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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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