Play at St Michael’s Lutheran Primary School March 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
St Michael’s Lutheran Primary School Reception-‐Year 7 14 classes 350 children Junior Primary incorporates Reception-‐Year 3 Play is programmed for in Reception-‐Year 3 In 2011 we have 2 classes at each year level from R-‐3.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Play at St Michael’s Focus since 2006 Looked at ways to include play into units of inquiry Slow progress over first few years due to : •not enough information available to teachers •resources not known •the change in teachers each year •the pressure on time for organising and implementing play.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What is play? Play is – Intrinsically motivated and therefore necessarily involves choice Is process oriented rather than product oriented Non-‐literal and may remove children from the here and now, allows them to be what they want to be and to use imagination Enjoyable (Johnson, Christie, & Yawkey, 1987 as cited in Stone, 1995)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What are the types of play? Functional play
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Types of play Constructive play
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Types of play Dramatic play
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Types of play Games with rules
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How does play help children ? Cognitive Development Social Development Emotional Development Physical Development
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Why is play important? Play is: -‐ open-‐ended -‐ may take many forms -‐ transdisciplinary
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Why children need to play at school? Inquiry involves the synthesis, analysis and manipulation of
knowledge, whether through play for early childhood students or through more formally structured learning in the rest of the primary years. The teachers of the younger students need to be mindful of
the role of the learning environment when presenting provocations to the students, for them to wonder at, and be curious about, and to stimulate purposeful play.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Why children need to play at school? School is for helping children learn how to learn , and that play is a central component to active learning. (Linn, 2008)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
How play encourages creativity ?
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Fostering creativity Relaxing adult controls Not overcrowding children with organised activities Allow time
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What are people saying about play?
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What are people saying about creativity?
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
How can we integrate play into the curriculum? Unit of inquiry Stand alone units
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How is the play spiral used in a unit of inquiry?
Moyles, R.(1989)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What experiences do children need to play successfully? Children can’t play what they don’t know. They need experiences to draw upon which can provide the details for their play experiences.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
This means constantly looking for opportunities for the children to have real experiences through: excursions objects that we can bring into the classroom experts we can bring into the classroom resources that can be brought in and shared from home. Videos and books are also a great stimulus for play.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What are the benefits of play? As a staff we compiled the benefits play provides opportunities for: ·∙ Building on prior knowledge ·∙ Fostering language development ·∙ Promoting social skills ·∙ Helping children move beyond their comfort zones and beyond previously mastered learning ·∙ Developing fine and gross motor skills ·∙ Developing critical thinking and problem solving skills ·∙ Thinking creatively and flexibly ·∙ Facilitating meaningful learning experiences ·∙ Building self-‐esteem and resilience ·∙ Reducing the stress associated with learning in more conventional contexts
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What is the adult’s role in play? Planning for play Encouraging play Involve oneself Not a time to do other
work such as mark books or listening to children read
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
What are the advantages and challenges of play based inquiry? Play based inquiry Advantages Particularly suited for early learners Non-‐threatening and open ended – allowing each child to explore at their own pace and level Promotes decision making, independent and small group interaction Can involve a high level of sustained and focused dialogue between students, and between teachers and students. Highly engaging due to the direct nature of the play. Challenges Can be limited by the availability of stimulating materials or by teachers’ uncertainty. Teachers’ questioning skills need to be of a high level. Systematic monitoring and record keeping required. (Murdoch & Wilson, 2004)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
References Bodrova, E & Leong, D.J (2001) Tools of the Mind: A case study of implementing the Vygotskian approach in American Early Childhood and Primary Classrooms. Switzerland: International Bureau of Education. Elkind, D (2007) The Power of Play How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. International Baccalaureate Organization(IBO). (2007) Making the PYP happen. Chippenham, Wiltshire: Antony Rowe Ltd. Honore, C (2008) Under Pressure Putting the child back in childhood. London: Orion Books Ltd. Linn, S (2008). The Case for Make Believe Saving Play in a Commercialized World. New York: The New Press. Moyles, J.R(1989) Just Playing? The role and status of play in early childhood education. Berkshire, U.K: Open University Press. Murdoch & Wilson (2004) Learning Links Strategic teaching for the learner-‐centred classroom. Carlton South, VIC: Curriculum Corporation. Stone, S.J (1995) Wanted: Advocates for Play in the Primary Grades. Flagstaff AZ: Young Child.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011