Let Students Learn through Play –
Promoting Active and Pleasurable English Learning through Play
in Key Stage 1
Project Team:
Fiona PERRY, Geoff BROWN, Joey VENTER, Jojo CHAN, Mary HUI, Roland SMITH, Winnie SO
Coordinator:
Winnie SO
Advisory Teaching Team, NET Section
Hello!
Whole-class Activities
• Story
• Song
Introduction
• Background
• Research Questions
• Project Objectives
• Project Design
Station Activities
• Small World Play
• Sensory Play
• Language Game
• Independent Learning
Commitment +
Q&A
Learning
through Play
in Action
Why Play?
In play children develop exploratory as well as explanatory drives: they actively look for patterns, test hypotheses and seek explanations, leading to increased complexity in thinking,
learning and understanding (Gopnik et al, 1999). These cognitive processes are socially and culturally situated and,
through the subject disciplines, can become increasingly refined.
(Wood, E. & Attfield, J., 2005)
Why Play?
Apart from being an ideal mode of activity
fostering children’s physical and psychological development, play facilitates the development of creativity, problem-solving skills and
versatility, and it also helps children express emotions, build confidence and develop social skills. (CDC, 2017)
Pleasurableplay is enjoyable. Play sometimes includes frustrations, challenges and fears; however enjoyment is a key feature.
Active play requires action, either physical, verbal or mental engagement with materials, people, ideas or the environment.
Voluntary play is freely chosen. However, players can also be invited or prompted to play.
Process-oriented play is a means unto itself and players may not have an end or goal in sight.
Self-motivating play is considered its own reward to the player (Shipley, 2008) .(Barblett, L. , 2010)
Small world play utilises miniature equipment representing objects familiar to children, e.g. a house with furniture and a family.(Levy, 2008)
Sensory play involves playing with natural material and realia, e.g. sand, water, clay, dough, paper, branches.o
Using first-hand experienceso
Making up ruleso
Making propso
Choosing to playo
Rehearsing the futureo
Pretendingo
Trying out recent learningo
Co-ordinating ideas, feelings and relationships for free flow play (where kids are allowed to move freely indoors and outdoors however they please)o
…(Briggs M. & Hansen A., 2012)
Project
To explore and develop approaches to developing a learning environment conducive to students’ learning of English through play;
To develop classroom routines that facilitate the adoption of playful approaches to literacy development;
To design, conduct and review English learning activities that promote active and pleasurable English learning through play;
Toengage participating teachers in developing, using and reviewing strategies for preparing students for, and engaging them in, active and pleasurable learning English through play;
To develop students’ creativity, social and collaboration skills, problem-solving skills, self- confidence, self-respect and respect for others; and
To develop, use and review strategies for using assessment for and as learning in a play-based learning environmentto promote self-directed learning Is there a place for play in the KS1 English Language curriculum?
To what extent can playful learning and teaching be promoted in the English language classroom?
What practices can be built on to promote playful learning and teaching?
What contextual constraints are there hindering the adoption of playful approaches to literacy? How to address those constraints?
What are the conditions that need to be established to facilitate the implementation of play-based learning?
What changes need to be made to existing practices in terms of curriculum design, teaching, learning and assessment?
How to gauge the effectiveness of playful approaches to literacy?
…
The project is to be implemented, reviewed, refined and completed within
a three-year time frame.
What may a Playful Unit be like?
Involving Children in the Planning Process
01
Step One
Choose theme and concepts
02
Step Two
Plan the unit together
03
Step Three
Carry out the plan
04
Step Four
Review and adjust the plan
Involving Children in the Planning Process
05
Step Five
Demonstrate and review learning
Choose theme and concepts
Plan the unit together
Carry out the plan
Review and adjust the plan
Demonstrate and review learning
Involving Children in the Planning Process
Small World Play
Sensory Play
Language Game Independent Learning
•
culture of collaboration•
project coordinator and committedteaching team sharing values that support playful teaching and learning, committing to PD
•
time for observation to facilitate assessment and planning for progression•
flexible with teaching schedules and modes of assessment(allowing more space for experimenting with playful teaching and learning ideas)
•
careful planning, organisation &management of the environment
•
allocation of an annual budget•
collaborating with AT•
appropriate storage and care of resources on loan from EDB•
providing feedback on projectimplementation and evaluation
• supporting
dissemination of good practices
Place your screenshot here
Net scheme e-platform
Fostering Learning Communities Among International
https://nets.edb.hkedcity.net/
Appendix Cof the EDB Circular Memorandum No.5/2019
School Application Form to be completed by School Head and sent to:
EDB Human Resources Management Unit at 4/F, East Wing,
Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar
Complete Appendix B (Annexes 1-3)and Appendix C (Part IV) if your school wishes to nominate a teacher for secondmentto the NET Section.
Deadline for Application:
5 March 2019
General
Ms Christy NG
(Life-wide Learning Section) Tel: 2892 5824
Project-related Ms Winnie SO
(Native-speaking English Teacher Section) Email: winniewlso@edb.gov.hk
Tel: 3549 8317
THANKS!
Any questions?
Department of Education and Training (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Australia Government.
Barblett, L. (2010). Why play-based learning? Every Child, 16(3), 4-5.
Briggs M. & Hansen A. (2012). Play-based Learning in the Primary School. London: Sage.
Curriculum Development Council (2017). Kindergarten Education Curriculum Guide: Joyful Learning through Play, Balanced Development All the Way. Hong Kong: Education Bureau.
Levy R. (2008). “Third spaces” are interesting places: Applying “third space theory” to nursery aged children’s constructions of themselves as readers’, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 8(1):43-66.
Shipley, D. (2008). Empowering children. Play-based curriculum for lifelong learning.(Fourth edn). USA:
Nelson Education.
Walsh G., McMillan D. & McGuinness C. (Eds). (2017). Playful Teaching and Learning. London: Sage.
Wood, E. & Attfield, J. (2005). Play, learning and the early childhood curriculum (2nd ed). London: Paul Chapman.