Every educator's imaginative instincts will be guided by this book's practical design method, which harnesses the power of play for student learning. Teachers from all disciplines and levels can create a full spectrum of engaging exercises through the authors' six accessible ALLURE steps: (1) Ask where to apply the play; (2) List the mental moves;…

Studies into early mathematics education have reported that play, and active exploration, provide promising settings for early mathematics education (Ginsburg, 2006) as the early years is a time to engage children in a range of mathematical ideas to develop their mathematical capability (MacDonald, 2018). More recently, the Australian Association…

The article highlights connections between music and movement activities and emergent literacy development among infants and toddlers. I review how music is linked to phonological awareness, oral language, vocabulary, and other related skills that support reading, like executive function. I also highlight the benefits of including…

The water station in The Pond Room had always been a popular option especially since in this region the summer heat is extremely intense. The Master Teacher noticed that Zach, a 3-year-old with special needs and an IEP from the local school district, returned to the water station over and over again and was very focused on his activities. His…

In this article we present our findings regarding of providing online educational activities, delivered by six adults, during 13 weeks (first semester 2020) to 15 children aging from 5 to 7 (the Beaver scouts), on a non-formal education context. The activities combined guided play and problem-based learning activities. Our research objective was…

In this study, we aimed to develop an active play learning model to enhance cognitive thinking skills in elementary school students. We employed a qualitative research methodology, targeting health and physical education teachers from schools in Suphan Buri Province in Thailand. We collected data through individual surveys and indepth interviews…

This article describes a project-based social studies activity that gave young children the autonomy to photograph what they wanted within the classroom environment while interacting with peers. Social studies learning in the early years has great potential to offer active, playful, and meaningful experiences for children and can prepare young…

The present study explored pre-primary students' investigative activity during a longitudinal, integrative technology education project: the Power Creatures project. Investigative activity refers to the way young children act in a learning context that combines inquiry-based activities with creative hands-on activities, such as designing and…

In early childhood education and care, Nordic social pedagogy approach is challenged by a learning orientation that often results in unproductive "either/or" thinking. Therefore, based on the two approaches and by analysing several dimensions of Froebel's ideas and prevailing social-historical activity (play) theory, the author deduces…

Informal learning is often treated as simply an alternative to formal, didactic instruction. This chapter discusses how the organization of informal learning differs across distinct settings but with important commonalities distinguishing informal learning from formal learning: Informal learning is nondidactic, is embedded in meaningful activity,…

Best practices have been used in the establishment of distance learning programs for higher education. However, little is known about faculty members' utilization of best practices in distance learning course design and delivery. Instructional designers play a critical role helping faculty members in the implementation of these best practices in…

Relates a kindergarten teacher's classroom experience where play is not considered a primary medium for learning. Describes a strategy used to establish play, specifically investigative play, as a legitimate activity in the classroom. Discusses issues associated with play-based curriculum and how, with the renewed interest in science education, it…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter, "PLAINTalk," is the first in a four part series, reprinting chapters from Sharon and Craig Ramey's book, "Going to School." This issue presents practical and useful techniques for parents, covering the following topics: (1) How Parents Can Help Children Learn; (2) How Does Your Child's Brain Work; (3) The…

Intended for both childcare professionals and parents, this book lists activities from episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television program, and can be used with or without watching the program. Each activity is assigned a number which corresponds to the television episode in which the activity is featured, and a national PBS Broadcast…

This article discusses a project about lunch undertaken by a class of 3- to 5-year-old children in a preschool in Iowa. Following a description of the school and the goals of the project, the article presents the three phases of the project. The teacher's reflections about the project are also included. Photographs taken to document the project…