Tanya Paes is a final year PhD student at the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University where she is specialising in play-based learning and children’s cognitive development. She frequently works with English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. She recently co-wrote a research paper for the Cambridge Papers in ELT series entitled, ‘Developing Life Skills through Play’, in which she looks at how play can help develop certain life skills. I interviewed Tanya to discuss her research in more depth.
What is play-based learning? How does it differ from play?
There are numerous definitions of play among researchers. This is due to the broad range of beliefs about its nature that are held by play theorists. As such, I would describe it as an activity which is a pleasurable experience, flexible and usually non-literal in nature. Research has demonstrated that play is encouraged for it allows children to develop their cognitive skills, and to make connections between various areas of learning and experience. Children are able to learn best when their full attention is captured, which often occurs during play.
Play-based learning differs from mere play in that it caters to a goal rather than play in general which is more concerned with the process. The former can be structured, usually and often by a teacher who can guide the child towards a learning outcome. On the other hand, play generally has no predetermined goal – the aim is solely to have fun. Research suggests that engagement with the lesson, driven by relevant content and a socially-interactive classroom culture, provides a good learning environment for children. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the research evidence to support the benefit of play-based learning is weak and inconsistent.
How does play-based learning benefit young learners?
There are several ways in which play-based learning can benefit young learners. These all align with the Cambridge Life Competencies, a framework which helps teachers better understand key life competencies such as creative thinking, critical thinking, learning to learn and communication.
Creative and critical thinking
Play often gives opportunities for children to develop this skill, especially through pretend play. This means that the child can use their imagination to tackle a problem, either as a solo activity or collaborating with fellow playmates. This arrangement allows learners to approach tasks from different perspectives, as well as allowing them to keep trying different solutions without risk of punishment. Creative thinking allows children to let their imaginations run free, inventing whole worlds, stories and characters.
Play-based guided learning involves the adult structuring and supporting the activity so that it focuses on a learning goal while simultaneously providing children with the ability to direct the activity. In this way, children have to be able to think beyond the scopes of the play-based activity: what would the character do if they went to your school? Why is that character angry? These sorts of open-ended questions are useful in guided learning and are an excellent way of strengthening the child’s understanding and helping them move towards the learning objective through play.
Learning to learn and communication
It is crucial for young learners to be able to self-direct their learning in a way which will have long-term benefits. Play-based learning encourages children to self-regulate; they must operate within the rules of the world they have either constructed themselves or co-constructed with their peers. Self-regulation is important for goal-directed behaviour, planning, organising information, and staying focussed despite distractions.
When children engage in play, they practise using their negotiation skills. They will likely have the opportunity to interact with children of different ages. This challenging environment can allow them to expand their ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. In pretend play, children take on the role of a constantly changing character and they have to adapt themselves to apply to the rules of the character. It is often self-directed or a collaborative agreement. Therefore, children are able to learn how to monitor their own behaviour and be able to engage with and better understand cross cultural differences.
How to promote play in and out of the classroom
We can set up environments which support play-based learning. Play stations are easy to adopt in the classroom because they often already exist. The theme of the play station can change according to that week’s core learning material. The teacher or adult can scaffold an activity in a way that allows it to be child led but achieve the desired learning outcome. In doing so, they can create an open environment in which the learner feels comfortable to come forward with their own ideas – something which is particularly important for English language learners.
Teachers or adults should make use of existing resources for play. It’s not a question of using replica of exactly what would be there, but rather letting the child’s imagination dictate what they use. The main thing to consider is what the learning goal is and how best it can be implemented so as to complement the learning environment. Activities can be conducted both in and out of the classroom or the home. If it is numeracy, for example, why not incorporate the use of language and count the steps on the way to bed? Or for literacy, don’t just read the story, but ask open-ended questions and possibly have a small enactment afterwards. Storybook reading is great as it is a joint activity that parents and children can do together. When a child sees a parent or adult taking part in an activity, they are much more likely to participate themselves.
My research looks at the benefits of following up storybook reading with an additional activity such as engaging in roleplay activities or doing some art and crafts. This allows the child to adapt what they have learnt in a storybook to other settings which helps reinforce their learning.
Conclusion
Play-based learning can be used without much disruption to the classroom curriculum and dynamic. A stick can easily be a wand or walking stick, and a drawing can imply a whole other world. Play is flexible and can be customised to fit into your schedule. Play-based learning can reduce the pressure on the learner, by teaching in a less formal environment. Activities are child-led and so children can learn vital lessons first-hand by engaging in the activities themselves.
This is a summary of the interview between Delia Kidd and Tanya Paes and is based on the talk given by Delia Kidd and Dr Claire Dembry at IATEFL 2019 on Developing life skills and learning through play.