Play Based Learning

Today I attended 2 workshops with Longworth Education on play-based learning.  The first was was about resourcing and ensuring our timetables allow for play, the second on the role of the teacher.

General Ideas around Play based Learning:

 Using experience as starting point, not barrier

Getting around it in our heads – jut start!

Free yourself up to play with chn

Outside 20 mins a day – even in the rain with appropriate clothing

Balance between direct teaching and teaching in play

Provocations from teacher vs direction, don’t step in and kill the play

Teacher needs free time to observe play to see the learning happening, might be seen as behaviour from teacher who is busy with something else.

Learning environment shouldn’t look different from NE to Y6.  Pre-operational chn to concrete-operational chn. 

Curriculum through interests.  Interest based learning.

Provocating inquiry

Tuakana-teina  important

Art and craft – may not be play, take away if chn ‘not learning’

Always come back to what learning is happening here?

Weekly Timetable:

No oral language programme – they are getting this in play alongside teacher, scaffolding language.   Should not be in isolation.  OL is conversation not staged

Reference to John Holt

Play is inquiry

Behaviour issues stem from not being ready

Look at how you are teaching phonics – not in isolation, needs to be with literacy

Handwriting should not be taught in isolation, needs to be with literacy

Piaget stages of development – pre-operational stage

Integrate PMP into play, play naturally

Skills – peel them back further to see what we really need to focus on

Chn will naturally push themselves to the next challenge physically

Trust children ‘s own perception of their physicality

Flexible Timetable:

 2 reading groups per day

1 writing group per day

idea:  not to disturb play but intentional teach around the play.

15 minutes for each group, then you can  be free to facilitate play

No stations!!

Flexible timetable to not take away from rich learning

Posing questions to keep playing going

Play is happening, but way from teacher because stuck in reading

Play is NOT ADULT directed

Flow of the day evident for children – reading, play, writing, play

Don’t stress about not getting everything done by the morning, use the afternoon as well.  Important to free yourself up.

Direct teaching, coaching, commenting

Literacy and Numeracy:

Numeracy has to be taught as it doesn’t feature that much in play (Bruce Moody)

Play makes chn ready for literacy and numeracy skills.

Develops curiosity, wonder, inquiry.

Reading: 

2 groups a day.  Rest of the day browsing boxes of books they can read, and take them home

let everyone go, then when appropriate moment get a group back. 

OK for chn to take home same book over and over. 

Repetitive reading impt – mastery of skill – neurological facts

Independent reading. 

Guided Reading info from TKI A guided Reading Session.

Shared reading – funny, all enjoy, challenge chn.  CAP.

Lowies – ready for pleasure, lots of print, modelling from teacher, engagement of print (think 2 and 3 year olds) 

Reading without Nonsense – Frank Smith

Writing:

Some structure of groups may be important for writing programme

Importance of shared writing.

If chn are writing ‘independently’ (eg shopping lists) then don’t pull them in for writing.

Choice balanced with direct teaching DAT

Keep in mind the developmental approach

Loose Parts:

 High level play needs the right equipment.

What resources have you got in your room – your role and loose parts are crucial

Rich play as opposed to closed play – depends on resources

Loose parts are open ended

Use team to gather loose parts

Stories and loose parts in a large bag

Links to Curriculum Doc:

Deconstruct key comps in line with play

Children don’t learn in compartments – holistic

Curriculum activity – see photo – do as a team

Aim to look at children in their play and link to curriculum – make it an aim on your journey

Urges – schema.

If something doesn’t occur ‘nauturally' in play we can provocate – eg planet earth – photo of moon, volcano etc.

Social science – understanding past. – photos grandparents day., family photos

Places  - talk about holidays, our immediate environment

Earth systems – go outside, in the rain, puddles

Interacting systems

Recap:

Resource well

Know your curriculum really well

Session 2:  The Role of the Teacher:

5 aspects of play means that play based learning is happening –  what is the learning?

Self chosen and self directed

Process not product

Imaginative, literal, and removed from reality – model wonder and discovery, provocate, occurs between active, alert and non-stressed, if not then not capable of rich authentic play.  Play may be low level play will need lots of support and scaffolding

slide 1

teaching through play  and learning through play

play is the medium to explore the curriculum with chn, scaffolded learning environment.

Guided play – teacher has a role, respond to needs are they arise

Co-play with chn, - if they invite you

Slide 2/3

Free play – children only know what they know,  need a balance of teacher engagement

Guided play – authentic meaningful conversation

Positive effects on soc/em development.

Responding to your learners – slide of cycle.

Asking questions to plan to respond.

How do we lift up an interest?  How do we move it along?

Provocations with loose parts – books, images, to take them to a higher level of activity.

Set up problems for learners.

Then authentic play will occur.

The whole time teach thru play – observe/document to assess

Planning – rethink!

Traditional ECE planning model.

May need right equipment to find out urge/schema

Questioning 

can be annoying, interrupting,  asking questions which child cant answer, they don’t know what they are doing, feeling like they have to give a right answer

Process in  creating

NORR – notice recognise respond,

Language being used is specific to task – eg art, so language is around art learning intentions

comment, comment, comment ask

if its valued then give attention.  To learning and behaviour

inject new vocab when commenting

key language of them as a learner – key comps and values, growth mind set etc

Link with Incredible Years – descriptive comments and statements

Using comment as a way to assess

Commentator – tells it how it is – no judgment, comment only on what you can see.

Comment, then link to why – coaching statement, learning intention in coaching statement

Viewing videos:

Identify learning that is happening through play

Can use photo or

Video play and take to team meeting – analyse together, and reflect on your practice to lift play to higher level.

Teacher who does video is in charge of playing it.  Provide context.

Find curriculum, urges, key comps in play.

Footage for feedback on you or on your programme

Data collection tool

Social/emotional:

Identify skills to be taught

Plan for explicit teaching of skill – pre teach this together on mat with book, friends, taking turns etc., have your resource to do this.  Model skills to do this.

Break it down into specific steps.  Model with LA or alternative identity - puppet

Children practice the skills with peers.

Coach it in their play

Decide which skills in key comps am I going to intentionally teach.

Embedding and Sustaining Guided Play:

Practice based coaching – keep reviewing practice. 

-       self coaching via video

-       team, peer based coaching – take video to team

-       expert based

Longworth Education have a facebook page and Pinterest board.