Writing in a play based classroom at TKAS

 Writing in a play based classroom.  

The pedagogy that informs writing at TKAS in our play based classroom is developmental.  We are always on the look out to see where a child is with their skills both social and academic.  This forms the starting point in writing.  We choose play to teach writing through because it is developmentally appropriate for what the children need.  They learn where writing fits in their world through play.  For example, Writing a note to a friend, or a card for Nan.  Expressing feelings on paper.  The students use their experimenting learning muscle to learn how to hold a pencil.  Yes, we show them in phonics time or as we roam around the room, we help them when we see them trying to hold a pencil.  The powerful part of teaching writing through play is that the children choose to write.  They choose when, where, what, and who to write about and with.  This is a crucial point.  

Play is what motivates children.  It is their first language in learning.  When we see them writing, we encourage them by supporting them.  It is in this moment where their attention is focused that they learn so easily.  I have tried teaching young children writing by sitting them around a table altogether and introducing a topic that will motivate them.  But, I rarely saw the spark.  I didn't see the connection to writing being communication.  Writing isolated like this became something they did instead of something they used.   

We take a writing sample once a month and use the Developmental progression below to mark off the journey of each Tamariki.  Interestingly, this is the one time we do introduce a topic or a purpose and mostly they get to choose from a photo to write about something. It is the one time we all write together.  We never have anyone complaining.  They write eagerly, they write with passion.  We do also make notes during the week on children's experiences with writing.  We note the writing that appears on whiteboards.  The writing that is done on clipboards.  

We also believe that when children are ready for more skill based teacher lessons we will then move them on to the next learning community where they will take part in these.  Even if it is for one session a day.  Transition is flexible.  Readiness might look like, an ability to focus for longer periods of time.  A deeper understanding of writing, its purposes.  Probably they will be writing initial letters and recording sounds they hear onto paper.  They may be able to tell a story understanding time.  Able to remember what happened and sharing this. We have done this with children from 5.8 through to 7 years.  There is a broad range. Typically when they do participate in these sessions, they make fast progress.   

Sometimes, writing looks much the same as in a class that uses direct teaching for writing.  You know the sit down at the same time and write about a similar topic with WALTS, feedback etc.  We do all write together on occasions.  The photos show a focus on letter writing.  However, the beginning of this series of events started in play and not with a teachers idea.   I noticed the children were writing letters to each other. They said “I want to send such and such a mail”.  They would write a letter, fold it up and take it to the person or home to nan.  We noticed that some of their vocabulary needed extending. We did this by joining them on their learning.  We watched some clips on utube about the journey of a letter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poJ1mS_4sVg.  

During our weekly visit to pre-school, we told the pre-school children we were going to write them a letter and send it to them.  The following week, the teachers set up a writing station with examples of letters and key words.  The children's goal was to choose a pre-school buddy and write to them.  Then we walked to the local shop where the post box is.  In Te Karaka the mail gets sorted at the shop and sent away and then returned to be delivered.  We learnt all about this.  During the following visit to pre-school the children saw  their letters had indeed been delivered.  A huge shoutout to our local shop owner who paid for our stamps.  Interestingly, at the end of the year, the pre-school children bought Foundation some Christmas cards they had made.  

We use play to support writing by using all the aspects that make play so powerful. 

1.  Self-chosen and self-directed

2.  Process rather than product driven

3.  contains structures or rules established by the players themselves;

4.  imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality

5.  occurs between those who are active, alert and non-stressed.  (Grey, 2013; Brewer, 2007)

Writing has occurred while playing fire fighters, making a shop, drawing a picture, using chalk outside, drawing numbers, using book creator and making books about a favourite topic, using whiteboards and coping a list of family names.  All chosen by the children.

This year, we hope to continue on our journey by writing more as teachers. I can't wait!

The art of play based learning

"Some teachers taught the curriculum today.  Other teachers taught students today.  There's a big difference."  From @blunteducator 

Meeting students at their point of learning is an art.  There is no predictable way of knowing where it might lead or what part of the curriculum might be uncovered.  For me, it is the most exciting way to teach and learn.  It is what gets me out of bed in the morning.  I love the not knowing.  I enjoy the discovering alongside.  The raw excitement that learning through play provides is addictive.  The faces, the pure joy of discovery.  In the moment.

One day I came to school and a child said "lets go bug hunting".  Another day, it was raining and puddles had formed outside.  The students spontaneously made lego boats, took them outside and began to float them.  What might my response be?   'Oh no I hope we don't find a cockroach, besides I don't have time to supervise you'  or ' that lego is so expensive, you might loose some!'. Instead, play based learning is about embracing children's ideas and running alongside them.  Spontaineous, unplanned, messy, uncomfortable, risky.

Yes, time is required. The putting aside of the curriculum is a starting point for teaching through play.  You can't pick something up without laying something down.  Instead of teaching science units,  prepared by teachers in advance, science is taught from the moment the bugs are discovered.  Curriculum is added to the play.  

I don't count myself as an expert in this area yet.  But I am learning.  Since beginning to teach through play I have read the curriculum documents like I have never read them before.  They have never meant so much to me.  I remember being so excited when I found an awesome science resource linked to the NZC through #SlowSciNZ after the sinking and floating experience.  http://scienceonline.tki.org.nz/What-do-my-students-need-to-learn/Building-Science-Concepts  It talks about the science concepts.  By finding the passion in the students first, it enabled me to become passionate in a way I had never done before.  As I recorded this experience in a learning story, I was able to make links to our curriculum documents, both Te Whariki and NZC.  This included next steps.  

Questions and comments become the life blood of 'at the point learning'.  Knowing when to stop and notice.  Then either using descriptive commentary, and/or questions to pull out further learning.  It's a skill I'm developing.   Initially feeling strange not having a pre-set lesson, then the excitement of spotting learning, and then the joining in as a learning partner with questions or comments.  My greatest challenge is not to speak but to listen. When I do, adding to the experience with helpful questions. My greatest help in development, Early Childhood Teachers.

This is what I mean by children leading the learning.  Its an art and play enables this to happen.  

Innovative learning environments and play based learning

ILE's or Innovative learning environments have a lot in common with play based learning.

Play based learning fits in really well with Innovative learning environments. There is a synergy between ILE's and PBL.  I think because I did four years of Professional learning and practice in IlEs it made the learning in PBL so much easier.    My mind had already begun to change.  It was when I was comfortable at a mind level that my heart saw the 5 year olds and realized something in what we were doing wasn't working and needed to change.  We had much right, but we didn't have the developmental needs of 5 to 7 year olds correct.   Taking the principles of ILE I developed a play based system for the students I learn with.  The system I use won't work for everyone or nor should it.  That's the powerful concept about IlE, it's individual for each student and community.

Philosophical frameworks

The purpose of play based learning especially for Year 1 and 2 is working with the child's natural way of learning.  Play based learning is developmental, as opposed to a system which is chronological like the alternative system of learning certain skills at certain ages.  Because it is developmentally in tune with children's biology, they experience success, not to the exclusion of failure as failure is part of the journey towards success.  Learning, failure and success is experienced at the childs developmental level not someone else's.  The heart of learning is protected.  That is the passion and motivation to want to learn.  High levels of well being and involvement lead to high levels of child development.

In ILE and PBL there are no subjects being taught by the teacher as such. Instead children are able to lead the learning.  They can decide on the place, the context and the method.   It supports individual learning of what children are interested in.  As we move away from a school system needing to produce an end product or a young person being filled up with a certain knowledge decided on by someone else, we are able to see how our teaching methods will change to be open-ended and child directed.  What employers want now are young people who are self-directed, who know how to work in a team, who can think for themselves are emotionally developed.

Play-based learning acknowledges that children learn at different times and finding the next steps for them is absolute. It doesn't mean skills are not taught.  In Foundation Years Phonics is specifically taught, -sounds, letters, words.  As children talk more than a traditional classroom, the lesson of phonics allows them to hear sounds, see sounds, write sounds and then use this knowledge in the context of their play.  The children also have a short, teacher directed reading/writing lesson specifically designed for them.  Once again the teacher starts where they are at and moves along at their pace. More importantly, latter in play they can play with writing.  They can start where they need to start whether that is with scribbles, or words.   The priority is to nurture learning and to recognise and respond to the developmental needs of each child.

The space is arranged to suit the child and the learning, not the teacher and the teaching.  Throughout our school, spaces belong to the students.  In Play-based learning, the space and equipment can be re-arranged by the children to support their learning.

Peter Gray outlines crucial philosophy in play as being

1. Self-chosen and self-directed
2. process rather than product driven;
3. contains structures or rules established by the players themselves;
4. imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality
5. occurs between those who are active, alert and non-stressed.

(Grey, 2013; Brewer, 2007)

Play becomes learning when these conditions are met.  Throughout our school and keeping with the philosophy of ILE's and the reason the Ministry advocates for them (future focus and allowing learning that is useful for the future), teachers work hard to enable these conditions to thrive.  Teachers try to keep these principles in mind in designing space and learning.  As students get further up our school each of these conditions look different and happen to various degrees.  Number four is interesting because although it says non-literal and removed from reality, many projects may end up in reality.  However, in the inquiry process students begin by experiencing, trialling, having pressure removed to perform in reality but being placed as having purpose in the real world.   Play has purpose, it is not frivolous, it is not a waste of time, it is a journey in learning.  Play for children is different than play for adults.  Adults mostly, go to work and come home to play.  Play is children's work.

Play for a five year old will be pretending to be a police officer.  Play merges into inquiry as a 15 year old, inquires into being a police officer finds out what is needed skill wise to achieve this.  Characteristics such as being helpful and honest, a risk taker, flexible and all those things will be seen in the learning process.   The Maker Space is a great example of all 5 points above and is used by students from Year 6 upwards.  They are making robots, machines, pulling things apart, putting them back together.  Experimenting, imaginative, non-literal, removed from reality but self-chosen, self-directed, process rather than product driven.   Play might be seen in significant parts of the inquiry process.  Without play, inquiry becomes teacher directed.

Play based Philosophy is also seen in the way the space is used on the walls.  Play being process driven, isn't reliant on a product.  Therefore, it is not necessary to display an end product on the wall.  More appropriately would be the children's trial's and errors if they so choose to place these up for public display.  The children in foundation rarely look at anything on the walls, they are focused on playing in the environment.  Wall displays often suit adults.  Maybe the adults feel better about themselves as teachers if they have product on the wall?  This year, I might put up some displays for whanau (parents) about play and its purpose.  Some process ideas for the students may be put on the wall such as photos of children using certain learning muscles (dispositions) in play.

Peter Gray in his book Free to Learn, spends some time speaking about the positives of multi-age learning.  Multi-age learning communities are just that, communities with different aged students in them.  Single cell classes of one age band with one teacher in can not hope to capitalise on the rich learning that comes from mixing ages up.  Mixed age play has historically been a way that rich culture has been passed down the generation.  Children who are older share learning that is on the edge of mastery for them. This way, they are practicing that which is still new knowledge for them and exposing the younger learners to new knowledge.  This is Tuakana/Teina in action.  At TKAS our largest learning community has Year 6 to year 13 together.  Our EYLC has Year 3ish to 5.  And our Whanau class has Year 1 - 10.

Teachers sharing learning communities also benefit.   This means play can occur while some are free to 'float' with those students learning independently being available to help while others are able to run workshops or target specific learning needs.  This requires a different set of skills than the traditional teacher. Students learn while playing, they can't help it.  They just do.

Curriculum design is local and specific for the children at the school.  It takes notice of the developmental stage each student is at.  In foundation we are looking for key indicators to let us know when a child is ready for more specific skill based learning.  Brain specialist Nathan Mikare-Wallis tell us that children around the age of 7 children have a change in the way they learn.  It doesn't mean to say they won't want to play any more, but they will be able to learn differently enabling them to sit for longer periods, listen to a lesson about for example genres in writing.  In our Middle and Senior Learning communities these skill based lessons are 'workshops'.  They offer a range of skills teachers have noticed students require to inquire.  Students arrange their timetables around fitting these workshops in.  Again, students hold as much 'power' and 'responsibility' to attend these as possible.

In play based learning, we have to trust the students.  It is their learning, not ours.  Yes, we are there to guide them, but they must hold the choice.  This skill is easily seen in young children, but often discouraged out of students when they enter Primary School.  Both ILE and PBL encourage ownership of learning.

It is helpful and exciting to begin to see the similarities between play-based learning and Innovative Learning Environments.  It is also clear to see, a radical change in the way teachers need to deliver learning will be required.  This change takes time.

Developing play based learning for Year 1 -5

We value inquiry learning at our Te Karaka Area school.  We value student led learning, project based learning, Maker spaces.  I want to discuss Passion. A time set aside for students to explore new ideas.  Initially passion was about giving students at TKAS new experiences and new opportunities to met knowledge they may not have met. Teacher led, teacher chosen new ideas.

2016 we are merging this idea with foundations play based learning.

Behind learning is a continuum of pedagogy.

The first is Curriculum, stage based learning or academic learning.  The second is developmental learning.  Curriculum, stage based learning is to do with following a curriculum and assessing students to find out where they are and then moving them on to the next step.  The curriculum is aged based.  For example, you are expected to do a certain task by or at a certain age.  National Standards is an example of assessment which people often use to guide their teaching by (although it was not designed to take over the NZ curriculum).  Assessments are often age based and fail or pass given.  Children often compare themselves to others because they know where they are in comparison to a peer.  They get very good at just learning what the teacher expects them to learn.  Failure and success are based on a teachers judgement.  In foundation this includes phonics and reading and our assessment of writing and maths.

The second type of pedagogy is developmental.  This is about allowing a child to unfold, to develop at their own pace recognising the biology in everyone is different.  Just like young children don't walk at the same age, neither do children learn at the same age.  More importantly this pedagogy recognises it is not good for children to be pushed beyond their developmental readiness.  By working with a child, whole brain development is seen and whole children grown.  Failure and success are seen as part of the learning process.

I am trying to find my way through this jungle of pedagogy.  I love developmental.  I disagree with stage based learning according to someones idea of where a child should be by a certain age.  Although I am not opposed to teaching concepts in a certain order or stage.  I need to find my way through this and combine the two.  It just might mean a child will make the stage but at a different age. That is why we have agreed that we will hold off skill based learning until we see readiness in children anywhere from age 6 to 7ish.

The drop down menu of developmental or play based learning is very different to stage based or academic learning.  The way the environment is set up is different.  The way a teacher teachers is different.
Foundation - equipment set out.  Space can be freely used for whatever the child is learning.  Teachers try and get along side child to teach.   Combined with a knowledge of stage based learning as to where the child should be and the next steps for them.  Less teacher directed lessons, however, we do teach phonics and reading by using stages of where a child should be but we find where they are up to not based on age but based on stage. And we are aware of where they sit for their academic knowledge of maths and writing.  We teach them in play rather than in a skill based group.

Definition of play based learning
To be play based in which children are getting the full use of their natural learning styles and working  their executive function and full brain. The following definition is used as a guide.

Peter Gray outlines a very important and crucial philosophy of play.  To be helpful play - play must be

1. Self-chosen and self-directed
2. process rather than product driven;
3. contains structures or rules established by the players themselves;
4. imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality
5. occurs between those who are active, alert and non-stressed.

(Grey, 2013; Brewer, 2007)

  Play based learning doesn't exclude academics it just allows it to unfold at a different time.  So stage based is usually teacher choice and directed - you will learn this at this time because this is what you should be learning for your age.  Eg.  Maths curriculum and phonics.  Structures and rules made by teachers.  Non imaginative based on reality.  Often includes more inactivity.

 For play based learning. 

Bringing some teacher ideas into the mix can be helpful, but it is also very important that children can experiment , be curious, and then think of something they want to make. (They may not want to make anything.  If they don't this doesn't mean they are not learning.  You don't have to make something or produce something to learn).  The process becomes about the mix of experimentation and the skills needed to make their ideas.  Teachers need to be able to support children with skills when they need them.   The older children get, the further they move developmentally the more abstract thinking they can use, the more able they are to use design thinking principles.

I guess it is swapping around our natural way of teaching.  Spending more time supporting and watching rather than directing. Instead of deciding on what we will teach at the beginning, we have a lesson or idea prepared. We may even share the idea.  However, if the students are not interested we don't require them to do it.  Sometimes, we may set the environment up with the equipment for that idea, but if no child chooses it we wait.  We watch students play with equipment which is open ended.  We wait and see what they want to do.  If four students want to build a boat out of wood.  We wait to see their plans.  We notice that they want to cut the wood to certain sizes, but after letting them try for a while, they fail.  It is at this point that we step in and ask them if they would like us to show them how to cut the wood.  Along the way to this, we may make suggestions,  You could put the wood in a vice.  You could try marking the wood first to make it easier to know where to cut?  Lots of 'you could..'  not so much 'this is how it is done'.

Thinking about our Passion time now.  Twice a week.  1.05 until 2.45pm.
How will we run this?

To get the ball going, I suggest we set up as many open ended pieces of equipment that we can.  Then we let the students play with it.  By play I mean - experiment, be curious, use stickability, reasoning, imagination, investigation, sociability and reflection.  Play becomes the vehicle supporting learning muscles.  We watch, notice, support.  Megan may have her plaster making idea to one side.  Waiarani might have all that is needed to make drums.  Steve might be outside the woodwork room with some hammers and wood, pencils and paper and a variety of materials to use for crafting.  Alicia might be in the dance room with some music playing.  Tara might be in foundation with all the equipment in there.  We start altogether and discuss the rules.  That is to keep us all safe.  Normal class rules, like if you want to use something but someone has it, you need to ask and then wait.  If you want to do one of the activities that a teacher has prepared you may, but if you begin it, you will need to finish it to some degree so make sure you really want to have a go (this is a hard concept for some children to grasp, especially the ones who struggle to use executive function).  We will all bring back something to share, it may be something you made, it may be something you did, it may be something you thought.  But it must be something to do with learning.  It may be a learning muscle you used like stickability or experimentation or curiosity. We show the students the boundaries.  You can go anywhere within this area.  If you need to go to the toilet ask a teacher first please so we know where you are.

Now each of us is making something to show the students.  And we will discuss the process we went through.  I don't actually think this is necessary.  Instead, I think we should keep these for use later on in a few weeks time. When the students have experienced the spaces and equipment, we can then bring in some examples of what we have made and show them the design process we went through.  At this stage, we may also have some skills we think the students may want to know in order for them to progress further.  We can then offer these as needed.

Timing - 1.05 - gather and go through rules.  
1.15 - begin to play
2.15 - pack up
2.30 - gather in small groups with a teacher.  Go around and share what we have made, or done and what learning muscle we have used.
2.45  - Home.

A Point of View: Equipment for Play based learning

A Point of View: Equipment for Play based learning: This time last year, I was focused on starting a play based learning community.   Today I am thinking about several schools in Gisborne and ...

Equipment for Play based learning

This time last year, I was focused on starting a play based learning community.   Today I am thinking about several schools in Gisborne and many others around New Zealand who are starting 2016 with play based learning.  Some of you will have large budgets, but many will not.  This post is all about how I set up the environment when I began.

"If children are going to play, they will need something to play with" I thought.   This meant thinking about the environment in the classroom.  Initially, all I could think about were the beautiful, inspiring environments often found in Early Childhood Centres in New Zealand.  These environments include designer equipment for water play, carpentry, family corners etc. Beautiful areas of inspiration built up over many years, budgeted for, supporting a play based pedagogy.  I didn't have time or money to do this.  I did the next best thing, make a start.

Later on in the year, I realised that flash equipment was the least priority in setting up a play based classroom. I now think, less is more.  Real is better, raw materials, space and agency priorities. Equipment gathered by or for the students in the context of play and their needs.  Imperfect equipment allows for problem solving.

Here is what I started with.

An inside area and an outside area. (The students learnt the boundaries for this)
Dress ups from secondhand shop and own collection.
Lego and Thomas the train set from my son who had finished playing with them.
A set of big blocks that were already at school.  An old water table with a hole in it.
A little oven borrowed from the pre-school next door with second hand kitchen equipment. A second hand doll cot.
Books and puzzles that the school had.  Insect houses, magnifying glasses.
9 IPads

The borrowed oven

Trees had to be cut down at school.  I saved several logs and put them outside the classroom for the children to play with as they see fit.  One day we went looking around the school and found planks.  Adding in some black plastic piping and drain pipe extended the play.

The children arranged the logs and planks to make a seesaw

This is the clay table I had made.  I traced around a piece of log and took the pattern to a local canvas shop.  They made a canvas slip on top that fits neatly around the log.  It cost $80.  Well worth it.  The canvas means the clay doesn't slip around.  The clay is reusable and sustainable.  We trialled play dough, but found it sticks to the carpet etc.

Look closely and you can see the design of the canvas top

During the year we used another tree stump as the carpentry table and placed it outside.

Our water trough with the plug missing, allows students to experiment with finding ways of filling it along with observing the nature of water and who to contain it.

I bought.

Some plastic dolls, art supplies, plastic food, model wooden cars, skipping ropes, balls, a cash register.  Clipboards of varying sizes to attach pens and paper to support writing.  A secondhand marble run (very popular).  Painting shirts.

We set them up in areas around the room.  Art area, modelling things like blocks, lego, dresses, family corner.  Woodwork and clay outside.  Books in boxes around the room. We had a few tables and chairs, bean bags, lilly pads, a whiteboard table.

If I was starting again,  I wouldn't change anything because the really important thing to remember is the journey and learning as an educator that goes on when anything is introduced into the community. Continuing to observe and ask how each piece helps or hinders the learning through play.  Our equipment is able to be moved, changed, and used by the students.  As teachers we moved things around once a term.  

This year I am looking for real china cups and teapots as the students are interested in tea parties.  Old boxes of all sizes, paper, tinkering stuff for the craft table. I will be buying some more water paints.  Pencils and pens and crayons with three sides (helps with grip).  I am also looking to develop the science equipment.

Most successful items are Lego and blocks. The iPads support everything we do with open ended programmes like book creator and drill and practice type programmes like Reading Eggs.   Best buys were often the unexpected like the little domino dogs from Hospice shop.  These little dogs were in so many imaginative games throughout the year.  I bought them to play dominos with but the students had other ideas.

One of the tiny domino dogs going for a ride.

A domino dog dressed up.

The domino dogs being lined up on the lego boat.  1-1 matching.

Keeping the equipment and materials open ended has been the most successful way of supporting play.