FOCUSING - HUNCH

WHAT WILL THE FOCUS OF MY INQUIRY BE....? WHY?

I am going to focus on Learning through Play in the classroom.  A particular monitored focus for the year will be the promotion of Fantasy Play in the classroom.  Some core potential areas to inquire into under this umbrella:

• What are higher order thinking skills, actually?  What is executive functioning, actually?  How does fantasy play support this?

• How does a teacher model fantasy play without owning this?

• How can fantasy play be used as a vehicle for core curriculum learning?

• How can fantasy play be used to enhance the key competency learning?
  
• What are the best ways to provoke and resource, fantasy play?
  

WHAT HUNCHES DO I HAVE AROUND OUTCOMES?

With the development of fantasy play in my classroom I expect to find/see:

• An increase in engagement with core curriculum learning and wider learning through the NZC, using fantasy play. 
  
• Children of Room 5 are pre-operational, so therefore still able to access the ability to believe in 'make believe' characters and be fully engaged in that narrative.  I need to capitalise on this before they become too old!
  
• Creative writing skills including planning, plot and vocabulary building will be supported by the fantasy play narrative.
  
• Learning to scaffold fantasy play appropriately will increase the quality and frequency of peer-to-peer fantasy play without teacher involvement.
  
• Fantasy play will increase the key competency skill base in Room 5 as learning activities can be crafted to scaffold this learning and the introduction of a 3rd party will create personal learning that is still removed from each student.

TARGET STUDENTS

These children represent boys/girls, ethnicity, LA/MA/HA academic achievement, core-curriculum needs identified in focusing stage, different social needs, differing levels of development:

• Blake
• Harley
• Elizabeth
• Harry
• Indigo