Play-based Learning in the Primary School

Play is an essential part of learning and development for children and is an increasingly important aspect of creative approaches to teaching and learning in primary education. This book demonstrates the value of play in all its different forms as a highly effective medium for teaching and learning across the curriculum.

The authors explore how play can be used to increase engagement, motivation and fun in learning situations, examining the theoretical principles of play for learning, types of play for older children, planned and facilitating play-based learning, using thematic approaches when working with individuals, groups and whole classes, in addition to covering important teaching issues such as assessment, inclusion and transition out of primary education.

This is recommended reading for students on primary initial teacher education courses including undergraduate, graduate, and employment-based routes into teaching, and also for practicing teachers wishing to enhance their own teaching.

Mary Briggs is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Warwick where she teaches across a range of the Institute′s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Mary was an Early Years, primary and SEN teacher for many years, including deputy and headship before working as an academic in the University sector.

Alice Hansen is the Director of Children Count Ltd where she is educational consultant. Her work includes running professional development courses and events for teachers and teacher trainers, research and publishing. Alice has worked in education in England and abroad. Prior to her current work she was a primary mathematics tutor and the programme leader for a full-time primary PGCE programme at a large university in England.