Play Based Learning Development - Transition Focus

Play Based Learning Development - Transition Focus

Rationale:

At Waipawa School, our school charter has asked for us to develop more hands-on and authentic learning opportunities and to do this by developing Learning through Play practices.

Situation:

The New Entrant/Year 1 teachers are hesitant about adding Learning through Play into their practices and have highlighted the following reasons for being on top for them:

• Not understanding the developmental stages and the place in Learning through Play
• Concerned that guided group work will change and unsure of what this will mean for student achievement
• Not feeling confident about the role of the teacher in the play

Plan of Attack:

• Take each class for Learning through Play sessions outside with my class as older role models to the 5 year olds
• Highlight the need for resourcing with loose parts and having it set up invitingly.
• Model the 'spray and walk away' technique with academic coaching to lift the play.
• Model the descriptive commenting for academic and socio-emotional teaching.
• Write learning stories for target children in each class as examples of the learning and reporting.

Progress being made:

• Teachers are making time in their weekly plans for this play to happen - commitment!
• Teacher aids are interested in this and have been fully participating in the process.
• All students have enjoyed the learning through play sessions and plenty of photo montages have captured the learning.

Next steps:

• I have organised for the teachers to visit Eskdale School to work with Jill Skottjrup from Longworth Education around play based practices for transition purposes.  I am hoping they will see this in practice with same age children in a different context and will have the coaching to help establish why this is so important with children starting school.
• I have put the support staff on Incredible Years training to strengthen the academic and socio-emotional coaching practices in our junior classrooms.

Implications for my practice:

• Continue to look into practice based coaching methods.  Start by looking at the P-BLOT tool for coaching playbased learning in particular.