# data[].attributes.headline
Seeme & Liz—Learning through play in a child's early years

# data[].attributes.subject
Seeme & Liz—Learning through play in a child's early years

# data[].attributes.body
A website which provides parenting and child development information and blogs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Featuring the best learning toys for babies, toddlers and kids!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Seeme and Liz is dedicated to teaching parents and educators to encourage a child's learning through play. Learning toys should not teach academic skills, rather they should foster problem solving, language development and social skills. These are all precursors for skills required later in life, including school success.

# data[].attributes.body
This website provides articles on how to intentionally connect play and learning, ideas to share with families, and the latest research about learning and play

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Play is an important part of children's learning and development. Find articles on how to intentionally connect play and learning, ideas to share with families, and the latest research about learning and play.

# data[].attributes.body
Kathleen Bennett deMarrais, Patricia A. Nelson, & Jill H. Baker. (1992). Meaning in Mud: Yup'ik Eskimo Girls at Play. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 23(2), 120-144.

# data[].attributes.body
Jirata, T. J. (2012). Learning through play: An ethnographic study of children's riddling in Ethiopia. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 272-286

# data[].attributes.body
Malaby, T. M. (2009). Anthropology and play: The contours of playful experience.  New Literary History ,  40 (1), 205-218.

# data[].attributes.body
Bowen, Z. (2015). Play on the mother-ground: children’s games in rural Odisha.  South Asian History and Culture ,  6 (3), 330-347.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Play on the mother ground children s games in rural Odisha

# data[].attributes.body
This site offers information, resources, and support for early childhood teachers, educators, and kaiako working with Te Whāriki, the early learning curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Te Whāriki includes two pathways. Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum and Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo.

Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo is an indigenous framework immersed in te reo Māori for Te Kōhanga Reo. Te Whāriki Early Childhood Curriculum is a bicultural framework for early childhood services. They are not translations of each other. Both have equal status and mana in their own right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nau mai haere mai, find resources to support kaiako and early years educators with implementing Te Whāriki on this Ministry of Education site.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Through Play: A Review of the Evidence

# data[].attributes.body
This white paper summarises current evidence on the role and importance of children’s learning through play.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning through Play has 13,107 members. A group for teachers and other education professionals to discuss ideas, research and practice of Play in Education with the goal of improving the...

# data[].attributes.headline
Play misunderstood: the divide between primary classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Play misunderstood: the divide between primary classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Sarah Aiono of Longworth Education explains that a successful play-based learning environment requires a level of skill by teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The use of play as a teaching and learning tool in the primary classroom is growing momentum in New Zealand. Teachers of children in years 1-3 are now recognising the need to respond to their students in a more developmentally appropriate manner at a time when more and more children are struggling to fit the mould that once was the traditional classroom.

Yet many of these teachers report a key barrier to effectively implementing a learning-through-play approach in their classroom to be that of their school management team and colleagues. Principals and senior managers question teachers on their ability to meet targets for identified at-risk learners, to report against the National Standards, to forward plan appropriately, and to respond to parents who air their concerns when faced with a child exclaiming that they went to school and 'played all day'.

The use of play as a pedagogical tool is misunderstood by those unfamiliar with the research base supporting its use in schools. For many managers, the first thought that comes to mind when a teacher announces the return to play in the classroom may be in fact some wild re-enactment of a Home Alone scene, while the classroom teacher sits in their office quietly checking their Facebook account. This could not be further from the truth.

The art of teaching through play requires skill and professional expertise often underutilised in our classroom teachers. Teaching and learning through play looks very different from the 'free play' images often flashing before the eyes of principals and parents alike. Teachers working within these environments must skilfully walk a fine line between teacher-directed activities and child-directed learning (Robinson & Aronica, 2015).

The strategic use of direct teaching is one key feature of a play-based learning environment and yet it is often abandoned first as teachers new to the pedagogy explore the concepts around child-directed play. Typically, teachers tend to swing to the opposite end of the pendulum, abandoning all routines and rules, and direct teaching. This 'unassisted' play amounts to the types of 'free play' many think of when the use of play in schools is described to them. Children engaged in play in this format do not typically make significant progress in their learning, as their exposure to new knowledge and skills is only limited to opportunities presented to them in their play by their peers, who often do not have a different knowledge set of their own (Alfieri, Brooks, Aldrich, & Tenenbaum, 2011).

Yet, key to successful learning-through-play pedagogy is the balance a teacher provides between child-led play and the deliberate acts of teaching during the school day - knowing when to gift knowledge to students at the point of meaningful absorption and understanding and when to stay silent for fear of interrupting the magic of the play (Hirsh-Pasek & Galinkoff, 2011). The 'spray-and-walk-away' technique requires a high level of skill by teachers not easily understood by school management.

A second misunderstood strategy used within play-based settings is the art of provocation. Many teachers, when coming to terms with play being student-directed and student-chosen will then step back from any teacher-initiated activities whatsoever. The use of provocation allows a new set of eyes on an event, resource or phenomenon. It is also a useful tool to encourage children to explore areas of the curriculum they would not otherwise do so within their play (Johnson, 2015).

Teachers in a play-based learning environment must continually observe and reflect on the play before them, knowing when to introduce provocations that may serve to lift the cognitive and social skills being explored within the play itself while ensuring that they do not take over or commandeer the direction of the play at all. This collaborative learning relationship is far removed from the 'free-play' approaches and demands a knowledge of The New Zealand Curriculum and/or Te Whāriki that many classroom teachers do not have in the current teaching climate.

Traditionally classroom teachers establish clear achievement objectives and learning intentions focused around targeted areas of the curriculum. They assess pre-knowledge, teach to these intentions and then reassess post-unit. This allows teachers to teach 'to' the curriculum, managing the content and knowledge shared during the unit of work. Teaching through play requires teachers to draw on their observational skills and curriculum knowledge in order to identify the learning occurring within the children's play. Children, through their play, will naturally inquire about the world around them (Gray, 2013).

The New Zealand Curriculum provides a freedom for teachers to be able to connect the learning occurring in front of them with not only the learning areas but the key competencies, values and principles of this document. The challenge for teachers new to the use of play is to know what learning they are looking at within the play; to be able to correctly document this, analyse their observations against the curriculum document, and articulate the learning clearly and concisely to both parents and management alike.

This approach to the planning and assessment of play against the wider school curriculum is unfamiliar to many involved in the primary school sector and becomes a significant barrier between teachers wishing to implement the pedagogy and senior managers meeting their responsibilities of targets and documentation.

The process of embedding effective learning-through-play pedagogy within a primary school environment is challenging for both the classroom teacher and their senior managers. The significant knowledge and skill required by this approach takes time to grow. New Zealand teachers wishing to journey into play need the support from their managers to build their professional knowledge and capabilities as part of a structured approach to their new learning. This approach is far from simple to implement, and requires support through time, access to professional learning opportunities and networking with others on a similar path for these skills to grow.

However, it is not only the classroom teacher embarking on this learning journey into play. Senior managers, once classroom teachers themselves, also have challenges to overcome in their own knowledge base in order to be able to confidently support their teachers' classroom programmes. They require the same amount of time to research, comprehend and understand the practical application of the approach. Furthermore, often being the 'face' of the school community, they must feel confident in being able to field any questions or concerns by their parent community.

Senior managers must be able to distinguish successful learning-through-play classroom programmes from those of lesser quality, and to do this, they must first have a grasp on the principles and practices of the pedagogy. In their role as appraiser, they must be able to ensure the systems for documenting and reporting on learning in their schools not only meet the mandated requirements, but are also true to the evidence base that supports appropriate assessment of learning through play.

Within a school environment determined to embed play as a tool for curriculum delivery, it must be acknowledged that there is significant learning required of all parties involved. Teachers at the chalkface need to develop a high level of both knowledge and skill to successfully implement teaching and learning through play reflecting the evidence base underlying its use.

Managers need to be able to confidently identify the successful implementation of play in classrooms, identifying which is 'good' practice and which is not. They also need to be able to juggle the principles of play against the current climate of reporting and assessment requirements.

For this to result in a school climate achieving the desired outcomes of a learning-through-play approach, all players in the process must journey together. They must work as a team to embed the new knowledge gained in their professional learning and continue to communicate, without prejudice, about the rocky journey ahead. It is only then that play will become far less misunderstood.

Alfieri, L., Brooks, P.J., Aldrich, N.J., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2011). Supplemental material for Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(1), 1-18

Gray, P. (2013). Free to learn: Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R.M. (2011). The great balancing act: Optimising core curricula through playful learning. In E. Zigler, W.S. Gilliam, & W.S. Barnett (Eds.), The pre-K debate: Current controversies and issues (pp. 110-115). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Johnson, P. (2015). Grounds for Learning: Schoolyard Activities as Provocations, Scaffolds and

Mediators for Childhood Learning. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 33(1), 57-59, 2017 57.

Robinson, K., & Aronica, L. (2015). Creative schools. New York, NY: Viking.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Play misunderstood: the divide between primary classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The use of play as a teaching and learning tool in the primary classroom is growing momentum in New Zealand. Teachers of children in years 1-3 are now recognising the need to respond to their students in a more developmentally appropriate manner at a time when more and more children are struggling to fit the mould that once was the traditional classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As an adult, Albert Einstein remembered a pivotal event in his life that inspired his interest in scientific discovery. He was four or five years old and stuck in bed with a childhood illness when his father handed him a magnetic pocket compass to play with. He spend hour twisting the compass, wondering how the needle always knew to point towards the north.

The book Internet Invention: From Literacy to Electracy , quotes Albert Einstein on how playing with that compass inspired his love of science. "I can still remember," he wrote, "that this experience made a deep and lasting impression on me. Something deeply hidden had to be behind things."

As a parent, you probably love to see your child playing. It's incredible to hear their ideas and to learn about the new worlds they create. It's also fun to see how creative they can be as they put their imagination to use in learning about the world around them.

Play is far more powerful for children, however, than many parents realize. It's actually the key to learning. Researchers and educators across the world have found that play can help enrich learning and develop key skills such as inquiry, expression, experimentation, and teamwork.

What is Meaningful Play?

Schools that use the Montessori education focus on encouraging children to learn through "meaningful play." According to the book, From Play to Practice: Connecting Teachers' Play to Children's Learning, "meaningful play" has five characteristics. It:

1. Gives the child a choice about what he or she wants to do

2. Feels fun and enjoyable for the child

3. Evolves spontaneously, rather than giving kids a script to follow

4. Is driven by intrinsic motivation about what the child wants to do

5. Creates a risk-free environment where kids can experiment and try new ideas.

In meaningful play, children are active participants. For example, instead of passively taking in a lesson, children take on roles alongside their peers and respond to the other children according to the rules of play that they've created.

While "rules" may seem counterintuitive to the idea of free, voluntary play, a system of mental rules is actually one of the other key features of play. Children may state these explicitly, form them collaboratively or follow a selected leader, or have an inherent sense of what governs the terms of their playful engagement. This active, pleasurable negotiation of rules and symbols can offer a number of learning benefits.

How Do Children Learn Through Play?

In her TedX Talk talk, Professor Doris Fromberg, Director of Early Childhood Teacher Education at Hofstra University, explains why play is such an important part of the learning process for children.

We need to consider that young children learn in quite different ways [than adults]. They learn by comparing physical experiences, by interactions with other people and their own feelings. And they learn an enormous amount through their imagination.... Play is what pulls together the logical and creative parts of the brain.

For young children, play is often a full body activity that helps them develop skills they will need later in life. Running, dancing, climbing, rolling-these activities all foster muscle development and help fine-tune motor skills. Children also build their mental and emotional muscles as they create elaborate, imaginative worlds rich with a system of rules that govern the terms of play.

University of Denver researchers Elena Bodrova, Carrie Germeroth, and Deborah J. Leong found that children teach themselves to regulate their emotions and think before they act when they play. For example, if a child is pretending to be Olaf from Frozen, they may pretend they're melting when they come inside or insist that they like warm hugs. In each case, they consider how their actions will correlate with how Olaf should act in a given situation.

This role playing helps children build social skills and helps them become the kind of adults who are able to thrive in a range of personal and professional environments.

Why It's Important to Include Play in the Classroom

In an academic setting, play can also help children learn and grow. Teacher-initiated play is a close cousin to inquiry based learning. At Whitby, our early child educators ask children questions about the rules and process that govern the play, and then encourage children to make connections to the wider world through their own body of knowledge.

Dr. Angeline S. Lillard, author of Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, wrote about about how Maria Montessori encouraged educators to use play as a part of the learning process.

[In a Montessori classroom] teachers guide learning within structures but do so playfully and loosely, with particular focus on the goals they have in mind... the Montessori education resembles playful learning.

We've seen this at Whitby. When we take a play-based approach to combining different subjects, we've found that teachers can create an educational experience greater than the sum of its parts. Students learn critical thinking skills, develop their language abilities, expand their range of knowledge and increase their social emotional awareness-all without realizing how much they're learning.

Maximize Learning Through Play

From offering children a chance to ask questions, problem solve, work collaboratively and conduct structured experimentation, play is a key component of learning at Whitby. One way that Whitby teachers bring a sense of play into the classroom is by taking an activity-based approach to nearly every subject.

For example, when our teachers read a book aloud, they encourage young students to turn each page and follow each word with their fingers. They can also prompt students to talk to each other about the content, and to talk about the associations it sparks from their own lives. Teachers also engage kids' imaginations and sense of curiosity by asking "What do you think will happen next?"

Students are also given an opportunity to bring stories to life through dramatic play. When children are given opportunities to act out scenes and express themselves, they improve their social confidence, increase their ability to see the perspectives of others and increase the attention they give to the literature.

Play gives children a chance to practice what they're learning.
- Fred Rogers

At Whitby, we seek to teach children that learning is not just a formal activity they do in the classroom-it's actually a lot of fun! One of our goals is to give kids opportunities to wonder, question, work as a team, experiment, play with different possibilities and investigate subjects that interest them. For example, in our 3D printing class, educators give students the opportunity to design an object from their imagination. Then they ask students to explain, "Why did you make that?" "What did you make it out of? What is the purpose of that object?"

This teacher engagement supports children in their creativity, while also challenging them to think about why they chose to create an object. It also requires them to think through the challenges they solved in creating it and helps them become more confident in their problem solving abilities.

Help Your Child Learn Through Play

Our goal at Whitby is to help students learn to ask questions, express themselves, collaborate with others, and take creative risks. We also want them to retain their natural curiosity and to never lose the excitement of learning something new. All those things are achieved by making learning fun for children.

Find out more about how you can help your child learn during our upcoming Parents as Partners parenting classes. We will be presenting on "Play as a Powerful Learning Tool" on Thursday, March 17. Click the link below to attend.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As an adult, Albert Einstein remembered a pivotal event in his life that inspired his interest in scientific discovery. He was four or five years old and stuck in bed with a childhood illness when his father handed him a magnetic pocket compass to play with.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning through play (LEGO) UNICEF, 2018

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning through play (LEGO) UNICEF, 2018

# data[].attributes.body
Strengthening learning through play in early childhood education programmes

# data[].attributes.body
Magee, M. A., & Sutton-Smith, B. (1983). The art of storytelling: How do children learn it?. Young Children , 38 (4), 4-12.

# data[].attributes.body
Darwish, D., Esquivel, G. B., Houtz, J. C., & Alfonso, V. C. (2001). Play and social skills in maltreated and non-maltreated preschoolers during peer interactions. Child abuse & neglect, 25 (1), 13-31.