Play-Based Learning

What is Play-Based Learning? 

At Seacoast Community School, a vital part of our culture is steeped in the phrase learning through play or perhaps, more simply put, play-based learning. It is a concept that can seem strange at first because when someone thinks about play, the learning process is not what first comes into mind. Perhaps it's years of separating the concept of education and play or even the idea of "work" and "play" being two individual tasks. However, after years of research, play-based learning really shows us that for children, learning happens through play. When learning is thought of through this evidence-based philosophy, the environment the child is immersed in becomes a place for the child to learn from. And thus, it is not uncommon to hear early childhood educators refer to the environment as "another teacher" in the room. As a child is engaged in the environment around them, open-ended materials and socialization with peers provide them an opportunity to learn.

Here children are working together,

using their social, emotional, language, cognitive, and physical development.

Another critical element to play-based learning is a child's social and emotional development. At SCS we recognize the importance of a child's social and emotional foundation and understand the importance it has on a child's development. By providing positive and supportive relationships with children in a safe and secure environment, SCS promotes a child's social and emotional growth. We believe that our philosophy in helping your child gain a strong social and emotional foundation is the building block to all their areas of development. Sophea, our periwinkle teacher explains that our philosophies  “allow a child to learn the skills of negotiation, problem-solving,  sharing, and working within groups. Children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, and discover their own interests during play”. Our educational model at SCS can be seen at all levels, from the infant classes to our afterschool programs in P.E.A.K.

All ages experience play-based learning here at SCS

Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Professor of Child Health and Development and the Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University explained play-based learning perfectly. 

What play is about is early on, beginning in the earliest of infancy, really, shortly after birth, is if you think about what babies do...the eye contact, the beginning of a smile, the cooing, and the vocalizations... then handing something, and grabbing it, and giving it back. And, all of those very simple interactions early on are playful interactions... when babies become more mobile, and they’re rolling over, and then they’re crawling, being able to reach for things, and grab things... And sometimes, hopefully, you leave the child alone in a safe place and let the child explore...All of this, a lot of people may not think of that as play...But that is the beginning of play. It’s the beginning of active learning, discovery, curiosity, trying things, learning from what happens when you do something, action, and reaction...And then, as you get older and you start to play more organized games... rules about taking turns, rules about following instructions, all of this...and then as they get into the school-age years, organized games, sports, more challenging board games, again, now most people would say, oh, yeah, that’s like play. That’s what play is all about. But it started much earlier, and it started with the foundation that was all about discovery, creativity, exploration, learning (Pfizer, 2022). 

The above example of parallel play is offering children a social and emotional learning opportunity. Parallel play is the building block to playing with others, as they can observe each other, learn to be comfortable sharing their space, and even try a new skill the other is doing (imitation). As you also see in this picture, these children are working on their physical development. Maintaining balance while pushing a car is actually a difficult skill to learn! The children are working on their fine motor skills as they determine the exact pressure to have in their handgrip as well! Although we are not right there we can imagine that they are processing where to move the truck, how to maneuver in the space, assessing speed, and perhaps how to avoid (or cause) a crash! Certainly, their cognitive skills are being put to the test! Look at the other two pictures above, the team building in the block area, and our baby engaged in a toy while enjoying tummy time. Do you see the play-based learning opportunities?

Whether a child is in one of our infant, toddler, preschool classrooms, or P.E.A.K programs, SCS stands behind the play-based learning philosophy. We will continue to provide an exceptional education for years to come; building resilient, empathetic, curious, and confident children of the future. 

Are you looking for additional information on play-based learning? Be sure to check out the full podcast with Dr. Jack Shonkoff at https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/podcast-resilience-play/. To dive further into the play-based learning be sure to check out NAEYC, https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/play.