# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Direct instruction gets educational content across quickly and may be effective for certain areas of learning. However, children are primarily passive during direct instruction, and studies show that children learn best when they're active and engaged. Therefore, real learning happens through play.

Guided play is purposeful as the teacher intentionally sets up activities with learning goals and guides the child to achieve them. Learning goals can include social, cognitive, literacy, and early math skills.

This article discusses the benefits of guided play, how it differs from free play, and examples you can use in your classroom.

Source
What is guided play?

Guided play is when an adult gets involved in a child's play activities to help them learn new skills. It's a form of play-based learning that falls between free play and direct instruction as it combines child autonomy and adult guidance. While children thrive with free play, which is voluntary, flexible, and fun, sometimes teacher support is necessary to reach specific learning goals. Guided play is also fun and engaging, but unlike free play, it focuses on a specific learning objective. With guided play, the teacher can design a setting focused on a specific learning goal and have the children explore and discover within that context. Alternatively, the teacher will watch the children play, make comments, ask questions, and encourage children to ask questions too.

Guided play vs free play

At a glance, guided play looks similar to free play, so it might be difficult to tell them apart by simply watching the children's activities. To tell them apart, it's essential to look at the teacher's role, which is more active in guided play than free play.

In guided play, the teacher intentionally plans the learning setting with specific learning goals. For example, to help children learn shapes or colors, the teacher may use building blocks in specific shapes or colors to help reinforce the concept. There are no specific learning goals for free play, so the teacher may use blocks just for the child's sake of building a structure.

During guided play, the teacher will observe the child's play and must ask open-ended questions to extend their learning. For example, " What shape is that?" or " What color is that?" or " What do you think will happen if you put it at the top? " During free play, the teacher should observe the child's activity and can ask questions too. However, they may not interact with the child unless necessary, for example, if the child asks a question or seems frustrated with the activity.

During free play and guided play, the teacher can document their findings about the child's learning by taking photographs, videos, and asking children to talk about the activity. While documentation is a "nice-to-have" for free play, guided play needs evidence of a child mastering a skill or achieving a goal.

Source
Benefits of guided play

Research indicates that guided play is a powerful vehicle for early learning. Here are some benefits of guided play:

Builds active listening skills

Children learn to pay attention and listen as they engage in guided play. Although the child controls the activity in guided play, the teacher also has a hand in directing it, so the child will need to listen to answer questions or follow instructions.

Develops a love for learning

When children are in control of their learning experience, they're not under pressure and gain confidence. In addition, they have a teacher's guidance and support, so they feel safe. This helps them develop a love for learning.

Builds problem-solving and critical thinking skills

When the teacher asks open-ended questions during the activity, the child gets to think deeper about the activity and develop ways to solve problems they might be experiencing. For example, a teacher might ask about a fallen block tower: " If we build it again, how can we change the structure so that it won't fall next time? " As a result, children will start looking at problems as challenges they can face, which will help them solve problems throughout school and life.

Builds cognitive skills

Guided play improves a child's ability to think and use reason. When children are immersed in an activity, they discover answers to questions like " What happens when I do this?" or " Does this piece go here? " Cognitive skills also help children follow instructions, use new vocabulary, name colors and shapes, and read and write.

Builds communication and social skills

Children learn to express themselves when asking the teacher questions or answering open-ended questions. They also learn to communicate and collaborate with peers as they work and navigate challenges together and make suggestions for solutions.

Source
Teacher-guided play examples

As a teacher, you can guide play by creating an environment or learning station based on a learning goal. For example, if the goal is identifying shapes, the area should have manipulatives, pictures, and activities relating to shapes. Then, when the child is in that environment, they'll lead the activity but will eventually achieve the learning goal.

Follow the child's lead, giving them autonomy to explore and allowing them to use their imagination. Control over the activity will provide them with a confidence boost, and they'll develop a love for learning. Avoid taking over or imposing suggestions.

You can also guide play by asking open-ended questions and making encouraging comments. For example, " If we mix blue with yellow, what do you think will happen?" Active observation is also essential to guiding play. It involves taking note of what fascinates the child, the skills they're learning, and their challenges. Documenting these observations with photos, videos, and children's thoughts or ideas informs your plans for future activities.

While planning guided play activities for your preschool schedule , ensure that they're quick, so that children aren't relying on you for an extended period. They should also be appropriate for each child's development level (not too easy and not too difficult). Finally, remember to include indoor and outdoor activities.

Examples of guided play activities include:

Molding playdough into different letters or numbers

Sticking numbers on a magnetic board in order from one to ten

Playing with foam or wooden shapes

Memory tray games (let children choose the objects for the tray)

Nature walks outside

Simple jigsaw puzzles

Activities that combine music and movement

Pretend play such as restaurant, hair salon, or doctor's visit

Sensory play activities that stimulate children's senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, body awareness, and balance

Play with a purpose

Guided play can support each child's individual needs and help them develop critical skills. By creating intentional opportunities for children to play, you can help them achieve specific learning goals in a hands-on setting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guided play can help children achieve learning goals. Learn the benefits and how to incorporate it into your preschool program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
References:

Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for

educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental

Science, 24(2), 97-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791

Davis, M.R. (2020, February 04). Microsoft, Verizon, and other big U.S. companies design their

ideal high school courses. Education week. https://www-edweek-org.libproxy.temple.edu/teaching-learning/microsoft-verizon-and-other-big-u-s-companies-design-their-ideal-high-school-courses/2020/02

Golinkoff, R. & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Becoming Brilliant. American Psychological Association:

Washington, D.C.

Hassinger-Das, B., Palti, I., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2020). Urban Thinkscape: Infusing

Public Spaces with STEM Conversation and Interaction Opportunities. Journal of

Cognition and Development, 21(1), 125-147.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2019.1673753

Hirsh-Pasek, K., Hadani, H., Blinkoff, E., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2020). A new path to education

reform: Playful learning promotes 21st century skills in school and beyond. The

Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/bigideas/a-new-path

LEGO. (2018). LEGO Play Well Report.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2018/august/lego-play-well-report/
Neuman, S. B., Portillo, M., & Celano, D. C. (2020). Looking for Literacy in All the Right Spaces:

The Laundromat. The Reading Teacher, 74(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1905

Ridge, K. E., Weisberg, D. S., Ilgaz, H., Hirsh-Pasek, K. A., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2015). Supermarket

Speak: Increasing Talk Among Low-Socioeconomic Status Families. Mind, Brain, and Education, 9(3), 127-135. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12081

Tamis-Lemonda, C. S., Kuchirko, Y., & Tafuro, L. (2013). From action to interaction: Infant object

exploration and mothers' contingent responsiveness. IEEE Transactions on Autonomous

Mental Development, 5(3), 202-209. [6560352].
https://doi.org/10.1109/TAMD.2013.2269905
Toub, T. S., Rajan, V., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Guided play: A solution to the

play versus learning dichotomy. In Evolutionary perspectives on child development and education (pp. 117-141). Springer, Cham.

Vandermaas-Peeler, M., Mischka, M., & Sands, K. (2019). 'What do you notice?' Parent guidance

of preschoolers' inquiry in activities at home. Early Child Development and Care, 189(2),

220-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1310724

Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Kittredge, A. K., & Klahr, D. (2016). Guided Play:

Principles and Practices. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(3), 177-182.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721416645512

Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & McCandliss, B. D. (2014). Mise en place:

Setting the stage for thought and action. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(6), 276-278.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.012

Weisleder, A., Cates, C. B., Harding, J. F., Johnson, S. B., Canfield, C. F., Seery, A. M., Raak, C. D.,

Alonso, A., Dreyer, B. P., & Mendelsohn, A. L. (2019). Links between Shared Reading and

Play, Parent Psychosocial Functioning, and Child Behavior: Evidence from a Randomized

Controlled Trial. The Journal of Pediatrics, 213, 187-195.e1.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.06.037

Zosh, J. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Hopkins, E. J., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Neale, D., Solis, S. L., &

Whitebread, D. (2018). Accessing the inaccessible: Redefining play as a spectrum.

Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1124. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The "5 W's" of Guided Play: Research-backed tips for supporting your child's play - Curious Neuron

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Katelyn Fletcher, Charlotte Wright, & Ally Masters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Iowa Reading Research Center - The University of Iowa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Editor's note: While learning at home, children can make progress toward grade-level reading and writing standards. This post is part of an ongoing series designed to help caregivers support children's and teens' literacy learning at home.
Many caregivers with young children are struggling to find the balance between working full-time and managing their new, more extensive roles as educators during home learning. This can be daunting for anyone, including experienced teachers. Caregivers should know that they are not expected to fill the shoes of children's teachers and provide hours of instruction. A few intentional 20-minute blocks of time can provide deep learning opportunities when the scene is set meaningfully.

Researchers Deena Weisberg, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Golinkoff (2013) describe this type of meaningful learning framework as "guided play," within which a caregiver can nurture children's curiosity while helping to grow their literacy and pre-literacy skills. There is a great deal of evidence that this approach has many broader benefits as well (for example, see research by Blair & Razza, 2007). For example, allowing children to take the lead on an activity creates opportunities for building organizational and problem-solving skills. This may look like a child creating a set of rules for a game or planning out how to build a fort. Additionally, imaginative play allows for lots of turn-taking, sharing, and chances to observe others' emotions. This type of play might look like a child using blocks with another person in a collaborative way or playing make-believe together. These are important skills that impact learning and relationships throughout the lifespan.

The guided play framework involves three elements:

1. Creating an Intentional Environment

This involves preparing for your play session. This can be compared to preparing ingredients before you cook (Weisberg et al., 2013), such as by pulling out the educational toys for children to use or gathering materials for scientific experimenting. It also means putting away things that are not in use so that children can be more easily guided to the selected materials.

2. Allowing Children to Lead the Activity

This can be the most challenging aspect of guided play. Adults often think teaching and learning look like an adult delivering content to a listening child. Indeed, this scenario can produce important knowledge and can be appropriate for certain subjects and situations. However, in a learning scenario led by children, they are encouraged to show curiosity and interact with the materials in their own ways. This creates the opportunity for deeper and more meaningful learning. Adults should support and participate in a way that keeps the play going but does not take charge of its direction.

3. Support Children's Learning Through Vocabulary Use and Open-Ended Questioning Techniques

Wonder aloud while the children play. Be intentional with language and use specific vocabulary words, including colors, positional words (for example, "above," "inside," "behind," "next to") and content-specific words (for example, "cylinder," "rectangle," "sequence," "length," "addition," "syllable," "rhyme," "illustration"). Ask questions about the materials that you chose specifically for the learning activity. Try to weave these questions organically into your child's play scenario. Ask open-ended questions about characters in books or that your child has created in make believe play (for example, "What would happen if...," "Why do you think the character...").

Example Guided Play Activities

Guided play offers a way to spend special time with children while supporting the development of literacy and pre-literacy skills. Here are some example guided play activities.

Snuggle up for Story Time

Have children help create a cozy reading space, perhaps by building a fort or pillow corner, that will attract children to spend time reading. Then, let children pick books to read together-as many as time allows. Ask questions about characters' feelings, what might happen next in the story, and what your children might do if they were in the same situation. These types of questions encourage higher-level thinking skills. In addition, books are an important source of complex sentence structures and new vocabulary words. Point out new words that are featured in pictures and use the words in sentences about the characters.

Make and Then Play With Homemade Play Dough

Use a favorite recipe or watch a video tutorial about no-cook play dough. Kitchen activities provide opportunities to highlight different kinds of vocabulary used in recipes and to learn measurement skills. After the play dough is made, use it to activate your child's curiosity by wondering aloud. For example, a caregiver might say, "I wonder if I could make an airplane with this!" or "I wonder if we could write your name." Then point out the letters in the child's name or create other letters. Additionally, the use of play dough strengthens the hand muscles required for fine motor skills and writing.

Alphabet Enrichment

Allow children to choose an alphabet-related toy such as plastic or magnetic letters, alphabet blocks, foam letter cards, or alphabet puzzles. While playing with the materials, use the names of the letters to talk about what they are doing, highlighting features of the letters. For example, a caregiver might say, "I see you used the A in your tower! I wonder if that works so well because it is a pointy letter." Caregivers can also narrate their own choices as they create or play alongside their children.

Using these kinds of questions and vocabulary-introduction techniques during playtime develops children's literacy and pre-literacy skills in natural ways. With practice, guided play will become second nature. The activities can become valuable tools in children's learning during and beyond this period of schooling from home.

References

Blair, C., & Razza, R. P. (2007). Relating effortful control, executive function, and false belief understanding to emerging math and literacy ability in kindergarten. Child Development, 78(2), 647-663. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01019.x

Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh‐Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Guided Play: Where Curricular Goals Meet a Playful Pedagogy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(2): 104-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12015

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting Your Children's and Teens' Home Learning: Engaging Preschool and Kindergarten-Aged children in Literacy-Focused Guided Play

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Caregivers can implement three key elements to help grow literacy and pre-literacy skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Early childhood educators have always understood the importance of play-in all its many forms-in the lives of their students. Free play is spontaneous and filled with make-believe as children pursue the fantasies of their unencumbered imaginations. A twig becomes the sword of a swashbuckling pirate, or a piece of flowing fabric is transformed into a superhero's cape or the gown of a fairy princess. Free play is entirely child directed and free of adult intervention. Guided play takes place in a purposeful environment that's been carefully planned to stimulate and support children's curiosity and creativity. As students interact with one another and the materials, teachers observe, record, confer, occasionally participate, or facilitate, and they use this information to plan next steps. However, the children decide how they will explore and interact with the materials, not the teachers.

In Renée Dinnerstein's book, Choice Time, she goes further into two the main types of play, but focuses on mainly on the implementation of inquiry-based, guided play in the classroom. She discusses the importance of play in the classroom in the video below:

"During choice time, children choose to play in a variety of centers around the room. Each center has been carefully designed and equipped to support play and inquiry that will nurture children's growth and development. The materials and activities in each center change over time in response to students' needs and interests and the academic focus of the curriculum. Examples of common centers are dramatic play, art, science, math, building (blocks and Legos), and music."

Renée Dinnerstein (@RDinnerstein) has almost 50 years experience as an early childhood educator, teaching in both Italy and in the United States. She is a past member of the Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project Early Childhood Reading 'think tank', and has worked as an Early Childhood Staff Developer in the New York City Department of Education, where she helped write the New York City Pre-Kindergarten Standards. Visit her online at investigatingchoicetime.com.

To learn more about Choice Time, and to download a sample chapter from the book, please click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guided Play in the Classroom: Where Teaching and Play Intersect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guided Play in the Classroom: Where Teaching and Play Intersect