Play-based learning is a critical part of early childhood development. Young children are trying to make sense of their experiences, and they do this by playing, exploring, discovering, engaging, and interacting with people and objects. Through thoughtful and intentional design, preschool classrooms and other early learning environments can channel this activity into purposeful play that helps students learn specific, desired skills and content.
What the research says
“The impulse to play comes from a natural desire to understand the world,” say researchers Marcia L. Nell and Walter F. Drew, authors of the book From Play to Practice: Connecting Teachers’ Play to Children’s Learning.
As children play, they’re learning important skills that serve as building blocks for success. These include:
- Cognitive skills like curiosity, problem-solving, and early academic skills.
- Physical skills like spatial and bodily awareness, coordination, and gross and fine motor skills.
- Social skills like cooperation, sharing, and taking turns.
- Emotional skills like persistence and self-confidence.
Meg Caven, a senior research associate at the Education Development Center, notes that studies have linked play-based learning to the development of future-ready learning skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking—as well as social and emotional development, language skills, and even math outcomes.
Despite the obvious benefits to children’s development, setting aside time for play within early learning environments might seem at odds with academic expectations. This is where purposeful play comes in: By creating a structure and a purpose to play-based learning, early childhood educators can ensure that children are learning the skills and content they need to thrive and succeed.
One way to support purposeful play is by intentionally guiding students’ play-based activities. A review of existing studies by researchers from the University of Cambridge found that guided play has a “greater positive effect” on the acquisition of skills than either direct instruction or free play.
Four keys to success
The physical design and layout of preschool classrooms and other early learning environments is important to the success of guided play activities. A well-designed classroom can facilitate purposeful play and ensure that children are achieving targeted learning outcomes.
Here are four keys to designing early childhood learning spaces that effectively support play-based learning.
1. Divide the space into learning centers or interest areas based on different types of play
In a well-designed environment, the space is divided into interest areas that address basic aspects of children’s play and development. For instance, there should be places designated for…
Exploratory play: These are spaces for children to explore the properties and functions of materials—and principles such as cause and effect—through the use of their five senses and repetitive play experiences. Examples of spaces and furnishings that support exploratory play might include a science area, a light table, a sand and water table, and/or sensory materials.
Constructive play: These are classroom areas where children can make and build things using blocks, art supplies, or manipulatives. An organized form of play that is goal and process oriented, constructive play is a great way for students to develop creativity, problem-solving skills, flexible thinking, and self-esteem.
Dramatic play: These are places for children to pretend, role play, and act out scenarios, which helps develop their creativity, self-expression, and abstract thinking. This type of play can obviously occur in a separate dramatic play area with play dishes and dress-up clothing, but it can also take place at the puppet theater in the library area as children act out stories, or in the block area using props such as figurines and vehicles.
Games with rules: These types of activities promote logic, order, self-regulation, and focus as children get older. They also help develop strategic thinking, planning, and resilience as children understand what it takes to win—and how it feels to lose. These activities might occur in an area of the classroom where board games, manipulatives, or specific learning center games like math or literacy activities are kept.
2. Consider how you’ll support all stages of play development
As children grow, they naturally progress through the developmental stages of play: from solitary play to parallel play alongside others, and then to cooperative play in which they’re actively engaged with their peers. However, since each child develops at a different rate, there may be times when even older children would prefer to play by themselves. All of these types of play are natural for children and important for their development, and they should be supported by the design of the learning environment.
Think about how you can arrange the classroom to accommodate the various stages of play in which children may engage. Having a reading nook or cozy cube can be the perfect place for solitary play. A small child-size sofa in dramatic play or the library area, or a small table and chair set at the manipulatives area, aptly support parallel play. Cooperative play can be encouraged around the sand and water table, on a large carpet at the block area, or with a kitchen set and dress-up storage in dramatic play.
3. Think strategically about children’s use of the space
Thinking strategically can help early learning centers get the most value out of limited spaces to support a wide range of activities.
For example, can the gathering area where large group takes place also serve as a block area when it’s time for children to engage in interest-based activities? There is no large group instruction happening at this time, it’s a flat surface for children to build on, the gathering carpet mutes the noise when a tower of blocks topples over, and it provides a boundary that nicely defines the activity. Blocks and accessories can be stored on open shelving or in bins flanking the perimeter of the carpet, allowing children to easily access materials and put them away when they’re finished playing.
By thinking strategically, educators can maximize their use of early learning environments to support the desired outcomes.
4. Choose materials based on desired learning goals
Consider the skills and competencies you want children to acquire as they’re playing, and furnish and equip the early learning space accordingly. Stocking the writing center with lacing letters, alphabet manipulatives, and a variety of writing utensils and paper will provide a developmentally appropriate approach to fine motor development and early writing efforts. Creating an intriguing science center that includes everything from magnets to magnifying glasses will entice children to engage in the exploration of basic scientific concepts.
By being highly intentional about the learning materials available at each interest area, you can easily scaffold specific learning goals through guided or purposeful play.
How School Specialty can help
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning,” children’s television host, producer, and writer Fred Rogers said. “But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
Play-based learning gives children ownership of the learning process. It makes learning fun, engaging, and imaginative. With the right design approach, you can create early learning environments that steer children toward specific learning goals while supporting their natural desire to engage in play.
School Specialty has been helping educators design, furnish, and equip early learning environments for decades. To learn how our Projects By Design team can help you design highly effective environments that support play-based learning, call (800) 388-3224, or go to www.schoolspecialty.com/projects-by-design.
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