This measure analyzes how teachers support a playful attitude in the classroom by providing opportunities for children to engage in songs, books, and pretend play or games instead of imposing how children should play. For example, during snack time, the teacher should read a book to the children while they eat instead of setting out the nap mats. Also, during group activities, the teacher should encourage the children to sing and dance versus telling them to sit at their desks and complete their worksheets.
Category: Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions
Subcategory: Play-Based Interactions and Guidance
Examples
In this section you will find videos, images, and/or documents that can be used to better understand this measure. These examples can also be used in conversations between mentors, directors, and/or teachers to discuss how the program's current practices compare to these examples.
Video Example
This exemplar video segment, showcases a teacher inviting a group of toddlers to become interested in a book she’s about to read. The teacher uses an engaging song to introduce the book and hand gestures throughout to get the children involved in a playful way.
Age(s): Toddler
Video Example
This exemplar video segment, showcases a teacher inviting a group of infants to become interested in a book she’s about to read. The teacher engages the babies in playful ways by changing her tone of voice and tapping her fingers as she reads.
Age(s): Infant
Video Example
In this exemplar video segment, Model and Join in Pretend and Play, a teacher engages with toddlers in a learning center. During the segment the caregiver demonstrates engaging children in playful activities and how to create an opportunity for children to make-believe.
Age(s): Toddler
Video Example
In this exemplar video segment, Offer Opportunities for Choice, a teacher is soothing a fussy baby. During the segment the caregiver is engaging the infant in a playful activity and demonstrating offering them the opportunity to make a choice between two objects.
Age(s): Infant
Video Example
In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers engage in a playful attitude with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. The teachers work with the children to encourage them to make believe, make choices, and adjust activities to their own interest throughout the day.
Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age
Video Example
In this exemplar video segment, Rhythm and Rhyme Toddlers 1, a teacher is reading nursery rhymes with a child in centers. During the segment the caregiver is allowing the child to make choices in the types of rhymes he wants to hear the teacher read or sing to him.
Age(s): Toddler
Practice Opportunities
These resources include tips, strategies, activities, or specific tools related to this measure that programs can put into practice.
Activity
Action Songs, a publication created by Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education and Care, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support a playful attitude. The reader will read about how they can engage toddlers in repetitious songs which are fun but also help with vocabulary expansion.
Age(s): Toddler
Activity
This publication gives readers ideas of how they can engage children in playful activities. The reader will read about the types of songs and chants they can use to introduce patterns and counting games to babies.
Age(s): Infant
Publication
Following the Child’s Lead, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can engage children in playful activities to encourage them as they make decisions throughout the day.
Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age
Activity
Children can play with toy animals in many ways! Caregivers and children can make-believe, sing songs, and play games with the animals. Teachers should participate or guide children as they choose how to play with the animals.
Age(s): Infant, Toddler
Activity
In this activity, children sing a modified “Hokey Pokey” song with shapes. Teachers can use this playful approach to shape recognition to build children’s math skills.
Age(s): Preschool
Publication
Naturalistic Instruction Practices, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can engage children in playful activities throughout the day to support and encourage the choices they make as they work and play.
Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age
Activity
Engage children in an art project with the “Painting Pies” activity. Teachers can plan pretend play activities like this one to allow children to make choices; in this activity, children decide what materials they will use as the teacher guides them to make their “pie.”
Age(s): Preschool, School-age
Activity
In this pretend play activity, children learn about and practice taking care of a pet. Teachers can bring a variety of “pets” and pet care items for children to choose from and play with. In the video included in the activity, the teacher engages children in a book about caring for pets before joining in the pretend play activity.
Age(s): Toddler
