Integrating Play into the Curriculum

Integrating Play into the Curriculum

Play is a vital part of children’s development. It improves children’s physical, social, cognitive, mental, and emotional health. Hoorn et al. (2017) state that play is a developmentally appropriate means for young children to learn as it is linked with several positive social, academic, and personal outcomes. The primary purpose of integrating play into the curriculum is to motivate and engage young children, improving their ability to develop greater skills and knowledge and lifelong learning dispositions. In addition, play can stimulate learning, and learning can also stimulate play.

How to Integrate Play into the Curriculum

Create play-based learning centers.

Play-based learning curriculum places play and play activities at the centre of children’s learning. This will then help facilitate the easy integration of play into the curriculum because it is through play that children develop basic skills and knowledge. This play-based learning centre can include gaming, reading, drawing, and writing centres.

Make games or play time part of the learning.

Hoorn et al. (2017) affirm that the best way to sneak play into the daily learning routine is to ensure games or playtime is part of learning and the school curriculum. Having game time as part of the curriculum will make play mandatory. Teachers should ensure that play materials are available during play or games, as this is the first step to adding or integrating play into the school routine and curriculum.

Differentiating Instruction

Creating learning centers

Play will help differentiate instruction in that it will help the teacher create various learning centres or stations within the classroom that concentrate on diverse concepts and skills (William, 2023). For instance, a single center might focus on reading while the other focuses on fractions or vocabulary. Their individual needs are met as learners rotate through these stations and work on the concepts and skills they need to practice the most.

Using a variety of playing materials from all cultural divides.

Various play materials will help differentiate learning by ensuring all learners feel counted in the learning process regardless of their culture. This is because the class and play-based materials are culturally appropriate for all learners, and nobody feels discriminated against or abandoned during learning (William, 2023). Using various materials during play will ensure the needs of all learners, irrespective of their culture, are equally met.

The blog post was primarily addressing ways of integrating play into the curriculum. Two important points have been explained. One is creating a play-based learning curriculum and making games and play part of teaching and school curriculum. These two strategies will help make play a part in the curriculum. The blog also discussed ways play could differentiate learning and ensure all learners’ needs are met. The two discussed points are creating learning centres that ensure learners can learn and practice the skills they need most and using various play materials that embrace children from all cultural divides.

References

Williams, C. (2023, February 8). Differentiated instruction: Meeting the needs of all learners. Center for Student Achievement Solutions. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.studentachievementsolutions.com/differentiated-instruction-meeting-the-needs-of-all-learners/#:~:text=Role%2Dplaying%3A%20Encourage%20students%20to,problem%2Dsolving%20and%20conflict%20resolution.

Hoorn, J. V., Nourot, P. M., Scales, B., & Alward, K. R. (2017). Play is at the center of the curriculum. Canada: Pearson.

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Play Toolbox Week 4 [WLO: 2] [CLOs: 1, 3]
This week, you will develop the final resource for your Play Toolbox. You will be creating your resource for the same audience as in previous weeks. This week, you will use the format of a blog post to discuss how to integrate play into the curriculum and how it allows you to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners.

Integrating Play into the Curriculum

Please review the ECD 415 Week 4 Alternate Discussion Rubric Blog Post. Download the Alternate Discussion Rubric Blog Post to understand how you will be evaluated in this discussion forum.

Preparation:

Refer to the Week 4 Instructor Guidance for tips and examples that will support your success with this discussion.
Review the ECD 415 Week 4 Blog Post Example. Download the Week 4 Blog Post Example.
In your blog post,

Discuss how to integrate play into the curriculum.
Summarize how the integration of play allows you to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners, including cultural factors.
After completing your flyer, post it to this discussion forum and to your ePortfolio. Review the Folio Quick Start Guide, which links to an external site. For assistance. Remember to write down or take a screenshot of your peers’ shared ePortfolio links for reference later.