Between the ages of 3 to 5, children tend to absorb a lot of information. One of the most effective and beneficial ways for them to learn is through play. Play helps students develop communication skills, motor skills, creativity, and critical thinking.
“We know that learning is a deeply human experience,” says Dr. Gina Pepin, Ed.D., Upper Michigan Teacher of the Year and author of The Power of Joyful Reading. "Therefore, effective practices that incorporate collaboration between peers, family members, and loving caregivers and/or adults is key to student success."
Because play mimics real-life situations and incorporates other people, it allows preschoolers to enjoy learning while digesting the material.
Here are the most effective ways to support your students through play in the classroom.
1. Use Collaborative and Active Play
“Whole child, collaborative practices continue to be supported by research as effective ways to engage and motivate student learning,” says Pepin. “These intentionally planned activities and strategies include imaginative and self-discovery dramatic play stations (i.e, camping center, mail room, car repair shop, etc.), action/movement spaces (obstacle course, dance carpet, yoga or mindfulness mats, etc), and a place where students can explore books and precious print.”
Providing your students with toys and materials, and designating specific areas in the classroom where they can play pretend allows them to explore, create, and problem-solve.
This approach is also effective with guided play (students are free to play, but with additional guidance from the teacher) and instructional play (students are in a mini group or a one-on-one lesson that focuses on a particular skill led by the teacher).
2. Give Students a Choice
When preschool students have choices in their playtime routines, learning tends to come much easier. That’s because when there’s an opportunity to choose, it gives students a sense of control and holds them accountable.
“A layered curriculum approach is an effective way to differentiate play activities to meet the needs of all learners,” Pepin says.
“For example, a fun, energetic interactive shared reading experience where the teacher and students read, sing, dance, chant, predict, and recite storylines from Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, followed by layered, play-based learning stations that extend concepts is a wonderful and effective way to learn through play. Layering additional activities to choose from will provide opportunities for new or advanced learning.”
Learning stations could include activities, such as a word hunt game, a sound discovery station with musical instruments, and a creative station where students can discover colors and textures through sensory integration like play dough.
3. Get to Know Your Students
“A teacher can best provide the ideal environment for children to learn through play by truly knowing the students in the classroom,” says Pepin.
This means understanding what their interests are, knowing who their families are and what cultural traditions they practice, and identifying their strengths and goals.
Once you get to know your students in this way, you can use these individual attributes to create play-based opportunities for them to grow as thinkers and explorers. The best way to create this type of environment is to give students structure while still giving them freedom to explore and discover.
Don’t forget these activities need to be inclusive, too. Students with disabilities, ESL (English as Second Language) students, and those who need any kind of additional support should always be included in these activities.
Shop the best books for preschoolers to encourage imaginative play below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.