For Young Kids, The Power of Play-Based Learning
For Young Kids, The Power of Play-Based Learning
For Young Kids, The Power of Play-Based Learning
August 5, 2022
By Andrew Boryga
Summary
Students, even our youngest students, should be "Playing" at home.
Incorporating key elements of play-like wonder, exploration, and student agency-into loosely structured lessons that are gently supported by teachers provides an "Optimal" approach for students, according to the researchers.
In a successful play-based learning class, teachers often have a clear "Learning goal" behind the play they let students engage in ahead of time, according to the Cambridge study.
To teach students how colors can be mixed to form new colors, you might avoid giving students instructions to mix specific colors and instead model one example and then allow them to make their own combinations.
One way to make sure that students are playing with purpose is to structure your classroom with deliberate spaces or centers containing materials, games, or objects intentionally chosen for students to engage with and make sense of.
Effective play-based learning should be child-led when possible and give students "Freedom and choice over their actions and play behavior," the researchers assert.
Their findings suggest that the level of autonomy being given to students in play-based learning scenarios is often less than the amount needed to "Cultivate children's agency, motivation, and curiosity."
Reference
Boryga, A. (2022, August 05). For young kids, the power of play-based learning. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/young-kids-power-play-based-learning