Serious Fun: How Guided Play Extends Children's Learning

A guide for teachers about the importance of planning learning experiences that integrate child-centered play with rich content-based instruction.

Serious Fun emphasizes a teachers’ active role in children’s play in order to guide learning. Organized into two sections, Serious Fun first looks at strategies teachers can use to connect play to learning. The second focuses on playful learning in math, literacy, drama, art, STEM, and outdoors.

Serious Fun utilizes research based content to delve into the methods teachers can use to connect guided play to literacy and STEM learning principles. Each chapter sets the stage for the concepts being explored and wraps up with practical tips for teachers to use in their classrooms. It also includes a handy two-page section for parents about the benefits of play and how to support their children’s learning through play.

Marie L. Masterson, PhD, is Director of Quality Assessment at McCormick Center forEarly Childhood Leadership, where she oversees evaluation for Illinois’ quality rating and improvement system. Marie is an educational consultant to state departments of education, schools, child care centers, and social service and parenting organizations. She is a national speaker, child behavior expert, researcher, and author of multiple books and articles that address behavior guidance, early care and education, parenting, and high-quality teaching. Holly Bohart is senior editor in Books and Related Resources at NAEYC. She formerly taught in special education early childhood programs.