TBCS - Learning Through Play: My Why - Judy-Anne

I have been meaning to get to developing my why for ages now. So many ideas floating it has been hard to put them together. I guess I wanted to be able to come up with a 'one sentence wonder' and maybe it will take more than that.
I want to be able to put together ideas from a number of people and meld them into my own foundation.

Nathan Mikaere Wallis - Brain wave Trust
How a child sees themselves is crucial
Oral language for under 7's is vital
Boys particularly benefit from play-based learning
Creativity is linked to resilience and intelligence
Most learning is done through play


Leslee Allen- Number Agents
“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.” -Leo F. Buscaglia

We are so busy preparing children to be successful adults that we forget to embrace the brilliance of a child. Their honesty, often to the point of bluntness; their openness to new learning; their inquisitiveness; their quirky senses of humour and the way they can belly laugh at just about anything. Their ability to freely use their imaginations without the constraints of reality; their intelligence to be able to turn the tiniest, most obscure thing into a wonderful world of play; their inventiveness and their ability to truly be absorbed in the moment. Their innate ability to embrace difference; and their dispositions of wonder and joy. Not to mention their overwhelming ability to forgive. Children gradually learn to modify these behaviours to become what they think we need them to be, but maybe it is us that should be modifying ourselves. The world needs the qualities of a child, now more than ever. Bringing play back to classrooms could be just the answer we are looking for.

Leslee Allen Perhaps instead of a definition it would be useful to think of the components of what play looks like an environment that values child led play. Joy, wondering, child led discussion, children’s interests genuinely guiding learning, teacher as follower/provoker rather than director, developmental awareness, timetable free, narrative assessment valued, inside/outside, high trust, mutual agreement between learners and teacher. Not sure if I’m really making any point here lol, but perhaps you get what I mean? Just typing on my phone off the top of my head.

Longworth Education
Conversation is critical
Peer to peer conversations correlate to children's achievement
Developmentally appropriate response to the learning needs of students
Age and stage don't necessarily link!
Vygotsky and Piaget
Emotional intelligence is built
When engaged in authentic play, children are more likely to develop higher order cognitive and socio-emotional skills, particularly through problem solving

Tara O'Neill - Learning Through Play facebook page
 The learning comes through the authentic play. ‘Learning through play’.
Some schools get freaked out simply by the word ‘play’. It’s just simply developmentally appropriate inquiry 🤷‍♀️ not scary. I’m with you on validating the word.
Tash Dunne





Paula Jamieson - Play, Make, Create

Five proven benefits of play:
Healthy brain development
Reduces obesity and associated diseases, particularly if children are running, jumping and climbing
Helps children manage stress
Helps families bond
Contributes to academic skills, in particular language development and general knowledge
From https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52136/five-proven-benefits-of-play




In Room 1 we are Learning Through Play to help encourage critical, creative, innovative thinkers who are engaging in their learning in a developmentally appropriate way. There should be lots of talking, movement and creativity.

producing critianinnovative thinkers.

produtical, creative anthin

I am most keen on the idea of free play and have become more comfortable letting the children play outside, within the boundaries / rules we have set.
I am interested to see what ideas I get out of this Fridays workshop and whether that might change my thinking.

Currently we are in camp week so there is plenty of playing occurring.
Next week we will be back to a more normal programme. This involves lots of free play, individual reading time, class writing with varied goals, class and group maths.
I have some new plans for writing / phonics with some of the less advanced children.




Next steps:

• Play, Make Create workshop on Friday
• E modules through Longworth Education