Introduction and welcome
Play, assessment, and reflection
This interactive textbook provides opportunities for teachers to deepen their understandings of the nature of play and the assessment potentials of play. As you move through the chapters, consider the discussions and activities through the different lenses of research and practice. The text prompts you to read through theory-based content and teacher practice, with supported moments of self-reflection. The reflective questions are designed to provide evaluative moments that support your exploration of theory and practice.
Reflective prompts throughout this text
Throughout this text, we ask you to critically reflect on your own educational philosophies about play and children’s learning. We then encourage you to take those reflections and engage in evaluative activities that link theory and practices in the classroom.
The knowledge-makers of this text intended to put a spotlight on play-based teaching and assessment. As you engage with the text, we hope that the research and practice shared demonstrate the benefits of play, learning, and assessment. The voices in this text are both academic and practitioner-based. Their insights are designed to support your observation of children’s play, identification of the learning, and making possible links to curricular outcomes.
Contextual COVID-19 narrative
Play-based and inquiry learning became particularly relevant during the pandemic as it impacted children’s access to learning environments and play-based experiences in early-childhood settings. This text originated as a support resource for teachers transitioning children to school post-pandemic. However, the crucial role of play-based learning in relation to fostering educational outcomes for children continues to have currency in contemporary classrooms.
Recognising your current expertise and practices
Many of you will already be implementing a play-based and inquiry approach. This interactive textbook provides further knowledge to support your understanding and practices. We intend to build on your existing expertise.
For some, this will be confirmation of your practice. For others, this material is designed to provide a different way of viewing teaching and learning by presenting play-based practices in diverse contexts.
Whatever your current knowledges and practice—we hope by exploring the breadth of play-based and inquiry learning across all the chapters, you see the benefits of embedding play-based and inquiry learning in the early years of schooling.
