Research

Research Article 5: 25 Quotes about the importance of play -Teachers with apps “Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought” Summary of reading: -Imaginative free play has been getting the short end of the stick for some time -Play is the essence of learning, we have research to back it up -Play is the highest form of learning Googled quotes of play and learning that are my favourite: -Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity -It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them -Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning -Almost all creativity involves purposeful play -Play is so integral to childhood that a child who does not have the opportunities to play is cut off from a major portion of childhood -Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold -Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning -Whoever wants to understand much must play much -The true object of all human life is play -The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct -Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn -Play should be spontaneous and chosen by the child My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading the many quotes about the importance of play, they really get the message across. I thought we could choose a quote and add it to our blog posts with pictures of the children in Learning Through Play? There are so many great ways to say how important play is, not only in the classroom for children, but in the world for adults. I think my favourite two quotes are: “play is our brain’s favourite way of learning” and “children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” I think the first one would be great to share with the children!

Research

Research Article 4: Self-Directed Play inspires rich learning - Education Gazette Children are in the driver’s seat at St Paul’s Junior School in Nelson, where student agency through self-directed, open-ended inquiry play is given full rein. Summary of reading: -Everything they see is an invitation to play -Open ended play nurtures so much more of a child’s holistic learning than instructional, teacher driven activity at this age -3 to 7 years you want to create confident, inquiring, open thinkers with high level thinking skills -Child led play engages complex thinking, expression, exploration, supports their transition to school -Engaging in a combination of self directed and intentional teaching using invitation to play, children develop skills in persevering, concentrating, problem solving, qualities which are considered strong predictors of academic success. All areas of the curriculum are woven through play in a cross-curricular, integrated approach -We learn by doing -Provide an environment where everyone is responsive to the children’s creativity, interests and passions -We coach, guide, comment rather than instruct in play, alongside discreet intentional teaching and build on the learning experiences the child brings with them -We teach daily, small group literacy/maths but not at the expense of creative inquiry play -Children have phenomenal learning abilities at this age and we need them to believe that -Narrative assessment/learning stories track learning in relation to National Curriculum -Seesaw used to share achievement with parents -St Paul’s Junior School approach is guided by international literature on the importance of learning/teaching through play, constructivist education theory, developmentally appropriate practices, understanding the role of anxiety in limiting learning (Nathan Wallis’ research), working with Sarah Aiono: Longworth Education Tips for teachers: -Value play-based learning for ages 3-7years, it nurtures strong academic success in later years -Utilise natural resources to support children’s play experiences -Look at international research, provides evidence for this approach/good ideas -Implement changes in teaching approaches/environment gradually, in order to sustain the changes over time. -Communicate/share evidence for why play is important with parent community, educate whanau on benefits for children in learning through play My Thoughts: I really like the idea/language of an invitation of play. I am excited about the invitations to play I can now create as we can add to the new planning sheets any activity that we wish, the possibilities are endless. I am always thinking about the things the children could explore in the Learning Through Play room and how I can then move these to activities in the Challenge room. I now feel I am asking myself is this activity open ended? Is Linc Ed evidence that I am collecting open ended, are we showing all what the child knows and has learnt in this area? How can they prove what they have learnt? How would they like to showcase their learning? I am thinking of how the children can have more ownership of their learning. I am also thinking of my role as a coach and how I can get the children to think deeper about their learning, specific questions/comments that inspire the children on. I know myself, I learn better by doing and so do the children. Learning stories might be a next step for us in Learning Through Play. We have been on a Longworth course and been to a talk by Nathan Wallis who both have great ideas that we are following along with. I think we are on the right track ticking off most of the teachers tips. Could we share a reading (research) each week in the newsletter on Learning Through Play? Or put one up on our blog? Another next step for us I think is to incorporate more natural resources.

Research

Research Article 3: How to use play for learning -Edutopia Play-based learning helps engage elementary students in their education and has cognitive, physical, social and emotional benefits. Summary of reading: Shifted to a play-based approach in kindergarten -Kindergarten: play and learning go hand in hand - Friedrich Froebel’s vision -Play is a primary and integral mode through which children make sense of the world, essential to their development and well-being. -Supports skills like collaboration, communication, creativity -Effective practice for deepening understanding/engaging children -Finding a balance between academic expectations and developmental needs of young students -Most engaged/focused when offered time, space, meaningful materials to make sense of what they were learning -Teacher directed activities/transitions no substitutes for exploration, creativity, socialization -Choice time structure affords children opportunities to learn playfully -Making time for play early in day optimizes learning/helps to balance a classroom schedule -Classroom environment designed to engage minds, meet their sensory needs, offer practice with academic content -Our classroom has: block centre, maths centre, science centre, book nook, dramatic play corner, sensory table, felt-board and art centre. -Thoughtfully designed centres, children flow from one activity to another with a sense of purpose -Science centre has: pine cones, tree bark, natural resources, old overhead projector for light study. -Maths centre has: cuisenaire rods, pattern blocks, counting grids to encourage geometric design -Block centre: children’s imaginative worlds come to life -Other materials introduced to expand thinking on a topic -Creativity/invention stem from the simplest materials, having access to these materials can make the difference in a child’s ability to learn -Observing play gave insight to ways children think/learn. Use this knowledge to address individual needs effectively -Children more motivated to explore academic standards within their play because it was meaningful to them -Learning most effective/enjoyable: zone of proximal development -Understanding how play supports learning means understanding how children learn -Our teaching must have roots in child development in order for children to thrive -Once children had experienced play-based learning they were: more focused, motivated, purposeful, happier -Play-based learning in my classroom created: balance, deepened our learning, defined classroom community as a place where we could learn and grow together My Thoughts: This reading reaffirmed how important play is in the classroom to me. I agree with finding a balance between academic expectations and developmental needs of the children. Time, space and meaningful materials gave me things to think about that we need to always provide as teachers. I think we are very lucky with the space we have for Learning Through Play, it works well down the end of our hub. I think with our new planning sheets underway we are more conscious of providing the right materials to enhance the children’s learning. I think the N.E class have enough time in Learning Through Play as they go back to it when they are not in instructional groups in the mornings. The older students often want to go back to Learning Through Play throughout the day. Can we incorporate our P.B.L/R:E afternoon subjects more into Learning Through Play/Challenge room focused activities? Can these run throughout the whole day? teacher instructional groups for these subjects? A sensory table and more natural resources are good ideas for different materials I will try. I have found it very interesting observing the children and learning about their urges in our hub. I have also learnt about myself and other people’s urges and gained an insight into why we do the things we do. Now we are at the stage to think about how we can nurture these urges and plan for them. Our children love the Learning Through Play area, they are excited to get to school and play with their friends each day. It is now a smooth transition from kindergarten to primary school with our Learning Through Play. It is a great way to start the day and meet/greet the parents. I love the class culture of learning and growing together!

Research

Research Article 2: Learning Through Play - What's it all about? New Zealand Curriculum Summary of reading: Learning Through Play: -Forms the pedagogical foundation of Te Whāriki: Early Childhood Curriculum -Pedagogical approach: Play: valued mode of learning, more common in classrooms -Children can explore, experiment, discover, solve problems in imaginative/playful ways -Learning is fundamental to Learning Through Play -Enables children to engage in self directed play, internally motivated -Teachers support by providing enabling environment, sensitive interaction -Role of teacher: discuss, embed, extend learning Benefits: -Help schools realise vision of NZ Curriculum to develop confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners -Almost all values/key competencies can be developed through Learning Through Play -Range of learning areas can be explored, connections made across learning areas, home practices and the wider world. Growing evidence to suggest benefits to students learning/development: -Thinking Skills: engage in flexible/higher level thinking processes. (e.g inquiry: problem solving, analysing, evaluating, applying knowledge, innovation, creativity). -Interpersonal Skills: Interaction with others: Practice language development, cooperation, negotiation, leadership, empathy, active listening, compromise. -Intrapersonal Skills: Child’s sense of well-being: self esteem, motivation, resilience, concentration, persistence, time management. -Student Agency/Engagement: Encourage student agency, deeper levels of student engagement in learning. Smooth Transitions to School: New Entrant students settle to school quickly because of improved continuity between school and early childhood education. Role of the Teacher: -Critical for success -Creating a classroom environment with diverse interest areas/offer rich play opportunities -Drawing on curriculum knowledge to recognise the learning within play -Building play opportunities around students prior knowledge/interests -Providing sufficient opportunities for students to engage in play -Participating in meaningful learning conversations with children that stretch their thinking -Understanding/supporting the development of specific skills/knowledge that students need -Facilitating social interactions “Playful learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child’s sense of joy and wonder with thoughtfully planned learning experiences.” My Thoughts: I can’t stop thinking about the quote above. Play is the vehicle of learning, comes to mind from another quote I have read. The child’s interests/passions/curiosity/sense of fun are all included in Learning Through Play if we as teachers create an environment where it can flourish. Our role is very important to inspire, ignite and extend the children’s interests/passions/learning experiences through play. Our knowledge of the learner comes into play here. We have been learning more about the role of the teacher as a coach. The list above ticks all the boxes for what we are developing in our Learning Through Play environment. Providing rich play opportunities and getting the children to think deeper through our questioning as a coach are areas we are developing. We are recognising the learning in play through our observation sheets and identifying the children’s urges. We have noticed the smooth transitions to school from our Cohort entries this year. The older children are showing the new children how we operate. They are picking up the routines quickly and interacting with others in the Learning Through Play environment. The children are developing 21st Century skills. Internally motivated jumps out to me from the reading. The children in our hub want to learn, they are excited to come to school and join in the activities/share what they have been doing. (Learning Through Play/Challenge Room). If we can ignite a love of learning that will continue as they grow we will have succeeded.

Research

Research Article 1 : Learning Through Play -Education Central Summary of reading: Tara started a Learning Through Play classroom in 2014. "Haeata's (Haeata Community Campus) curriculum is designed around students' personal needs and interests with teachers supporting akonga to achieve learning outcomes through learning opportunities that reflect their own passions." Positives: -accelerated learning -focuses on child directed learning -inquiry based on interests/passions -focus equally on academics/well-being -works hand in hand achieving N.Z Curriculum standards -success in developing foundational skills through play before academic learning -Learning Through Play Facebook group created "Play is really inquiry learning for kids." -sets children up for success -provides a context for child initiated learning (most effective type of learning) -authentic opportunities for self management, building relationships -teacher set up for Learning Through Play is crucial, purpose to support learning, teacher involvement a skill -Literacy lab: traditional reading/writing, children wanting to learn (increase of culture) My Thoughts: Providing for childrens personal needs, interests and passions is important. We can include these in a Learning Through Play environment. It is about getting to know the learner so you can incorporate exploration and challenge activities that will build on the children's knowledge, skills and ignite/extend their passions/interests. I think the accelerated learning is happening in classrooms. We have taken on a collaborative approach with Learning Through Play. The children are learning from each other as well as teachers. They have more freedom to be creative and explore/learn together along the way building 21st century skills. We have incorporated our Project Based Learning about space into our Learning Through Play and Challenge Room. The children have learnt many fascinating things about space. It is great to provide authentic opportunities for the children. Our children are learning to self manage, build relationships and develop their 21st century skills. We have learnt more about the teacher's role in Learning Through Play. We now can observe the play and know when it is beneficial for us to enter the play and provide scaffolding. We have learnt more about the set up of Play and how to observe the children's urges and plan for these. I have been on the Learning Through Play Facebook page and find it is a good resource to use, it is interesting to see how it began.