Description
Book SynopsisEvery early years practitioner should be able to captivate and maintain the interest of young children in their setting, through the provision of a playful learning experience.
Covering age ranges 3-8 years, this textbook explores the importance of infusing playfulness throughout the entire early years day, and includes chapters that:
- establish the core principles underpinning playful teaching and learning
- help students and practitioners understand how playfulness can be applied to all aspects of the early years curriculum including mathematics, literacy, outdoor environments, science & technology, and ICT
- explore core issues in early years provision including observing, planning & assessment, and how they relate to playful learning
- emphasise the role and qualities of the playful professional.
This is a fantastic resource for any student or practitioner looking to enrich the lives of young children through meaningf
Trade Review
This book draws on a wealth of research on play, learning, pedagogy and curriculum in early childhood education. The contributors rightly emphasise the importance of play to children, and the opportunities that play provides for learning and development. Each of the chapters is informed by international research, and offers contrasting perspectives about different forms of play, and the challenges that practitioners face in their practice.
-- Professor Elizabeth Wood
How do you capture and maintain the interests of young children through the provision of playful learning, while ensuring that effective learning is taking place? This is the driving principal of this thought provoking, but also very practical book that will enrich the knowledge of practitioners of all levels, and add to the reflective nature of their pedagogy. -- Neil Henty
This is a fantastic resource for any student or practitioner looking to enrich the lives of young children through meaningful playful learning experiences. Extensively researched with an excellent number of case studies to show how the principles work in practice, plus references for further reading, this is authoritative yet highly readable. It really highlights the benefits to children of a playful approach to learning, giving teachers confidence to incorporate the principles into everyday teaching.
-- Sarah Brew
Table of ContentsSection 1: Principles of Playful Teaching and Learning Chapter 1 Why Playful Teaching and Learning? - Glenda Walsh Chapter 2 Mental Models of Early Years Practice: Digging Deeper - Liz Sproule Chapter 3 Pillars of Practice for Playful Teaching and Learning - Glenda Walsh Section 2: Playful Teaching and Learning across the Curriculum Chapter 4 Playful Thinking in Action: Tools for Cultivating Children’s Thinking - Carol McGuinness Chapter 5 Playful Pedagogies in Early Childhood Mathematics - Ross Ó Corráin and Elizabeth Dunphy Chapter 6 Playful Approaches to Literacy - Catherine Gilliland Chapter 7 Growing the Child in the Playful Setting - Marion Dowling and Glenda Walsh Chapter 8 Playful Learning in Natural Outdoor Environments - Richard Greenwood Chapter 9 ICT Made Playful - Christine Stephen Chapter 10 Playful Approaches to Science and Technology - Andrea Doherty and John McCullagh Section 3: The Role of the Playful Professional Chapter 11 Hopeful Intentions: Planning for Playful Teaching and Learning - Jacqueline Fallon Chapter 12 Assessment in the Playful Teaching and Learning Experience - Glenda Walsh and Elizabeth Sproule Chapter 13 Towards the Playful Professional - Dorothy McMillan
