Play-based learning is a highly effective instructional method for kindergarten and lower primary students. It encourages active participation, curiosity, and hands-on exploration, cultivating a love for learning and supporting development in multiple areas. In this course, Play-based Learning, you will explore the essential skills students need to engage in play-based learning successfully, as well as how teachers can support the development of these skills throughout students' education. Specifically, the course will focus on strategies that kindergarten teachers can use to facilitate play-based learning, along with effective practices and principles to engage students in kindergarten and lower primary classrooms.

The course covers the following modules: 

Module 1. Play-based Learning 

1.1. Play-based pedagogies

1.2. Key characteristics of play-based learning

Module 2. Promoting interactions and collaboration

2.1. Strategies for promoting interaction and collaboration

2.2. The role of the teacher in promoting interaction and collaboration

Key terms

Play-based learning, sense of curiosity, self-chosen, process oriented, independence, equip, hands-on experience, explore, significant, scaffold, physical, cognitive, socio-emotional development, emotional, mental wellbeing, critical thinking, purposeful, meaningful, joyful,  imagination, creativity, frustrations and challenges, motivation, dominate, concrete, enhance, unoccupied play, solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play, cooperative play, strengths, structure, integrate, interactions, collaborations, circle time discussions, project-based learning, peer tutoring mentoring, active involvement, positive reinforcement

This course helps you understand play-based pedagogies, its characteristics and benefits. This understanding will provide teachers with the foundations they need to foster interaction and exploratory collaborations between students.

By the end of this course, you will be able to 

• Explore examples of prominent play-based learning pedagogies;
• Identify key characteristics of play-based learning;
• Analyse teaching and learning activities, noting features of play-based learning;
• Explore interactive and collaborative learning approaches and teaching and learning activities;
• Analyse teaching and learning activities, identifying the roles and responsibilities of the teacher in facilitating interactive and collaborative learning activities; and
• Make connections between how a lesson is planned and how a teacher can then better carry out their roles and responsibilities in promoting interaction and collaboration in the classroom.