Learning through play

It is that time of year again - back to school, and for some it will be the first time.

Having worked in Early Years for many years I have seen frameworks and curricula come and go. Through my own practice and much reading, I know that young children don’t learn by listening to the teacher whilst sitting silently, bottoms on chairs. They learn through active engagement with their environment, through interaction with people - peers and adults.

The introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008 has been a move in the right direction in ensuring all children under five are exposed to play based learning. (I know many nurseries and reception classes were already implementing a play based approach but many were not).

In 1935 Susan Isaacs, educational psychologist and advocate of learning through play said:

"We watch the nursery school child at play and accept this sort of activity at this age as normal and desirable. But too often the five and six year old is expected to cease play activities in school and begin lessons. Yet some educationalists would like all children under seven to enjoy nursery school conditions where play and living experiences are the accepted mode of learning."

I and the rest of the learning team at Eureka! believe this should be the accepted mode of learning (and that is certainly how we plan and deliver our school programmes) and it saddens me to see that in the 70 years since Susan made this comment, children have become subjected to more and more formality and tests.

Here's hoping Jim Rose's review of the primary curriculum will enable older children to learn through play too. His recommendations include giving teachers new advice on how to stimulate play based learning, which will be passed onto parents and smoothing the transition from early years to primary by extending and building upon active, play-based learning.

Rebecca Johnson is Director of Play & Learning at Eureka!