1. Planning for Learning (through play)
P1 /P2 Teachers
The notes are my thoughts on print apologies if they are rambling or repetitive at times its just the way the head works
The purpose of the cluster session is really to encourage teachers to look at play in a different way, play as a method of promoting learning.
They will get the opportunity look at play, its importance and significance in the learning process, to explore briefly the play file and to ‘plan for learning through play’ in a practical way through a workshop activity.
NB Nearly all references are taken from the play files ( both) it is important to credit them as an excellent resource, well laid out, easily accessible and a very important document for teachers. The Foundation stage teachers would benefit from accessing the KEY stage 1 file

2. Aims
To raise awareness of the importance of play in the context of learning
To experience planning for  learning through play and play based activities
It is important that we make the connection between learning and play, for too long play has been seen as an extra activity removed from the context of learning. The session today hopes to make that connection more explicit
We aim to consider how we plan for learning through play, previously we have thought about planning for play now we have to plan for learning through play almost using ‘play’ as a teaching strategy
We also need to consider how children learn, the process that occurs when learning takes place and how we can ensure that ‘learning’ is important, relevant, and meaningful to the child also that deep learning becomes embedded in the child understanding

3. Rationale
‘The Northern Ireland Curriculum aims to empower young people to achieve their potential and to make informed and responsible decisions throughout their lives’
Big Picture Primary Curriculum
Make reference to the NI Curriculum This is the ideal time to consider our current practice and make any adjustments or changes that would support learning and teaching

4. Quotes
‘ Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child's soul.’
Friedrich Froebel
‘Sometimes people forget that play is learning and learning is play.’
Peter Dixon
Talk about the holistic nature of the NI curriculum it is not about teaching in isolation but about developing the child
Probably over the years play has been talk about in a derogatory way – stop playing and get on with your work, stop playing around, one of the challenges that we face is in raising the profile of play
Maybe we need to prefix play with – scientific, investigative, experimental, creative, dramatic etc to make more explicit the purpose
Stress that children learn through play, that the two are so closely connected, children learn by doing, using all the senses. Learning is an intrinsically emotional experience, if it feels good you want more. It has to be both pleasurable and enjoyable for a child to actively seek it out The result will be the development positive habits and dispositions to life long learning

5. Learning Through Play Play;
Develops the fundamental skills of literacy, numeracy and oral communication
Provides rich and varied contexts for developing skills such as observing, organising, recording, interpreting and predicting
Promotes positive attitudes to schools and to learning
Provides opportunities to work in a practical way
Make links with the RC NI curriculum, learning areas etc
All taken from the play file
Sets out very clearly the importance , value and significance of play
Think of communication skills, the using and applying of knowledge and skills, the application of, the making sense of.
Consider the importance of trialling, having a go, testing out a hypothesis, to do this you need to have the opportunity to work with real, concrete objects
Think about TS&PC managing information, working with others, self management, being creative all of this is possible to develop in both teacher led and child initiated play based activities ( consider the home corner, group work that demands child assign to themselves roles and responsibilities etc) Working freely in a situation where judgements are not made encourages risk taking, predicting
Thinking of PDMU the strands that cover self- esteem, confidence, relationships with self and other etc
Making sense of the learning, putting ‘things into practice’, the doing , having go

6. Learning Through Play
Provides opportunities for developing movement and manipulative skills
Develops natural curiosity and stimulates imagination
Provides opportunities for exploration, investigation, problem solving and decision –making
Provides opportunities to develop knowledge understanding and skills through a range of contexts spanning all subjects in the curriculum
The development of fine and gross motor skills, physical development, skills of dexterity to enable children’s handwriting to develop etc
The opportunities that allow a child to use and develop their imagination (creative story writing, poetry the creative thinker who thinks outside the box, the inventor who breaks the rules to come up with new ideas)
That excitement in learning the, the inquisition that leads children to ask why? What if? The scientific question that lead to exploration and investigation and critical thinking
The ability to connect learning, to use the learning to solve problems, to make sense of to transfer the learning

7. Play is Important
Play promotes children’s development, learning creativity and independence
Play keeps children healthy and active – active children become active adults
Play fosters social inclusion, it helps children understand the people and places in their lives, learn about their environment and develop a sense of community.
Play is important but can sometimes be underrated as a poor relation to work they should not as opposites fighting for time but more as companions working together for the same outcome
The challenge is raising the profile of play and recognising its strength as as learning tool and having the confidence to use it as such

8. Play is Important
Play allows children to find out about themselves their abilities and their interests
Play is therapeutic, it helps children to deal with difficult or painful circumstances, such as emotional stress or medical treatments
Play gives children the chance to let off steam and have fun
This might be an opportune moment to talk child initiated play which is no less valuable than the teacher directed; it can have equally valuable learning outcomes and can provide the teacher or adult observing with a very valuable insight into how the child is functioning, the level at which they are operating, especially TS&PC and PDMU
Talk about the potent ional for PDMU and TS&PC

9. How do we do it? How do we do it?
Choose Starting points based on Plan Together
Curriculum requirements
Children’s interests/ experiences
Seasonal/ global/topical events
Media
Story/ music
Class visit/visitors
Artefacts
What do already know?
What do we want to learn?
How will we go about this?
Who/what can help us?
How do we use our findings?
How will we tell other?
How do we do it?
Demonstrate and Review Learning
Identify Learning Activities That
Meet curriculum requirements
Involve decision making and problem solving
Are practical and stimulating
Promote ad challenge thinking
Allow children to draw conclusions
Allow children to present ideas and demonstrate learning
What have I/we found out?
What did I enjoy most?
What did my friend find out?
What will I/we do next?
What might I/we done differently?
How will I demonstrate my learning?
Again from the play file, close links with the plan do review cycle
Very valuable to consider this when planning for learning through play
This is the same route that we would use when we plan for any curricular area, follows the planning cycle

10. Workshop Planning for Learning Planning for Play List of topics
Teachers to consider one of the topics and begin to plan a topic web covering all of the areas of learning, by talking and discussing possible learning intentions/ outcomes, success criteria, activities and assessment opportunities brain storm and see what ideas develop
The 2 sided play planner is introduced and teachers are encouraged to use the planner to plan for learning through play-based activities
Possible topics
Transport and Travel
Houses and Homes
The environment
Celebrations
Bugs Birds and Beasts

11. Pause for thought
‘We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.’
George Bernard Shaw
Reflection
Maybe we don’t play enough

12. The Challenge
‘ The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught but that every child should be given the wish to learn.’
John Lubbock
The way forward