“Play should be in every classroom, for every child, every day.”
That’s the ideal and the theory in the new Primary Curriculum Framework but how do we make it a reality in every classroom – especially in upper primary? Is play a leading teaching methodology in all our classrooms or do teachers feel that play is merely for children in lower primary?
While ‘play’ can often appear as spontaneous or ‘fun’, it has deep cognitive, social and emotional learning values when understood and applied appropriately in educational settings.
One of the dictionary definitions of play is ‘an exercise or activity for amusement or recreation‘. From that perspective, we can see how the language of play could be misleading for teachers, parents and children, especially if they interpret it solely as a ‘light-hearted’ or ‘unstructured’ activity, rather than recognising and defining it as a powerful tool for learning for all children.
Here is how I have approached ‘talking about play’ with my class of older children.
Focus on the cognitive benefits
If children appear to be having a lot of fun with something, we can also assume they are engaged with the activity.
As teachers under pressure to cover a lot of content, we can all underestimate the cognitive benefits of playful learning. We may perceive play as a break from ‘real’ learning, for older children, not realising that through play, children of all ages develop critical skills such as problem-solving, creativity and social interaction.
Play-based learning, if implemented thoughtfully, involves complex cognitive processes that are essential for development, yet the term ‘play’ may not fully capture these aspects.
The high level engagement that a child can have with a playful activity is the key with understanding how we can use and better develop play in the classroom.
Rethink structured delivery and outcomes.
Play isn’t just about fun—it’s about engagement, exploration and experiential learning in pursuit of the learning outcomes.
As teachers, we will often fall back on well established structures and classroom management routines to ensure systematic coverage and also, perhaps, to help manage risks but perhaps this is at the cost of optimal learner engagement.
There can often be a misconception about the structure of play in the classroom. While play can be associated with freedom and lack of structure, many forms of classroom oriented play (e.g. guided play or structured play) can have quite specific learning outcomes.
We may mistakenly think that play requires less intentional teaching or planning when, in fact, it can be highly effective when designed with specific educational goals in mind.
Talk about different kinds of play
Perhaps instead of focussing on the word ‘play’ itself, teachers, parents and all those involved in education could embrace other terms.
The different types of playful learning experience can often be overlooked. We may not distinguish between different kinds of play (e.g. free play, guided play, or games with rules) and their varying levels of instructional value. Understanding how different types of play can contribute to planned learning outcomes can help teachers use play more intentionally.
To avoid these misconceptions, we need to recognise that play is a complex and multifaceted approach to learning, with both explicit and implicit benefits for children’s development.
When framed correctly and communicated with children, the language of play can be a powerful tool for fostering engagement and learning. Here are some alternative high level terms and phrases that we could aim to include in our classroom dialogues and teaching lexicon when we want to be ‘playful’.
- Active,
- Explore
- Full body,
- Immersive,
- Investigate,
- Experiential,
- Learning by doing,
- ‘Hands on’ and ‘minds on’ learning
An in depth discussion and brainstorm with older children could expand on these terms with examples. You could perhaps use the discussion to develop a ‘word wall’ or display that can be referred to when talking about how a class could approach an activity in different ways. The benefits and opportunities for the children won’t be long emerging.
Here are some more phrases and ideas that you could use to encourage playful approaches and thinking with older children.
More reflections on play centred learning from Gillian:
https://www.instagram.com/the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher
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