Play-based learning is one of the most practiced forms of learning in early childhood education institutions. This famous paradigm of childcare in a modern world, puts learning as a product of play activities that enable children’s cognitive and social development alongside the enjoyment and curiosity of the play itself. Children’s play-based learning experience in childcare centers could potentially be a rich source of creativity and excitement in education, provided the play is given its rightful place in the design of childcare programs. With the advent of modern childcare management software, educators can be expected to further enhance their teaching practices as play-based activities can now be better documented and planned.
The Importance of Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Development
Play-based learning, in pedagogical terms, is learning-through-play: the best use of play to help children explore, discover, and learn – on their own terms and at their own pace. It’s particularly important in the early years because it supports development in so many areas: there is research-based evidence that play-based learning helps in the development of numerous skills, for example:
- Cognitive Development: Children learn to think, read, remember, and reason through playing.
- Social Skills: Interaction during play helps children develop communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Emotional Growth: Through play, children can show what they feel and how they respond to feelings in others.
- Physical Abilities: Physical play enhances motor skills from gross to fine motor coordination.
These four developmental advantages show why play-based learning through portfolios is not a nice extra add-on to early childhood curricula, but an essential element for fostering sound developmental growth.
Strategies for Integrating Play-Based Learning
- Offer an Enabling Environment: The physical and psychological environment should offer an abundance of possibilities and be organized and adaptable to support playful learning. The learning space should be well-resourced with open-ended materials such as art materials, blocks, puzzles and books and should have an outdoor area that is safe and that allows for physical play.
- Strike a balance between structure and flexibility: Yes, play should be largely child-directed, but you can build on the play by suggesting themes and materials that move it toward specific learning outcomes. For instance, if you are teaching your students about animals, you can provide animal puppets, books and art supplies.
- Observe and note: Viewing your role during play to be more of a ‘guide on the side’ can be quite helpful. Engaging in observation can reveal new insights into children’s thinking, such as revealing their interests for future lessons, helping you monitor and detect early signs of social-emotional development problems (bullying comes to mind as current concerns in schools) and even uncovering learning blocks that aren’t apparent through curricular assessment.
- Use technology well: In play mode, technology can enable learning, such as interactive games or digital storytelling tools that are integrated into play activities.
Leveraging Childcare Management Software
Learning through play can be facilitated through a curriculum; using childcare management software like iCare Software, children’s play-based experience can be expanded and broadened. Educators can be supported in many ways, including:
- Documentation Made Easy: Allows educators to record observations of children’s play and progress. The importance of this cannot be understated as it allows the teacher to record progress of developmental milestones that each child achieves. By recording these observations in a digital form, the teacher will be able to record all their observations in one place and better plan future activities depending on the developmental needs of each child.
- Planning and Resource Allocation: May support creative planning of activities that take place over the course of an hour, a day, a week etc. by arranging the resources that may be needed, including scheduling physical materials from specific spaces and times, so that other educators know about the materials that will be available as well as the locations where they can be found. Should also be used to organize the play spaces as zones, ensuring they are correctly equipped and that the materials within them change periodically to ensure different perspectives from children.
- Parent Involvement: Using enhanced communication features that come with childcare management software, parents can view their child’s progress from the comfort of their home in real time. Additionally, through interaction on the bulletin board, where parents can share photos and notes about what children played at school and what they learned along the way, parents will eventually want to continue the learning experience at home.
- Analytical Insights: By providing analytics out of the box, the software can help teachers to understand trends and patterns associated with play in order to refine learning strategies and improve educational outcomes.
Adding intentional play-based learning elements to early childhood programs can support the development of the whole child and address the philosophy of modern education that sees the child as a full participant in their own learning. With intentional play-based strategies and childcare management tools, educators can ensure that their programs are both effective and efficient, while also supporting joyful and rich learning for all children.
See how you can plan your lessons and track conversations, observations, assessments and learning stories more easily and effectively using iCare Software. Book your free demo or schedule a 15-minute discovery call with us.