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Informed by international research along with contrasting perspectives on different forms of play, this book emphasises the importance of play to children, and the opportunities that play provides for learning and development.
Parents have a unique opportunity to harness their children's curiosity and channel it into the development of habits of heart and mind that will serve them throughout their lifetime. Playful learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child's sense of joy and wonder with thoughtfully planned learning experiences.
Shows teachers how and why they should bring play into the classroom to make learning meaningful, relevant, and fun. Research studies show that all students—young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural—benefit immensely from classrooms filled with art, creativity, and laughter. Fun, playfulness, creative thinking, and individual expression reinforce positive experiences, which in turn lead to more engaged students, better classroom environments, and successful learning outcomes. Designed for K-12 educators, The Playful Classroom describes how teachers can develop a playful mindset for giving students meaningful, relevant and fun learning experiences. This unique real-world guide provides you with everything you need to incorporate engaging, hands-on lessons and creative activities, regardless of the level and subject you teach. Building on contemporary and seminal works on learning theory and play pedagogy, the authors explain how to inspire your students by bringing play. into your classroom. This clear, user-friendly guide supplies practical strategies and effective solutions for adding the missing ingredients to your classroom culture. Access to the authors’ companion website provides videos, learning experiences, and downloadable teaching and learning resources. Packed with relatable humor, proven methods, and valuable insights, this book enables you to: Provide meaningful experiences that will benefit students both in school and later in life Combine the principles of PLAY with traditional curricula to encourage creative learning Promote trust, collaboration, and growth in students Develop a playful mindset for bringing the arts into every lesson Foster critical thinking in any school community The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages is a must-have resource for K-12 educators, higher education professionals, and readers looking for education-based professional development and training resources.
Collection of play activities that support classroom curriculum. Games and activities can be made from common household recyclables. Activities are organized based on applied skills including estimating, measuring, and graphing, planning and development, putting things together, sequencing, making connections, and spatial relations, and developing an understanding of objects in motion.
Playful Learning, Playful Teaching presents a practical application of theory in preschool, kindergarten, and primary grade programs describing play in the total context of the entire early childhood curriculum. Using a constructivist, developmental approach, the book examines the role of play in the classroom and discusses how children learn through the process of active, social construction of information. The spiral organization helps readers build knowledge with each chapter. Concepts are introduced in early chapters, then revisited for elaboration and refinement throughout the book. It also analyzes the role of the teacher and explores many cultural and special needs issues in early education. Supportive discussions help new teachers prepare to address the frustrations they may face as they try to create playful programs in school systems that obstruct attempts to move beyond traditional teaching. Readers are presented with the latest perspectives regarding Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) which are tied into suggestions for teaching and advocating for children. The insights and practical suggestions in this book will help empower young teachers to take a strong stance regarding teachers' need to advocate for children's right to play. For anyone interested in early childhood education.
In the fast-changing field of education, the incorporation of game-based learning has been increasing in order to promote more successful learning instruction. Improving the interaction between learning outcomes and motivation in games (both digital and analog) and promoting best practices for the integration of games in instructional settings are imperative for supporting student academic achievement. Global Perspectives on Gameful and Playful Teaching and Learning is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications that explore the cognitive and psychological aspects underpinning successful educational video games. While highlighting topics including nontraditional exercise, mobile computing, and interactive technologies, this book is ideally designed for teachers, curriculum developers, instructional designers, course designers, IT consultants, educational software developers, principals, school administrators, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the design and integration of game-based learning environments.
In the 21st century what the future holds for young learners is unclear, what is clear is that they need to be confident, capable and resilient. As wider communication about education is increasing, there is a developing understanding that children in settings across the globe learn in the same ways and have the same needs. How these are best met demands reflection and effective contexts for early learning reflect the needs and demands of the communities they serve. This book considers international and multicultural learning environments from both theoretical and practical perspectives. It is written by specialists in early years education in the UK and in international contexts, all of whom have a passion for young children's learning. The theoretical perspectives are supported by eight case studies, from Uganda, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar, Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom and Romania.
The basis of this video and book Pack - StEPs - is a belief in the rights of the young child to appropriate opportunities to be children and to learn in playful and meaningful ways. It is also predicated upon a view that practitioners working with young children have equal rights to teach using playful strategies. Children and adults are responsible for making the most of the playful learning and teaching opportunities provided in quality early childhood settings and to ensure that the curriculum - statutory or recommended - is implemented efficiently and effectively. The view taken throughout is that there is no conflict between being accountable to parents, politicians or providers for children's learning and offering play experiences as the basis for that learning. Playful teaching and learning are discussed and exemplified throughout the two elements of the Pack. The video offers viewers a chance to see some of the practitioners who contributed to the Pack, in their own settings using aspects of StEPs to support their everyday teaching and learning. One of the major intentions of the Pack is that it should be used by practitioners and settings - or those undertaking training sessions with them - to both evaluate and extend play practices. The video, child development charts, planning sheets and other documentation, explained in various sections, support a variety of uses across a range of settings reflecting different backgrounds and ethos. Once the framework is understood, the StEPs themselves offer endless opportunities for development of quality learning experiences for children and for articulation, explanation and advocacy of quality practice by practitioners to parents, inspectors and those who evaluate settings.
Educators around the world acknowledge the fact that we live in the knowledge society and ability to think systematically is one of the necessary skills in order to function effectively in the 21st century. In the past two decades, popular culture introduced digital games as part of leisure activities for children and adults. Today playing computer games is routine activity for children of all ages. Many have agreed that interactive computer games enhance concentration, promote thinking, increase motivation and encourage socialisation. Educators found their way in introducing game-based learning in science education to entice the students in teaching difficult concepts. Simulation games provide authentic learning experience and virtual world excites the students to learn new phenomena and enliven their inquisitive mind. This book presents recent studies in game-based learning and reports continuing attempts to use games as new tool in the classrooms.
