Education
LEARNING THROUGH PLAY: Utilizing Play & Choice to Enhance Learning in Elementary Classrooms.
Course No. ED475x, ED575x
Learning through play is a developmentally appropriate and essential activity for young learners. Opportunities for play and choice in elementary classrooms are dwindling, yet there are enormous benefits of utilizing structured play. While it is especially important in preschool and Kindergarten settings, research shows that students up to fifth grade benefit from regular play in their schedules. And best of all: children enjoy and engage easily in it! The slides and videos within this course will:
- Describe what “play” means and the types that might be observed or utilized in the classroom.
- Give suggestions on how to support play in an elementary classroom
- Describe and give examples of how play can benefit social development
- Provide examples of how play can support academic instruction
This course utilizes the fantastic text Purposeful Play, by Kristine Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler to guide the understanding of play and its use in elementary classrooms, available for roughly $22-28 on Amazon.
This course is appropriate for teachers K-5.
| We advise you to review and download the course syllabus before registering. | Syllabus |
- Explored the historical and developmental basis for utilizing play in a classroom.
- Learned about the different types, stages, and elements of play and considered which they have already observed or might observe in a classroom setting.
- Discovered strategies for specifically structuring and supporting playful situations
- Examined the benefit of play on learning.
- Explored ways in which play can support rigorous academic standards
- Modified lesson plans to incorporate student choice, student interest, and playful strategies to support academic and social goals.
