Incorporating different types of play in your teaching
There are a range of different types of play experiences that teachers can use to structure their play-based and inquiry learning approach. Each type of play has a purposeful role to engage students in meaningful exploration, investigation and imaginative experiences. Different types of play offer multiple opportunities to encounter, engage with, and elaborate on new knowledge and skills with peers and teachers (HIT Strategy 6).
Each type of play has a collective role in supporting student's learning processes, personal and social capabilities, across all areas of the Victorian Curriculum and the VEYDLF learning outcomes.
More than just play stations.
Play-based and inquiry learning is about much more than just having play stations available and freely accessible for students. It is about the pedagogy that is used by the teacher to foster, extend and introduce new learning through intentional planned and spontaneous interactions, as well as providing opportunities for these types of play.
Looking closely at different types of play: Possibilities for the classroom
All of the different types of play are valuable to support young student’s learning and development. Often two or more play types are combined to further enhance students learning.
This is especially the case when pretend play is encouraged in classrooms. It challenges your students to:
- think more deeply
- make connections between their learning and prior experiences
- engage more sophisticated metacognitive learning processes
- collaborate with peers and teachers.
A principal's story
As you watch this video consider the ways in which School Co-Principal Peter Fahey talks about different types of play in relation to student's varying experiences and knowledges.
Reflect and collaborate
We will be focusing more on the adult's role in student's play in Module 2. For now, you may like to read about
VEYLDF Practice Principle 7 Integrated Teaching and Learning. As you are reading this guide, reflect upon your own practices in play-based and inquiry learning.
Also, think about how play-based and inquiry learning supports your practice of HITs. You may like to set yourself some teaching goals to work towards throughout this professional learning program.
The following questions can act as a prompt to guide your reflections:
"It took a while to really embed the practice of play based learning and what we have learnt so far is the importance of planning, discussing, reflecting as a team on a regular basis. We are learning more about the different elements of play and how they all fit" (2021 professional learning program participant)