{"id":682,"date":"2022-10-27T11:03:44","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T05:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vega.edu.in\/vega-blog\/?p=682"},"modified":"2023-07-20T11:08:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-20T05:38:49","slug":"playful-learning-and-academic-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vega.edu.in\/vega-blog\/education-and-schooling\/playful-learning-and-academic-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"Playful Learning and Academic Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Richa Sharma\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play leads to creativity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct\u201d – Carl Jung<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best play schools in Gurgaon<\/a> are gradually moving towards play-based learning, problem-based learning and experiential learning. The terms may be different but all these top schools have one thing in common – focus on the learner and learning experience. And why not? Isn\u2019t play central to all learning experiences for children? So it is but natural for them to learn best through play. Playful learning not only develops academic skills but many cognitive and life skills too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play leads to the joy of learning<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When I was looking for a school for my first-born way back in 2010, the principal of one of the best schools in Gurgaon said, \u201cMake sure your child goes to school happily and enjoys the learning environment.\u201d And this stuck with me. In the early primary years I sent my daughter to a school that specializes in inquiry-based learning. A play-based environment enlivens the learning space, allowing children to be children, thus enhancing learning. As a teacher, I would hate to lecture a class full of unwilling and unreceptive students, and that\u2019s where the problem based learning (PBL) methodology helps enrich the teaching and learning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what exactly does playful learning look like? And how can it improve a child\u2019s academic skills? Let\u2019s look at a few examples that demonstrate how simple activities can help enhance a multitude of essential skills for a learner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playful learning does not mean free play<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Playful learning is not to be confused with \u2018free play\u2019 where children have complete freedom to choose their own activities and materials. Playful learning requires teachers and facilitators to gently \u2018guide\u2019 learners towards more meaningful activities. They are responsible for providing toys, materials, time schedules for exploration, interactions and discussions, posing questions, and providing encouragement. The topmost schools in the world provide children with natural environments to explore and learn, while others provide \u2018loose things\u2019 for them to tinker with. You may have seen educational toys used in Montessori classrooms. 
Some useful materials used in preschools and early primary are:
Natural resources \u2013 rocks, sticks, seedpods, shells and leavesMaterials \u2013 ribbon, fabric, cushions, chalk, pom-pomsObjects \u2013 boxes, blocks, buckets, balls, hula-hoops, washing baskets, trays, milk crates, PVC pipes
Play with loose parts helps develop sensory skills when children learn about textures, weights, patterns, shapes and what happens when you bang, rub, crush them together. Further, it encourages problem-solving, co-operation, decision-making, fine and gross motor skills, independence, vocabulary, physical, art, Maths and Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading and Storytelling<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reading in traditional classrooms was quite different from reading engagements in today\u2019s best schools. One will be amazed to see the fun element that reading and storytelling lends to the classroom. Puppets, role plays, improvising, guest speakers and performers are only a few ways to include playful learning in a reading class. These types of engagements help students develop the essential skills of listening, imagining, creativity, oratory, inferencing, and overall language skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manipulatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Manipulative materials are objects that allow students to explore an idea in an active, hands-on approach. Manipulatives can be almost anything \u2013 blocks, shapes, spinners or even paper that is cut or folded. It allows students to use things other than pencil and paper to learn. Use of manipulatives allows learners to use their thinking and creativity <\/em>to express their understanding, leading to better retention of a concept. When students experience different ways to do a mundane thing, they take interest and build study skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some easy techniques used by early year teachers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n