North Queensferry PS
Play Based Learning Policy
Rationale
‘Research has shown that play based approaches support the development of the individual capacities, resilience, creativity, communication and skills for learning, ensuring that all children are able to successfully engage with learning. The suggestion is that this type of approach can support addressing the poverty related attainment gap and children are ready to learn, ensuring that development gaps are reduced.’
National Improvement Hub – Education Scotland (2019)
Aims
- To enable children to develop their own ideas and interests.
- To develop natural curiosity and to stimulate imagination.
- To develop social and decision-making skills.
- To provide practical, interactive and enjoyable play experiences
- To create opportunities for children to make choices and decisions.
- To develop the fundamental skills of literacy, numeracy and oral communication.
- To share and demonstrate learning – allowing children to review and evaluate their own and others work.
- To provide opportunities for developing movement and manipulative skills.
Benefits of Play Based Learning
Play based learning allows children to learn in a wide variety of ways including –
- Encouraging pupils to listen and observe, to talk.
- Exploring and investigating.
- Experimenting, and to draw and test their conclusions.
- Fostering curiosity of the world around them.
- Making decisions and expressing their ideas and feelings in many different ways.
- Expressing their feelings and imaginations through drama.
- Acting out and coming to terms with experiences at home or with their friends or other adults.
- Consolidating previous learning.
Types of play
Play in the physical world:
- Explorative play
- Creative play
- Object play
- Mastery play
Play linking self to the world:
- Role play
- Dramatic and Socio-dramatic play
- Communicative play
- Social play
Learning about the body and limits:
- Rough and tumble play
- Locomotor play
What it is to be human through play:
- Deep play
- Fantasy and imaginative play
- Recapitulative play
- Symbolic play
Further information on each of these areas can be found here on the Play Scotland website, https://www.playscotland.org/wp-content/uploads/Play-Scotland-Play-Types-Tooolkit-bringing-more-play-into-the-school-day.pdf
Learning Environment
When planning play/activity-based learning we aim to take account of each child’s individual needs, interests and abilities by providing stimulating, challenging and appropriate learning environments, both in the classrooms and in our play areas. We also aim to make the most of our outdoor space. We have a variety of outdoor apparatus as well as two gardens that we can maximise; staff will use the outdoor facilities when appropriate.
We believe that children should feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they will be given encouragement and support. They will be given appropriate responsibility and allowed to take risks and make errors. All of their efforts will be acknowledged and success praised in a variety of ways e.g. oral feedback, having their work displayed, and the opportunity to share their learning with others. The focus will be on the process rather than the end product.
Planning
Teachers will plan relevant experiences to support, extend and challenge learning appropriate to the child’s abilities and experiences. Children will also be given an opportunity to be involved in the planning process. Involving children in the planning process improves the consolidation of their learning as well as their self-motivation to take their classroom learning forwards.
Interaction
Adults will participate in play, modelling skills and language, engaging and questioning to extend learning. Observation is used by adults during play opportunities to identify next steps, areas of development or skill and this provides a basis for future play activities.
Observation and Assessment
Through observation and formative assessment, we will understand more about the ability and attainment of the children and ensure that individual needs are met. Children’s responses and teachers’ evaluations will inform future planning. Children will be observed working individually and as part of a group. A variety of methods of recording will be used. Relevant information will be discussed with other adults as appropriate.
Areas of play
In our early year’s classroom, we have a variety of play areas including –
- Wet area – used for sand and water play
- Creative area – used for painting and drawing activities
- Home Corner – used for role play activities
- Construction area
- Science and engineering area
- Numeracy area
- Literacy area
- ICT area
- Small world
- Areas which support fine and gross motor skill development
| Wet Area | Science and engineering | Fine Motor Skill development |
| Numeracy Area | Home Area | Construction Area |
Our Nursery has the following play areas in accordance with the core provision from Early Years Fife –
| Writing | Book | Listening Centre | Quiet Space |
| Home | Dolls House | Small World | Dress up and role play |
| Music | Clay | Dough | Art |
| Woodwork | Science and Technology (inc ICT) | Sand | Water |
| Block Play | Small construction | Horse | Table top activities |
| Displays at children’s level | Snack area | Baking and cooking | Outdoor learning |
| Beach Kindergarten |
Our play areas are an opportunity for exploration, experimenting, consolidation and self-motivation. The sharing of this play with peers of varying developmental levels provides additional opportunities to question and expand knowledge.
Literacy Through Play-Based Learning
Reading
Children have access to a variety of books and are encouraged to make their own choices in the library.
Play areas will also have relevant signs, labels, books, catalogues etc.
Writing
Children have opportunities to write in a variety of styles and on a variety of surfaces. Children also have the opportunity to create print-based work for their relevant play areas.
Listening and Talking
In their play areas, children have opportunities to act out the various roles within each area.
Children also have regular opportunities to talk in front of the class and listen to peers.
Maths and Numeracy Through Play-Based Learning
Children will have opportunities to develop and apply much of their early mathematical skills and understanding during purposeful play. They are encouraged to talk and listen, ask questions and use the appropriate mathematical language during their play, e.g. language associated with shape, space, time, size etc.
Example Activities
- Ordering – creating patterns, threading beads, dressing dolls etc.
- Comparing – shop play – bigger, taller, shorter etc.
- Counting – shop/house – play, bricks, number games animal
Children are also given opportunities to recognise and explore simple 2D and 3D shapes to develop an awareness of space.
“Play can be fun or serious. Through play children explore social, material and imaginary worlds and their relationship with them, elaborating all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges they encounter. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals, and as members of the community.”
The National Playing Fields Association’s document Best Play: What play provision should do for children (2000)
Useful Links
https://www.playscotland.org/play/playful-learning/
Building the Ambition – https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/1459/building-the-ambition-national-practice-guidance-on-early.pdf
Realising the Ambition – https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf
My World Outdoors – https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/1557/my-world-outdoors-sharing-good-practice-in-how-early-years-services-can.pdf
