October 2, 2008

UNT researchers to study the correlation between play therapy and academic achievement

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- PJ Blanco, a doctoral student in the University of North Texas' nationally ranked counseling program, is conducting an eight-week study in four local elementary schools to determine whether there is a correlation between play therapy and academic achievement.

The project will study the effect of play therapy on 60 first-grade students, who have been designated as "at risk" by the Denton Independent School District.  Thirty randomly selected students will receive 30-minute play therapy sessions twice a week for eight weeks, beginning Oct. 6.  The other 30 students will be placed in a wait list control group, meaning those students will receive play therapy treatment after the eight week project concludes.

Play therapy is a way for children to express their emotions symbolically through play.  The students are supervised and facilitated by trained play therapists in play rooms complete with sandboxes, dolls, tools, matchbox cars and a number of other toys.  Approximately 10 doctoral students from UNT's Child and Family Resource Clinic will assist Blanco with his research.  The project will be supervised by Dr. Dee Ray, associate professor of counseling and center director. 

"Play therapy allows children to work through their emotional or behavioral problems in their own developmentally appropriate language of play. Children benefit by improving self-esteem, self-responsibility, and coping skills. Although play therapy is not specifically designed for academic achievement, in this study we will explore how play therapy helps relieve children of emotional difficulties that impede learning," said Ray.

In addition to studying the effect of play therapy on academic achievement, the study also will investigate its effect on how the students view themselves and their relationship with their teachers.  All of the participating students will receive several assessments before the play therapy sessions begin to establish a baseline for comparison of the group receiving play therapy and the control group. 

Blanco is a fourth-year doctoral student in the counseling program at UNT; he plans to graduate in May 2009.  He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Texas State University in 2001 and his master's in counseling psychology from Lewis and Clark College in 2005.  Blanco began working as the assistant director of clinical services at the Child and Family Resource Clinic in 2007; he has participated in two published research studies.