, and community service.Phar-Mor appreciates and respects all employees equally and strives to reward hard work, and provide training to enhance the value of all employees. Phar-Mor believes in providing a safe, secure, and healthy working environment, and stands behind a zero-tolerance policy of any discrimination or harassment. Phar-Mor maintains both an open-door policy, which respects the concerns and suggestions of all employees and strives to continually impr ove the organization based on these recommendations. Also, Phar-Mor upholds a whistle-blower policy, which guarantees the anonymity of employees who courageously choose to report illicit activity.Phar-Mor is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity in all customer relationships. Phar-Mor strives to achieve customers’ satisfaction by providing the best services, products and prices through ethical and socially responsible practices. Phar-Mor understands the importance of communicating clearly with its customers, which fosters trust, openness, and a thorough understanding of the spirit of Phar-Mor. Phar-Mor does not make any promises unless they believe that they will be able to keep.Phar-Mor respects the privacy of its customers' confidential information by protecting it and make sure it is in safe place. Phar-Mor maintains integrity with its shareholders through proper use of its assets and property in its effort to continually create shareholder and value. Phar-M or strives to present accurate and honest records and reports that will reflect the true financial situation of the company to provide investors the ability to make accurate decisions. Phar-Mor strictly upholds high accounting standards and provides complete and detailed accounts of all relevant transactions, assets, and accounts.Phar-Mor operates business based on honesty and fairness and upholds strict policies against bribery, corruption, and unethical practices with suppliers. Phar-Mor believes in prompt payments to suppliers and encourages collaboration to find the most effective and efficient logistical system, which will enhance cost savings that will be passed on to its customers. Phar-Mor works to serve and uphold the communities, in which it operates, through strict adherence to the laws, as well as proactively managing its environmental impact.Phar-Mor believes in contributing a portion of its profit to the local communities through donations to local schools for sports a nd scholarships, volunteer work with nonprofit organizations, and community service. Phar-Mor’s code of ethics is addressed to all company stakeholders including all who directly and indirectly work toward the company’s objectives. Phar-Mor maintains easily accessible channels of communication, including anonymous hotlines and access to management, which can be used by personnel to report violations of the code or make suggestions to improve the code of ethics.Phar-Mor then reviews and takes necessary action if any violations are ascertained or improvements are warranted. Phar-Mor is committed to foster and ensure an appropriate understanding of the code of ethics and to disseminate knowledge of the code among all stakeholders through internal and external publications and annual statements. Phar-Mor strives to obtain valuable feedback through a unique feedback system on the effectiveness of the code of ethics. Suggestions are openly accepted and every year the review committee evaluates the suggestions and any other required compliances and includes/modifies the code of ethics.

Book Review on Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement Essay

Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph. D. is a book that seeks to inform and instruct those seeking to be in law enforcement, law enforcement professionals and their families of the realities of a career in law enforcement- professionally and personally. And how to best prepare for emotional survival of â€Å"on-duty and off-duty† life. It also compares and contrasts what happens to officers at the beginning of this journey and what typical happens to officers overtime; focusing mainly on what happens to officers that don’t know the techniques of emotional survival. Though it does give some examples of officers who have emotional survival skills, it focuses on exemplifying the officers whose lives suffer from the lack of these skills and what great detriment it causes. Gilmartin begins by describing the early years of one’s law enforcement career. How typically- idealistic, enthusiastic and driven rookie officers are. And how quickly this world can change from positive to cynical and emotionally charged. How these long term behaviors if uncorrected, exacerbate, leading to mental and physical changes. Gilmartin uses personal experiences and stories to relate the topics addressed in this book, in a way that of? cers can readily see some of the same characteristics in themselves. Gilmartin also discusses psychological changes officers endure that can be caused by frequent exposure to horrific events. The most important definition made by Gilmartin describing officers on and off-duty is Hypervigilance; â€Å"the necessary manner of viewing the world from a threat-based perspective, having the mindset to see events unfolding as potentially hazardous. † (Gilmartin Pg. 5) According to Gilmartin this- â€Å"permits the on-duty of? cer to develop a subjective state of increased alertness/awareness of his/her surroundings required for maximum of? cer safety. † (Gilmartin Pg. 36) Gilmartin elaborates on his term of â€Å"Hypervigilance† and how it becomes problematic when he introduces the concept theory of the â€Å"Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster. † Stating that the on-duty of? cer is â€Å"alert, alive, energetic, quick–thinking, involved and humorous,† And the off-duty of? cer is â€Å"tired, isolated, detached, apathetic and angry. (Gilmartin Pgs. 48-50) Gilmartin goes on to illustrate; If law enforcement of? cers want to survive emotionally, they must examine their on-duty and off-duty life. Taking control of the events in their lives they can control and survive and move on from the events they cannot control. Gilmartin describes how officers can become equipped professionals of emotional survival on and off-duty. On-Duty; knowing as an officer there are only three things you can control; integrity, professionalism, and how well you do the job you are assigned to do. Off duty; proactive goal setting (outside of police work), exercise, and developing and nurturing other roles in life besides the hypervigilant police role; enabling of? cers to manage their lifestyle healthy. I believe this encapsulates Gilmartin’s books main points and demonstrates his goal; to help keep law enforcement officers healthy, by providing skill sets physically and emotionally, to survive the career. By not losing all of ones identity to just being a cop, while remaining committed, engaged and productive on and off-duty. Now I would like to analyze Gilmartin’s books strengths and weaknesses. This work is well organized, written and easily read. To the point that I believe that it would keep anyone engaged no matter if the reader was part of the intended target audience. For audience the book does target, I believe it clearly demonstrates the internal and external assaults officers will experience both personally and organizationally. And how officers can train themselves to perceive and act as a victim in everything they do and in every way they think. Or how they can emotionally survive these assaults by balancing their identity and by acquiring healthy outlets to be proactive and engaged in personal affairs. This is clearly demonstrated by various case study examples throughout the book. Examples of officers that fall directly in line with Gilmartin’s Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster theory and how some of these studies show the result of an officers application of emotional survival. This is what makes the book so strong. Gilmartin’s ability to give validity to his concepts by comparing and contrasting officer action and reaction of similar situations. Then applying his theory of those who fall victim to the Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster, have the victim mentality and the unbalanced identification with solely being a cop. To those officers that display emotional survival techniques. By doing this Gilmartin shows clear distinction; drastic outcomes of similar situations. Reinforcing the importance of acquiring emotional coping tools and exemplifying the devastation in an officer’s life lacking these skills. The weaknesses I encountered in this book where; little if any emphasis was placed on teaching of? cers how to avoid the other dangers they will ultimately face. Mainly focusing on the Hypervigilant cycle of officers and their loss of identity. I would have liked Gilmartin to explain how an officer handles a tough situation in the matter of life or death. And I would have liked Gilmartin to have more than one chapter that focused on the emotional survival of law enforcement personnel. I believe it leaves the targeted audience waiting and wanting more instruction on how to become an emotional survival. Lastly I would have loved to have understood the compilation of data retrieved by Gilmartin. Discovering how he came up with his concepts and theories. Over what period time did he construct these particular studies and how many agencies did he work with to compile this data? What where the percentages of officers that suffered from a lack of emotional survival skills to those that had these skills? What percentages of officers fell in the middle? I believe knowing the quantitative component to this research would have further qualified his findings. Overall this book was fantastic. I believe this book will help those interested in law enforcement as well as of? cers and their families. I believe this book can help plot a path through a dif? cult journey in a law enforcement career. Helping sustain relationships, families and positive professional attitudes. Though I hoped for some addition information in this book it does not lack in quality or clarity of its messages. It is a strong book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in law enforcement, anyone currently in law enforcement, family members of law enforcement personnel and those who have been in law enforcement. I believe the goal of this book is to provide officers the information of how to recognize the deterioration of core values (personally and professionally) and what can take place in their lives if gone uncorrected. Then provides specific strategies that can be utilized to reduce the negative emotional and physical impact of a law enforcement career. I believe the book succeeds in doing this.

The John F. Kennedy years were often described as Camelot Term Paper

The John F. Kennedy years were often described as Camelot - Term Paper Example It is difficult to define President Kennedy. He was a man with a hidden past, and one who kept his life in strict compartments. He had spent much of his youth seriously ill, and even throughout his Presidency hid the constant pain he felt, so that even those who were closest to him were unaware of it1. As a man he w as easily bored, loved excitement and was charming to all those he dealt with. Whatever decisions he made he was able to back up through rhetoric and charm regardless of whether the choice that had been taken had been the correct one2. There were many events throughout Kennedy’s short presidency including riots over the admission of Negros into University, the Cuban Missile Crisis, civil rights movements, the Vietnam War, as well as countless other incidents3. The manner in which Kennedy handled these incidents and the depiction of him in later literature and film have led to the years of John F. Kennedy’s presidency have often been called the Camelot years, referring to an idealized time, analogous to the years of King Arthur. Under this analogy, Kennedy is thought of as a hero, promising peace to the United State including the complete withdrawal from the Vietnam War. This never happened because of the assassination of Kennedy in 1953. How realistic is this view of Kennedy? Was he a hero, giving the United States a few golden years, or does this view ignore many of the facts of Kennedy’s presidency? This essay examines some of the key aspects of Kennedy’s presidency, including his opinions and decisions concerning the Vietnam War, the way he was as a leader, how he appeared in public compared to his own staff and his personality. It is proposed that the concept of the ‘Camelot years’ of Kennedy’s presidency was brought about by opinions and theories following his assassination, and perhaps by the fact that he was assassinated, but that this description of his term bears little resemblance either to t he man himself, or the events that occurred throughout his time as President. The Vietnam War Kennedy is often seen as a peace bringer and a hero because of his strong desire to bring about the end of the Vietnam War. This image was first advanced by the film JFK produced by Oliver Stone4. Stone forwarded the idea that Kennedy had the intention of ending the Vietnam War, but that this plan was prevented by his assignation in 1963. The image that Kennedy puts forward is one of a lone hero, and has grown in popular opinion since the film’s release5. Yet, considering him a hero in this respect is not entirely accurate. While it is true that in 1963 he strongly desired to end the war, the actions in the first two years of his presidency were not to this end. When he first took office, the war had been occurring for some time, and the position of the United States was poor and on the verge of collapse. Under his leadership, the war was escalated in 1961 and 1962 with the level of violence being increased6.He was responsible for substantially raising the level of aggression with such acts as ordering a squadron from the United States Air Force to become involved directly in combat operations7. As a consequence, he moved the focus from being warfare that was backed by the United State to direct armed attack8. Indeed, although Kennedy’s military advisors put forward predictions that the increases in violence would eventually lead to a military victory within Vietnam, and allow the United States to withdraw their forces, Kennedy himself never fully supported the idea of withdrawal9. The opinion that Kennedy planned to end the Vietnam War was not the only thesis that has been proposed by supporters of Kennedy. Some have proposed that he planned not only the complete with

Persuasive Paper---The E-Sport professionals players should be Essay

Persuasive Paper---The E-Sport professionals players should be accepted and acknowledged authenticly by the public - Essay Example They involve use of computers and in most cases, the use of the internet. Players in these games are referred to as the e-sport professionals. However, over the years, the game has not been recognized as an authentic occupation or career like other games like football do. This paper explores the benefits that can be drawn from e-sport, such as earning of revenues, better health and better productivity of the player that warranty the reason for it been made a career. An e-sport game is conducted in a similar way like an athletic sporting event; the players are guided by a set of rules and regulations that guide them, the actions are commentated by a sportscaster just like other games, they have an audience and they have a referee who officiates the game. However, these games only require only one commentator unlike other games. E-sports can be dated back to 1980s when gaming tournaments would be conducted in arcades. In the 1990s, the video game competitions started been held in large auditoriums. Between the years 2000 and 2013, e-sports became even more popular as a competition game. Over the years, the sport has become very popular, especially with the rise of access to the internet, as it enables players to be able to compete in the game remotely and the game can be broadcasted online. The rise of the e-sport game has also witnessed the rise of professional video game players and provided platforms where they can participate at international levels in the game for cash prizes. They are commonly sponsored by technology companies though they generate a lot of money from selling tickets and online viewing subscriptions. E-Sport generally involves numerous genres of video games. The most common real-time strategy (RTS) games include Dota, Starcraft 2 and the League of Legends. Popular first-person shooters games include Half Life and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Other games played in e-sports competitions

Managing Information in Toyota Motor Corporation Research Paper

Managing Information in Toyota Motor Corporation - Research Paper Example The objective here is to achieve optimum cost control so that it will reflect positively on the bottom - the line of the company’s profits and give maximum returns to the stakeholders of the company. Efforts at cost control, without compromising on quality, are an everyday effort within the company Cost control can be defined as â€Å"Application of (1) investigative procedures to detect variance of actual costs from budgeted costs, (2) diagnostic procedures to ascertain the cause(s) of variance, and (3) corrective procedures to effect realignment between actual and budgeted costs.† The type of information that is required to achieve cost control is wide-ranging and has to be acquired from a variety of sources. The types of cost that are incurred in a typical manufacturing concern include direct costs, indirect costs, hidden costs, future liability costs, intangible costs, external costs etc.a. Direct costs: Direct cost is costs that can be readily identified as those d irectly incurred in them the manufacturing process. It includes raw materials, wages depreciation etc.  b. Indirect costs: Costs, which cannot be attributed directly to production, are termed as indirect costs. These include salaries, rent, marketing expenses etc.  c.   An example would be where customers are not satisfied with the product which results in a fall in sales. â€Å"Some examples of hidden quality costs are customer dissatisfaction with a product or defects in a product that causes a loss of sales.

Marx on Alienation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marx on Alienation - Essay Example According to the study findings  Hegel’s â€Å"spirit† represents totality of human life activity but which is always in contradiction with what it has itself produced, and which confronts it as something alien hence for him, â€Å"labor is the essence of man†. The problem is that Hegel only recognizes mental labor since men are thinking beings. On the other hand, Marx believes the essence of man is material labor and alienation results from man’s relationship with the products of his labor. Marx recognizes four kinds of alienation: alienation from product of his work; alienation from the activity of production leading to ‘loss of self’; from his species-being and alienation from other men.This paper will discuss these forms of alienation as depicted by  Ã‚   Marx and gaining insights from Hegel’s philosophy which forms the basis of Marx’s work. The paper will also evaluate which of his ideas are valuable and which are not gi ving reasons why. The Hegel’s concept of alienation from which Marx borrows from is based on man as a self-conscious being. That is, man knows the existence of other things but he does not relate to them objectively but only in the abstract form since they are just imagined things of philosophical mind which according to Hegel is â€Å"nothing but the alienated world-mind thinking within the bounds of its self-alienation†. Man’s products in this case, are products of abstract mind (mental labor) and man is equated to self-consciousness. This self-consciousness is his alienation.  

12 YEARS A SLAVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

12 YEARS A SLAVE - Essay Example Additionally, the movie talks about the life of an enslaved educated Black man called Northup who later in life turned to abolish slavery in Louisiana. It is a fact that, many Black people have been killed and many have fought back against discrimination and sexual exploitation and these were the martyr’s who should be remembered according to Copleand. In the author’s eye, solidarity and unity is still a big issue for black people as they are mostly struggling to gain respect and acceptance within the white community. The book and film both tells us that, if one looks at history, many black people had taken the courage to fight for their rights and their effort should be taken as guidance by our community. In fact, black people are as valuable as white person from a religious perspective. In her book (Copeland,2010,pg.113) â€Å"Copeland’s theological anthropology assiduously reveals a carefully developed understanding of historic black bodies in relation to the body of Christ† The author in her book recommends that the history of martyr’s should lead the people to fight for solidarity and peace among each other. In the same way, the movie â€Å"Twelve Years of Slave† is a powerful one which communicates to the audience the life of a black slave. The movie is based on the book written by Solomon Northup where the experience of him as a slave is recounted. He was an educated man and stood firm against racial bias of white men in those times. This man can be taken as a role model as he was an educated and free man till his adult times but later turned in to freedom fighter for the slave community in Louisiana. His life was unusual as he was black person who got kidnapped and sold into slavery where he spent twelve long years in pain. Northup can be seen as a martyr as explained by Copeland and should be followed by new generation to find peace and solidarity in their

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

Case Study - Essay Example The company has identified the prom from the statistics that it has collected, it will be therefore prudent to seek solution to this problem. The major objective of using AI is that it accentuates the positive, rather than seeking for a problem to fix it. Is main objective is to pursue and pinpoint the distinctive qualities and exceptional strengths of an organization, which members can build on to improve performance. The AI process consists of four steps, discovery, dreaming, design and destiny. In regard to Discovery the Parkway Nursing Care leaders should seek to identify what they think are the organizations strength. The employees of Parkway Nursing Care will give the occasions of when they felt that they are satisfied in their jobs. In the dreaming stage is supposed to make employees to use the information from discovery phase to speculate on possible futures. The design will be aimed to make the employees of Parkway Nursing Care to find a common vision on how the organization will look like in the future and agree on the unique qualities. On the fourth phase the employees will aim to fulfill their dream by typically writing actions plan and implementing their strategies. Parkway Nursing Care will face some resistance when they are implementing this phases of AI, the most common form of resistance to change will be because of fear of unknown. Resistance to change will also appear to be very selective since each employee would want a change that benefits them. There employees are not engaging in their respective jobs as required, this implies that the board of directors have to re-energize the workforce. The employees have to make believe that it is very meaningful for them to engage in their job. To reenergize the work force the employees’ job characteristics has to be enhanced as well as the make sure that the resources at Parkway Nursing Care are sufficient. This will ensure that the workers are reenergized and the work is done

Space, the amazing universe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Space, the amazing universe - Essay Example The universe is a phenomenon made up of various forces that combine to ensure the existence of life. There are four major forces that support the existence of life on earth. The earth is believed to be spherical. As a result, the earth’s state of motion is important as it promotes a balance in energy distribution and light (Phelan, 33). Human beings need the sun for survival. The sun is steadily positioned thus the need for the earth to rotate in order for all sections of the globe to receive sunlight. The sun is important in life existence as it is a key element in the manufacture of food for plants thus passing the energy down to human beings and animals. According to scientific principles, the four inertial forces of the earth work together to support life and an increase or deduction of forces might distort the normal life operations. The earth is spherical and exists in a state of motion. Therefore, living things on earth require forces in order to remain intact and move freely on earth (Phelan, 54). Albert Einstein’s principle of equivalence explains the relationship between the four forces and the sustenance of life. The four forces act in equal magnitude I order to maintain balance of the globe. This can be related to Newton’s concept of a moving car and a passenger. In order for a passenger to stay in an accelerating car, forces must be applied on him or her. In the same way, in order for the earth to remain in its shape as well as its rotation on its axis.

My personal statement Essay Example for Free

My personal statement Essay If students want to continue their education and enter the desired college, they should go through the admission process. It includes exams and delivering common application essays. This essay type gives students the chance to show their personal traits, attitudes, interests, and individuality. Your essay is meant to impress the admissions committee. You should prove that you are the best candidate to study in their college. This is a positive advertisement about those sides of student’s life that can’t be deduced from their official documents and study ratings. Typically, students can opt from several prompts which are provided by the college. These prompts revolve around students’ experiences, beliefs, habits and dreams and not academic achievements or grades. To write a college essay that stands out, you should concentrate on prominent events in your life that influence your personality, something connected with challenging situations or personal achievements. You can write how you managed to overcome your fears and learn new experience. You can describe the most important people in your life and how they encourage your personal growth. Having read hundreds of college essays, your essay should be personal, original and creative to grab the attention of the members of the board. Your essay has to be delivered in the form of a story – this should be a real-life situation or event with a considerable impact on your personality. Choose the subject which is meaningful and interesting to you. Here is a sample of a common application essay that can be used to create your own unique story. â€Å"As long as I can remember, I have always heard that a girl should be an obedient wife, a patient mother and a perfect cook. All my girlfriends from high school like to repeat that it’s a demanding and complicate job to be a housewife. The same goes with my mother. â€Å"Rachel, one day you will grow up, meet a proper man and your destiny is to become his wife. You will live in a beautiful house with two adorable children and your only worries will be what to prepare for dinner.† My mother was raised in a very conservative atmosphere of a wealthy family where the man works and woman cleans and cooks. My grandmother taught her how to be a housewife, elegant and charming whose main aim was to please her husband and raise children. Despite being a polite girl and nodding to my mother’s thoughts, inside I was crying from weakness – these ideas were opposite to those I wanted to build my life on. I was sixteen years old when my friend Monika popped into my house one Saturday evening to have a nice chit chat between two best friends about boys, dresses and holidays. And she told one thing with which I can’t agree till now. â€Å"Every girl should be prepared to dedicate her life to her husband and his success, so I am already learning how to make pancakes and roast beef.† Well, to say that I was irritated is to say nothing – I have already heard a million variants of this idea from my own relatives. Every family dinner this topic was brought up with my grandfather or father. I was confused and disappointed. â€Å"Do you really believe that family life is the most important thing in woman’s life? What about women who want to have a proper career and try to achieve their goals and dreams,† I asked my friend. â€Å"What for?† she replied. â€Å"It’s generally considered that men are better at doing business than women plus they should provide for his family by earning enough money. They are supposed to be the head of the family while wives have to make their home comfortable for living.† At that moment I remembered my grandfather and his attitude towards women and their work. He was of an authoritative type always telling my grandmother and then his daughter how to live and what to want. He was descended from a poor family of Irish immigrants whose main goal in life was to earn money, get respect of the community and have food on their tables every day. He worked tirelessly day and night to become a decent citizen. He managed to fulfill his dreams but not without me grandmother’s help who sacrificed her dreams to be able to support him all the time. I love my grandparents very much, I do. But their way of looking at thing is completely different from mine. When I first told them that I want to become a surgeon to help people they didn’t take my words seriously. After laughing for some time, my grandfather replied, â€Å"Rachel, sweetheart, that’s a wonderful idea but don’t you want to have a lovely marriage? That should be enough for a young girl. You will have of whom to take care; you will have a couple of lively kids who will be your delight. Why do you want to spend so much time in this profession if you come back sooner or later to give birth?† I knew that their intentions are well-meaning and they worry about me – they just showed their love in such a way. But I also knew I wasn’t able to forget about my hopes and dreams and live up to their expectations. I told them I was going to university to obtain a university degree and continue my higher education. They weren’t pleased but supported. I am very grateful to them as if my grandfather was against this idea, I would never be able to save people’s lives. They were from an older generation who managed to survive very complicated periods in the history of our country. Their values were formed in the past when the world was different and women job was treated not so much with respect as it is now. So I decided to live my life and forget about artificial limitations created by society – these are the remnants of the past which should vanish soon. Women are ready to show their talent, determination, and skills alongside with men. We are not afraid of obstacles on our way and if I fail that will be not because I am a woman but because I didn’t work hard enough. So I want to give my friend Monika an answer that can be given to all of those who thinks women should be limited in their personal growth: â€Å"Maybe in the past women didn’t have chances to study, develop and create but the current situation is completely different. Gender is not an excuse and doesn’t define our lives. We have all possibilities to conduct our lives as we want, it is our choice and responsibility so why not to try?†

Evaluation of Play as an Educational Tool for Children

Evaluation of Play as an Educational Tool for Children ‘Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see’ (Postman, 1994, p xi). The importance of learning, the content and delivery, for children in Year 1 (5 to 6 years of age) is under debate. Arguments are rife through education that formal teaching as prescribed through the Literacy Hour, is developmentally inappropriate for many 6 year olds, and thus recommending that the principles of the Foundation Stage can be extended to cover all children aged between 3 to 7 years of age. From the Government’s point of view David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, was reported in the Sunday Telegraph,31 August 2003 in saying that too many children are not ready for school due to their disrupted and dishevelled upbringing. As a result, the verbal and behavioural skills of the nations five-year-olds were at an all-time low, causing severe difficulties for schools. Review of literature Much has been stated in this country over the problems that children of 5 to 6 years of age face with their education. The Government’s Chief Inspector of Schools has been vocal on the subject: In 2003 children are starting school less well prepared than ever because parents are failing to raise their youngsters properly. One of the key causes waste failure of parents to impose proper discipline at home, which led to poor behaviour in class. Another serious concern was the tendency to sit children in front of the television, rather than talking and playing with them. This meant that many were unable to speak properly when they started school, stating that parents were still not doing enough to support teachers. There is evidence that childrens verbal skills are lacking. We should encourage parents to talk to their children and give them a whole range of stimulating things to do and not just assume that the television, or whatever, will do all that for them. He added that the deficiencies of pupils starting school could have lasting effects, particularly where parents continued to fail to offer support to teachers. (Sunday Telegraph, 31 August 2003). At the time a two-part response to this came from a) Mos. Kaman Gandhi(2003) CEO of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists said behaviour is very obviously linked to language and it is very hard to separate one from the other. It is clear some parents have problems with their pre-school children. They have the will but sometimes lack the resources and know-how to cope when faced with a child with language difficulties, Speech and language therapists are involved and engaged with some key initiatives, including Sure Start programmes, which bring together early education, childcare, health and family support to give a sure start to young children living in disadvantaged areas. Along with b) Talk to Your Baby co-coordinator Liz Attenborough(2003) said: All parents wish to do their best for their children, but often lack the confidence or knowledge to implement powerful parenting practices, such as attentive listening, singing songs, playing rhyming games and sharing books. Parents need to be empowered to recognise their valuable contribution to their childs ability to make sense of the world, through encouraging communication at every opportunity Yet prior to this, in January of 2003 reported in the Financial Times, it was stated that every primary school in the country should hold classes for parents to teach them how to play with their children in an attempt to stop language skills disappearing from some homes, Alan Wells (2003) the head of the Basic Skills Agency told the North of England Conference. Head teachers were reporting a steady rise in what has been called the daily grunt monosyllabic conversational skills and a basic lack of language ability that was not connected to the problems of learning another language. This is about children sat in front of TVs or their computers, and its about a lack of families having food together and a general lack of conversation, He also stated that programmes on a national scale were needed to teach some parents how to play with their children, read to them regularly and demonstrate conversational skills within the family. So children’s development is questionable, it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph in June of 2003 that education researchers, who blame increased television viewing and the decline of family conversation forth trend, say that teaching such children the 3Rs is a waste of time because they have not yet grasped the basics of language, and that unbelievable as it seems, some children starting nursery do not seem to have ever had a one-to-one conversation with anyone. Parents rely on television as a distraction for the child, so they can cope with other matters in their busy lives, but where does the problem start, and how do other countries tackle the issue. The cycle of learning, that of perceiving, knowing and remembering, begins in the very first few days of life with the child responding and learning from reflex action. These actions are the beginnings Ofcom-ordination, which become patterns of behaviour. This learning process of a young child becomes very much that of active rather than passive. The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) termed these as schemas, and by way of complex research of into the child’s intellectual development, began to explain the evolution of thinking for a child. As the child progresses and grows, their senses of hearing, seeing and touch are used to great effect to understand all-around them and learn. Through observing the forms of logic and reasoning of children, especially their spontaneous comments, Piaget developed his cognitive theory of qualitative changes, in that children think and reason differently at different periods in their lives whilst going through stages of intellectual dev elopment. From this research concept was introduced four fundamental neurological stages of child-development: sensory-motor, pre-conception, intuitive, concrete operational, and formal operation (Child, 1997, pp. 193-201). For this paper concentration will only be on all stages leading up to concrete operational. The first stage of development is sensory-motor: for a mental age approximately 0 to 2 years. Developmentally, the first two years of child’s life is very important. Mental structures of the child are mainly concerned with the mastery of concrete object’s, very early actions, taking place from day 1 to 4 months) involve sucking and general body movements. These are primary actions, mainly the grasping of everything towards it that it comes in contact with. As the senses and actions improve, from cycles repeating and the perfecting of co-ordination, Piaget refers to these cycles of action as significant primary circular reaction. Here new actives appear, with less demand on reflexes. At 4 to 8 months an increase in visual-motorcar-ordination allows interests to take place outside of the child’s body, these secondary circular reactions are basically sensory reflex grasping by limbs of all that comes in range. Next, at 8 to 12 months, these secondary circular reactions are more refined and incorporated into new situations that lead to that of purposeful behaviour. At 12 to18 month’s the child will experiment at extending these secondary circular reactions into tertiary circular reactions, by inventing and developing new ways of completing the required end-result. At plus 18month’s, towards the end of this initial stage the child begins to represent the world in mental images and symbols, and the inception of language allows the depiction of objects in their absence. It was found that with the child’s imagination, the act of play becomes very important, it allows assimilation and enables the complete union of sensory experience and motor activity development. Imitation is shown as an example of accommodation, where the child is attempting to modify behaviour to become someone or something else. The term deferred imitation is where the ability to cope with someone else in their absence, and represents a great advance as it shows that the child’s development is such that it is now able to form images of events that can be recalled for future reference (Child, 1997, p 194). The second stage of development is pre-conception: for a mental age approximately 2 to 4 years. Here the direct link between sensory experiences and motor activity are developed into the intermediate process of mental activity, and the acknowledging of symbols starts to take place, which act on the experience and knowledge gained in the first stage, due to internalizing imitations and actions. The child’s use of transductive reasoning is evident, where the coincidence of two events, possibly non-related, creates a pre-concept. This period in a child’s development is very dominated by symbolic play, where doll’s become babies etc. and direct imitation of what other people are doing. All this takes place with an egocentric nature, as the child is unable to view things from another person’s point of view. The egocentric nature also stops the child from understanding what is seen by way of visual perception, another person’s angle of views the same as theirs or vice versa. Part B of the second stage is Intuitive: for a mental age of approximately 4 to 7 years. Where the mastery of symbols takes place, by the process of mental activity, acting on all experience and knowledge gained in the previous stage. Being very dependent on superficial perceptions of their environment, the development of ideas and understanding of situations are formed by impressions, which are on-reversible. Meaning the child can only comprehend one relationship at a time, this occurrence Piaget terms cantering, the concentrating on one aspect of a problem and disregarding the rest. This results in a lack of conservation of quantity, which relate to problems that involve reorganizing a flexible mass such as water in containers. Because the child is dependent on superficial perceptions it cannot work the problem backwards, Child (1997, p.197) outlines the problem of the child realizing of the mass to its original shape by the compensating for changes in the original dimensions. This mental action of reversibility is a central skill that frees the child from intuitive impressions, and enables an appreciation of the change in physical dimensions without change in the total quantity. Part three of the development stage is concrete operational: for a mental age approximately 7 to 11 years. Where the mastery of classes, relations, numbers, and how to reason takes place. The child describes the environment at the highest levels of abstract reasoning, with consistent classifications leading to the accurate sorting of similar properties, resulting in providing valid concepts. This sorting is referred to as serration and leads to concrete operational thinking, inessential skill of development. Finally stage four in the development process is formal operation or abstract thinking – mental age approximately 11 years and up. Where the mastery of thought takes place, the highest level of thinking, where the person can reason hypothetically and in the absence of material evidence. Piaget put each of these four fundamental stages as part of an invariant sequence, a sequence that could not be broken but could be longer or shorter, and each stage contained major cognitive tasks that had to be completed for successful intellectual development before moving onto the next. These fundamental stages have been the foundation for teaching and learning, which some educationalists argue to reject. Margaret Donaldson (1978) argues that the task Piaget used to observe children was at the time not explained in sufficient detail for them to understand. Therefore on the subject of cantering (Piaget, stage 2B),the findings are invalid, and Donaldson explains that research into this task and another of similar design, have been carried out by several including Martin Hughes (pp. 20-31). The results were dramatic. With thirty children aged between 3 and 5 years, 90% of their responses were correct, and the youngest ten children with an average age of 3years 9 months, achieved a success rate of 88%. Overall the general conclusion seems unavoidable: pre-school children are not nearly so limited in their ability to ‘decentre’ or appreciate someone else’s point of view, as Piaget has maintained for many years (p 30). So what are the reasons that hold a 5-6 year old child back, and how can they be addressed. Other elements to learning exist: that of different social and ethnic backgrounds, that children learn effectively by playing in a calm environment, that the performance and cycle of learning is enhanced when parent/teacher is eager to be positive and praise, and when parent/teacher is quick to be negative, the child is reluctant to learn. With these extra elements, the stages described are not so firmly coupled with age, but as stated, with mental age. This mixture is termed constructivism, the blending of cognitive psychology and social psychology that dictate adaptive behavior, not just cognitive alone. So learning is a constructivist activity. Cognitive development is a process in which language is a crucial tool for determining how the child will learn how to think because advanced modes of thought are transmitted to the child by means of words. The Russian theorist, Vygotsky (1962) reached a conclusion that thought and speech originate from different processes and then evolve in parallel but independently of each other. Children learn the names of objects only when told so. At some point the attitude changes, the child becomes curious about names of things. At this point the child’s vocabulary increases dramatically, with much less coaching from adults, this point in the development of the child is where thought and speech merge. During the course of development everything occurs more than once, in the learning of language our first utterances with peers or adults are for the purpose of communication, but once mastered they become internalized and allow inner conversation, and thought undergoes many changes as it turns into speech. Vygotsky, believes that the meanings of words evolve during childhood, and their meanings are dynamic, not static entities. Tough (1976) found that language and literacy is directed in the young child by factors such as the size of family, parents and their educational background, class, language, their situation and location. Therefore the foundation of learning is on social constructivism that involves language home background; and the importance of play by way of meaningful stimulation that promotes intellectual development. Another argument on Piaget’s theories regarding the pre-conception stage, 2A, was by Povey and Hill (1975) showing that the social activity of language may have been undervalued, not only as a source of variation between children’s concept development but also as the vehicle by which children convey their ability to form concepts (Child,1997, p.195). Povey and Hill also found that children up to the age of four gain specific and generic concepts from pictorial information(pictures, drawings). Moss Penn (1996) produced a broad evaluation of nursery education in the UK and out of this concentrated their results on how the early learning services had been badly neglected. With continual under-funding an issue and increased fragmentation; staff poorly paid and trained; low aspirations and lower expectations, their provocative analysis of this evaluation also showed that young children are seen as important for what they may become, rather than for what they are. In England children are legally required to start the National Curriculum (Key Stage 1) the term after their 5th birthday (31 August,31 December or 31 March). Yet children often start earlier than this. Children are taken into nurseries from 5 months through to 5 years. Across the world it is about the same, the age of 5 in Canada, and 5 in the USA. In the state of Indiana, USA, a child has to be 5 by August1st, last year it was 5 by July 1st, and prior to that it was June 1st. In the USA since 2004 plans were being made for a start age of 3 by researchers at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute in the USA were formulating plans to develop a rich learning environment for pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) that took into account the child’s social, emotional and physical development. Now in 2006 the plans are a reality with First School, a new vision for early schooling of children ages 3 to 8. Developed through a partnership among families, the community, the FPG Child Development Institute and The University of North Carolina, which together are passionate about the future of schools and schooling for young children. The FPG aim is to use this model to inform other educational institutions to guide them to a successful early learning experience for children and families. The early start age reflects the lives of working mothers in today’s society, trying to balance work and family life, whilst trying to improve life chances for their children. First school offers a safe, constructive and significant haven for children, bringing a quality into pre-school environments. The problem of childcare for parents on low income or in a workless situation, is not exclusive to one country, it is a global problem, and is a major consideration towards education. In the UK this problem is being addressed by the Government taking on ate-year strategy for childcare, published in 2004, which is now subject to Parliamentary Approval in 2006 (Education Skills,2006). It is the Government’s response to a fundamental challenge facing Britain in the need to ensure available, affordable, and high-quality childcare in the 21st Century. The problems that face the teaching of Language and Literacy are highlighted here in examples from the UK and in the USA, yet it is recognised as a global problem. Many studies have been carried out over years, highlighting the contribution of high quality early education, which tends to be more targeted at disadvantage children. This underlines the concern of literacy problems in later years, which is being addressed now for the education standards of tomorrow. In the US long term studies in early childcare NICHD (1991) highlighted the fact of high-quality childcare was found to give a better cognitive and language ability than children in low-quality care. It also found that children who spent more time in childcare were seen to display behavioural problems, such as aggressive tendencies at 4.5 years onwards, than children in less care. The largest and most lasting academic gains were seen in disadvantaged children. For the UK the Department for Educational Studies (Dress) funded the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education a longitudinal study in1996, it was an evaluation for children of 3 to 7 years of age inure-school through into primary from different social backgrounds. The summary in Findings from the Early Primary Years (EPPE Summary 2004)where collected data was about the children, parents, home environment and the pre-school they attended, and proved that cognitive and social effects were positive going into primary. The findings of the study showed that parent’s education and social class remained as predictors of intellectual and social development, and that very long periods of pre-school were connected withanti-social behavioural problems. This fact was attributed to the presence of non-parental childcare before three years of age. The education level of the child’s mother was also seen to be a major factor in the child’s performance. Major findings from the pre-school period included that of disadvantaged children benefit significantly from good pre-school experience, especially when they are with a mixture of children from different backgrounds. It was also found overall, that disadvantaged children tend to attend pre-school for shorter periods of time than those from more advantaged groups (EPPE Summary 2004). Several recommendations were made, that included: to encourage more episodes of ‘sustained shared thinking’ with the children; work towards an equal balance of child and adult initiated activity; and ensure that staff have both the knowledge and understanding of curriculum and child-development. The UK Government in the UK introduced an extended National Curriculum (Education Act 2002) and the Foundation Stage that was for the 3 to 5year olds, giving this period in the child’s education a distinct identity and attention. The six areas of learning became statutory, and the Act also specified that there should be early learning goals for each of the areas: Personal, social and emotional development; Communication, language and literacy; Mathematical development; Knowledge and understanding of the world; Physical development; and Creative development. A national consultation on the content of the early learning goals as set out in Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage was carried out in autumn 2002. Following this consultation the early learning goals, and use of the Curriculum guidance as a guide, became statutory in March 2002. This new move was aiming to secure learners participation and ensure appropriate opportunities for them to achieve, and offered flexibility within for schools to develop their own curriculum. It offered a less prescriptive approach, in which flexible allocating of time for required subjects allowed them not to taught each week, term or year, therefore allowing choice of method and the advancement of teaching and learning. The Act also established a single national assessment system for the foundation stage, replacing baseline assessment schemes. The Foundation stage profile was introduced into schools and settings in 2002-3. This profile has 13 summary scales covering the six areas of learning, which need to be completed for each child receiving government-funded education by the end of his or her time in the foundation stage. The Foundation Stage developed the key learning skills: listening, speaking, concentration, persistence, learning to work together and-operating with others, along with the developing of communication, literacy numeric skills in the preparation for entry into of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. Progress for the child through the Foundation Stage is categorised as Stepping Stones, where developing knowledge can be identified through the 13 stages of the Foundation Stage Profile, the assessment of which is completed in the final year prior to entry into Primary School. Emphasis is placed on successful personal, social and emotional development for all, especially those children with behavioural or communication difficulties. Throughout, the curriculum requires a safe and secure, rich environment for the child that is vibrant, purposeful, challenging and supportive, where trust for the practitioner is forthcoming, and progress is positive and rewarding. A prolific body of research in the USA has centred on early childhood programmes, in the state of Carolina, USA, in 2004 plans were being made for a start age of 3. Researchers at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG)Child Development Institute were formulating plans to develop a rich learning environment for pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) that took into account the child’s social, emotional and physical development. Now in2006 the plans are a reality with First School, a new vision for early schooling of children ages 3 to 8. Developed through a partnership among families, the community, the FPG Child Development Institute and The University of North Carolina, which together are passionate about the future of schools and schooling for young children. The FPG aim is to use this model to inform other educational institutions to guide them to a successful early learning experience for children and families. The early start age reflects the lives of working mothers in today’s society, yet it also offers a safe, constructive and significant haven for the child, bringing a quality into pre-school environments. From an article in Nursery World (Feb, 2004), it stated that the number of children who have speech and language difficulties in day nurseries across the UK is rising fast, according to a survey of nursery staff, and that the results of the survey by I CAN, the charity the helps children who have speech and language difficulties, found that 89 present of nursery staff were worried that speech, language and communication difficulties among pre-school-age children were growing. Nursery staff reported more children having problems concentrating, speaking clearly and following instructions. Children often responded with monosyllabic answers or gestures rather than appropriate language. Almost all (96 per cent) of the respondents said they has at least one child with communications difficulties in their nursery, while 10 present said they had at least 10 children with such problems. Respondents of the survey blamed several factors, including a lack of time spent by children and adults talking together, the use of television to pacify child and the trend for parents to talk on behalf of their child instead of letting the child have a say. It shows that the problem is crucial that children with speech and language difficulties have the same opportunities in life as other children. A study of the transition from infant to Primary in England: from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 was carried out in 2005 (Sanders et al,2005), where it was discovered the biggest challenge to children being the move from play-based approach in the Foundation Stage to a more structured curriculum in Key Stage 1. It also noted that the Literacy Hour had proved challenging as it was difficult for young children to sit still and listen to their teacher. In European countries, the transition to primary school (age of 6) is linked with a play-based exploratory curriculum to a more formal one. In England the transition begins around the age of 5, and into a more formal curriculum one year later (Sanders et al, 2005). This report also highlighted the question that staff may not be appreciating the anxiety for children and parents at this time, which proves quite surprising. The recommendations of the report included: a communication between staff of Foundation Stage, staff in Year 1 and parents to plan for the child’s needs; that School’s should have resources to enable the children in Year 1 to have play-based activities, for role play, construction and outdoor learning; that formal sitting and listen in Year 1 should be reduced, and more opportunities for learning through play; and that there is a further need for research into this transition. In February of this year a study (FGP 2006) was carried out in the Fusion 240 state funded Pre-K programs for 4 year-olds. The assessment was selecting one classroom at random, and within that classroom four children were chosen for individual assessment in the areas of language, literacy and number skills. The major findings in this study are reproduced here. Children: †¢ More than half of the children enrolled were from low-income families. †¢ African American, Latino, and Asian children were more likely than White children to be in a Pre-K class with a high concentration of poor children. †¢ A large percentage of the mothers had only a high school education or less. †¢ Almost one-quarter of the children spoke a language other than English at home. †¢ With their entry into Pre-K, the language ability of most children from low-income families was below the national average, as was their math ability. On standard measures of language and math, these children made small but meaningful gains from fall to spring of their Pre-K year. Pre-K teachers: †¢ They averaged 42 years of age; most were female and White. †¢ Overall, about 70% of teachers had at least a bachelor’s degree. †¢ About half had at least a bachelor’s degree and state certification to teach 4-year-olds. †¢ About 30% had a two-year degree or no formal degree past high school. †¢ Pre-k teachers’ salaries were higher than those of child care teachers and approached the salaries of public school teachers. †¢ Teachers with lower qualifications (less than a bachelor’s degree)were more likely to teach poor children and children who were African American or Latino. The finding’s highlighted the concerns of teachers not being able to give the high quality experiences required to those children that need it most. It also reveals that using the widely used measure of classroom quality of Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised(where a score of 7 is ‘excellent’, a score of 5 is ‘good’, and a score of 3 is ‘minimal’) the average score was 3.86. This score is disappointment to all concerned, considering the enthusiasm, and shows an environment that is not able to take full advantage of learning opportunities for young children. These findings were endorsed by Kauerz (2006) who states that although Pre-K provides crucial gains in achievement, especially in reading and math’s, it is only short term due to what is termed as ‘the fade-out problem’. This problem is that the advantage that the child has gained could be lost (60-80%) during the first two years of elementary school, when joining a year/class that includes children of a lower level(those that did not participate so early). They are held back whilst the teacher’s attention is put to those of a lower standard. It also has an effect if the elementary school that the child from high-quality Pre-K joins is of low quality. This factor is covered widely in research in the USA as entry is entirely dependent on residential location, therefore it could be a problem for children from low-income families. Yet on the positive side, Campbell, Miller-Johnson, Sparling Ponselle (2001); National Research Council (2001); Steinhart et al(2005) all confirm that through rigorous research high quality early childhood experiences produce impressive life-time benefits to society including fewer grade retentions, fewer special education placements, increased high-school graduation rates, and finally increased employment earnings (Buyers, 2006). Statement of scope and aims of the study The aim of this study is to discover and evaluate how schools use play as an educational tool for children aged 5 to 6 years of age. Along with how it is used in line with the National Curriculum and Early Years learning objectives. The study will investigate if play is used enough in school, and which benefits come from this, with finally, to support these findings, an overview of studies completed in other countries, on the subject of play in education. The sample size will be thirty, which is less than perfect, but in the small time frame allowed it will produce a representative sample that will be supportive of this papers aim. Methodology Section A – the justification The method used in the design of this research as a factual enquiry, the following were considered: †¢ The aims of the study and theories to be investigated †¢ Reviewing the relevant literature: interested organizations †¢ Preliminary conceptualization of the study †¢ Deciding on the design of the study and assessing its feasibility within the limitations †¢ Deciding which hypotheses will be investigated †¢ Designing the required research instrument and technique: postal questionnaires †¢ Drawing the sample: who to interview †¢ Doing the field work †¢ Processing the data †¢ Assembling the results †¢ Writing the research report A study of this nature is a complex operation, and a first requirements therefore the development of a clear plan, overall research design. It is the research design that must hold all the parts and phases o