Is play-based learning effective?
Understanding Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning is rooted in the idea that children learn best when they are actively engaged in meaningful, hands-on experiences. It is characterized by child-directed play, where children have the freedom to explore, create, and interact with their environment in ways that are natural and enjoyable to them. This approach values the importance of play in fostering social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
The Effectiveness of Play-Based Learning
1. Holistic Development
The play-based learning method encompasses developmental domains including language and cognitive skills, social and emotional development, and physical abilities. Interaction is crucial for the development of social skills such as communication, teamwork and solving problems through play. They do this by improving their emotional intelligence in the process by learning to control feelings and handle social interactions.
2. Cognitive Growth
The development of cognitive function in the play process is mainly due to stimulation of critical thinking and desire for seeking solutions, creativity and imagination. As kids are engaging in play, they discover associations between effects and causes, they experiment with different ideas, and they build language competence while speaking and acting out their stories.
3. Language Acquisition
4. Motor Skills
5. Positive Attitudes Towards Learning
Implementing Play-Based Learning at St. Edward School
Through purposeful play, the children we educate at St. Edward School acquire crucial skills they will need later on academically and, overall, during their life. We are of the opinion that through play- based learning, we tend to develop entire persons who are inquisitive, confident, and keen to engage the world at large.
Conclusion
If you would like more information on our educational approach and to learn about how play-based learning is incorporated into our curriculum, then feel free to communicate with us or drop by our school! Shall we start on this tour of magical discovery and practical education together?
Sources:
- Berk, L. E., & Meyers, A. B. (2015). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (8th ed.). Pearson.
- Lillard, A. S. (2013). “Playful learning and Montessori education.” American Journal of Play, 5(2), 157-186.
- Pellegrini, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (1998). “Physical activity play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play.” Child Development, 69(3), 577-598.
- Roskos, K. A., & Christie, J. F. (Eds.). (2011). Play and Literacy in Early Childhood: Research From Multiple Perspectives. Routledge.
- Singer, D. G., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Eds.). (2006). Play=Learning: How Play Motivates and Enhances Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Growth. Oxford University Press.
