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PLAY-BASED
LEARNING IN
KINDERGARTEN
COLCHESTER ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
Play promotes all the requisite 21st
century skills – academic, interpersonal
and intrapersonal skills as well as the
cognitive rigor which is required for
thinking and working in today’s world.
(Mind in the Making – Galinsky 2010;
Hess 2015)
JUST LIKE THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOL, THE PURPOSE
OF PLAY IS TO SHAPE THE BRAIN, GROW FLEXIBILITY,
DEVELOP POSITIVE EMOTIONAL ORIENTATION, GROW
RESILIENCE AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO DEAL WITH
COMPLEX SITUATIONS.
WHAT WE TEACH MIGHT NOT BE A CHOICE, BUT HOW
WE TEACH IT CAN BE. SIMILAR TO BALANCED
LITERACY, WE NEED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR BALANCED PLAY IN THE CLASSROOM.
WHY PLAY?
Use of executive function skills
Opportunity to engage in strategic thinking
which increases cognitive rigor
Play can be relevant to real-life
Problem solving and creativity
Vocabulary development
Oral language development
Communicating and sharing ideas
Provides a sense of belonging, significance
and fun (3 basic human needs)
“PLAY ISN’T A LUXURY.
IT’S A NECESSITY.”
-PURPOSEFUL PLAY; MRAZ, PORCELLI, TYLER 2016
Clear alignment to Early Learning and Development
Standards (ELDS) & Common Core State Standards
Aligns to exemplary practices in the CCT rubric
21st Century Skills:
Creativity Collaboration
Problem Solving Communication
Analytic thinking Ethics, action, and accountability
PLAY HELPS BUILD
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
Attention and focus Flexibility
Emotional self-management Self-monitoring
Prioritizing/planning Self-control
Organizing Working Memory
Reasoning/Reflection Cognitive Flexibility
Critical analysis Thinking “outside
the box”
WHAT IS THE TEACHER’S ROLE
IN PLAY?
Intentional planning
Setting the environment for play
Joining and extending play: asking guiding questions
Encouraging persistence
Individualizing supports around play
Giving feedback
Helping students problem solve
Create challenges
Observe, document, and assess
STEPS TAKEN AT CES
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER LEADER AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ATTENDED A SERIES OF
WORKSHOPS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS DURING THE 23-24 SY.
WE READ THE BOOK PURPOSEFUL PLAY OVER THE SUMMER. EACH K TEACHER HAS A COPY
OF THIS BOOK AS WELL.
WORKED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP TRAINING MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STAFF TO
PARTICIPATE IN IN AUGUST AND THROUGHOUT THE FALL.
PURPOSEFUL PLAY IS INCORPORATED INTO LEARNING CENTERS DURING LITERACY AND
MATH SMALL GROUP. WE ARE ENHANCING THESE PLAYFUL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
THIS YEAR.
TO EXTEND AND BROADEN PLAY OPPORTUNITIES, A 30 MINUTE PURPOSEFUL PLAY BLOCK
HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE KINDERGARTEN SCHEDULES.
ALL KINDERGARTEN CLASSES BEGIN THEIR DAY WITH FREE PLAY.
THE KINDERGARTEN TEAM HAS WORKED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP PROVOCATIONS AND
SCENARIOS THAT CONNECT TO OUR ELA, MATH, SCIENCE, AND SS CURRICULUM.
CES IS A PART OF THE PLAY-BASED LEARNING LEADERSHIP COHORT THIS YEAR.
CES PARTICIPATED IN GLOBAL SCHOOL PLAY DAY ON FEBRUARY 5TH.
PLAY-BASED LEARNING
ROLL-OUT
Trimester 1: Free play and the teacher’s role
during free play
Trimester 2: Provocations and beginning to
work on introducing scenarios
Trimester 3: Scenarios
Throughout the year - add in playful learning
experiences during ELA and math small group
time.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT AS WE IMPLEMENT
THIS STATE INITIATIVE THAT
WE BELIEVE IS BEST FOR
CHILDREN!