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:

  • What types of play do you already support in your classroom?
  • Which play types do you feel more comfortable supporting in your classroom and why do you think this?
  • How comfortable do you feel providing a play-based and inquiry learning approach?
  • How could you engage with students in their play to enhance their learning?

"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)











Orientation

Professional learning program orientation materials

Module 1

Module1.1 - What is play-based and inquiry learning?

Module1.2 - Differentiated through play-based and inquiry learning

Module1.3 – Experiences and outcomes

Module 1.5 - Play-based learning and general capabilities

Module 1.6 - Building community - discussion and webinar

Module 2

Module 2.1 - Introduction to Module 2

Module 2.2 - Linking High Impact Teaching Strategies to play-based and inquiry learning

Module 2.3 - Planning and implementing play-based and inquiry learning

Module 2.4 - Organising and resourcing play-based and inquiry learning experiences

Module 2.5 - Upholding Victoria’s Vision for Learning

Building community-discussion and webinar for module 2

Module 3

Module 3: Assessing learning through play

Module 3.2 Different types of assessment

Module 3.3 Assessment models

Module 3.4 Assessment of play

Module 3.5 Assessing language and literacy

Module 3.6 Assessing numeracy and mathematics

Module 3.7 Assessing Personal and Social Capability

Module 3.8 Building community – discussion and webinar

Module 4

Module 4.1 Play- based and inquiry learning is differentiated and inclusive

Module 4.2 Knowing students as players and learners

Module 4.3 Differentiation as a teaching approach

Module 4.4 Differentiation in practice-Goal setting

Module 4.5 Supporting dispositions for learning through student agency

Module 4.6 Building community–discussion and webinar

Resource bank

Webinar Resources