Supporting Play in Early Learning Environments
Finding ways to support children’s play in early learning environments, both indoors and outdoors, is an important skill for early childhood educators (Community Playthings, 2009). What can teachers do to support children’s play? Is there a magic trick or special recipe for supporting play in the classroom?
Though the answer may not be magical, there is a recipe of sorts—or at least five basic ingredients to consider when making intentional efforts to support children’s play. The ingredients include p articipation, a ttitude, s pace, t ime, and a dvocacy. See Table 5.3 and the following explanations to learn more.