We chat every Tuesday night at 8:30-9:30 pm CST. All are welcome, especially EarlyEd teachers, leaders & experts. Co-founded & moderated by @techwnancy @JessicaCabeen & @VealHeidi
#ECEchat Lauren from Omaha, Nebraska here! I teach kindergarten and I can't wait to hear more great ideas for why play is so important for students in our classrooms!
It’s a sickness! I have pulled over on a road trip to participate tonight. I can’t imagine a play chat without me! Katy, parent education and play advocate from MN. #ECEChat
It’s a sickness! I have pulled over on a road trip to participate tonight. I can’t imagine a play chat without me! Katy, parent education and play advocate from MN. #ECEChat
aww! I had a dollhouse made by a dear, elderly neighbor, Mr. Rasmussen. I know I didn't treasure it like I should've relative to the time and love he put into it but I very much appreciate him now. #ecechat
Luisa, kindergarten from Omaha. Currently spending any time out of my classroom devoted on elevating the role of play and joy in #kindergarten classrooms acrossomg large urban district! #ECEChat
A1 My favorite toy as a child was whatever my brothers were playing with! I wanted to be with them all the time and play with whatever they were playing with! #ECEChat
Luisa, kindergarten T in Omaha. Currently devoting any open time outside of my classroom to elevating the role of play and joy in #kindergarten classrooms in our district. #ECEchat
I loved my Lite Brite! This makes me want to include one for my classroom centers. I am sure my students would love to play with one! The options are endless! #ecechat
A2: Play allows for creative expression, the opportunity for choice and decision making, navigating social interactions, and allows kids to builds upon strengths and interests. Everything that ECE is! #ecechat
A2 It is so important to incorporate play into the school day to keep children intrigued throughout the day! Children were not created to sit in a chair all day! They need to keep their brains active throughout the day! #ECEChat
A2. Children learn best through play, when they have freedom to explore, problem solve, & be creative. Play also fosters social emotional learning & it relieves stress! #ecechat
A2 Play wires the brain for deep learning, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Students regulate most effectively while playing and play is an opportunity to practice transitions. Play is soothing and joyful. Kids deserve it. #ECEChat
Luisa, I am truly addicted to learning about how to best incorporate play in the classroom! My students are happier and more engaged in everything we have been doing in our room! I love it! #ecechat
Negotiation. Empathy. Self-regulation. Language building. Relationships. Good old-fashioned joy & happiness. All by products of incorporating play into the school day. #ECEchat
Play is a child's work. It is how they learn to navigate the social world- pragmatic, speech, language empathy skills...not to mention sensory and motor development....the list goes on. #ecechat
A2 Play is the developmentally appropriate way to teach concepts,it reduces stress and anxiety, is way more enjoyable than worksheets,promotes social skills #ECEchat
A2: Each of us on this chat could immediately remember (and for me hum the theme song) for our favorite toys/activities as a child. It's part of us. We remember because it was important to us... and FUN! #ECEchat
A2 It is so important to incorporate play into the school day to keep children intrigued throughout the day! Children were not created to sit in a chair all day! They need to keep their brains active throughout the day! #ECEChat
Got to visit Rochester's Mighty Oaks Early Learning Center today. Visited some wonderful inclusive classrooms, met passionate teachers and leaders, and it reminded me again why MN is SO lucky to have all of you doing this work! TY for your commitment to our kiddos! #ECEchat
Play is a child's work. It is how they learn to navigate the social world- pragmatic, speech, language empathy skills...not to mention sensory and motor development....the list goes on. #ecechat
A2 I think kids need free play time to grow socially and emotionally. They learn to be part of the classroom/school community and transfer what I teach directly to their own worlds. They experiment, succeed, fail, and learn. #ecechat
A2 Play wires the brain for deep learning, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Students regulate most effectively while playing and play is an opportunity to practice transitions. Play is soothing and joyful. Kids deserve it. #ECEChat
Thank you for sharing this. Always looking for ways to promote and support play based learning with my teachers and admins I work with. Great idea! #ecechat
#ECEchat A2: Two of my main reasons are my students are more engaged and they are practicing their language skills with academic conversations (I have mainly ELLs). I have heard way more academic conversations since incorporating play!
A2: So many skills are learned through play: interacting with others, using imagination,etc. I was surprised because I set up a play pizza oven in my room about a month ago and my 4th grade boys LOVED playing with the oven. It was fun to watch them interact! #ecechat
A-2. Play allows the young child to connect their learning to real life application and have fun doing it. Play addresses the needs of the whole child. #ECEChat
A2 Kids are the driver during play. They can choose what to play and how. Work out peer conflict, act out stories, communicate, create, collaborate, with pure joy and engagement. #ECEchat
Charlene-HONORED to have you on the chat tonight! Was an incredible opportunity to meet you last year at the Capitol advocating for VPK! You have an open invite to play at #WoodsonK in Austin Minnesota anytime! #ecechat
My students are WAY more comfortable sharing their learning when it can be done with play. it is amazing to see what they can share or explain with the use of play materials! #ecechat
I have worked hard with my district curriculum director (for 63 elem schools) to solidify a 60 minute minimum of play into district time allotments. We have the time and are now working on elevating the play experiences. #ECEChat
A3: We are so lucky to have a 20 minute block of play center time in our daily schedule. I use this time to encourage students to interact, imagine, explore, and communicate with one another! #ECEChat
A3. At #WoodsonK we have dedicated space and time in our master calendar for playbased learning, however teachers incorporate play in all parts of the day as well #ECEChat
The best advice I've seen on this is from an ECE we featured in a spotlight article: She suggested making simple transition tasks fun. Need to get up from the carpet? "Children who's name start with M stand on the red square!"
It's cognitive development AND playful #ecechat
A3: I love to have kindergarten on my schedule...pop down in the classrooms and play! But I also have some play options set up in my office for when Ss come to visit in my office #ECEChat
A3 recess, we have center time every day for kids, and I try to include different activities that incorporate more play aspects into our academics #ecechat
A3. We have a minimum of an hour of free choice, play based, centers built into our pre-k classroom schedule… but small groups & whole group are often times play based as well! Students thrive when they are having fun! #ecechat
A3: As a first year principal I'm going to sit back and learn from all of you... Where/how can I encourage Ts and myself play with Ss throughout the day! #ECEchat
A3 In EC you plan the purpose around the "toy"; it is your starting point-what Ss add to it is the growth/learning on their part. Open ended centers and lessons with purposeful planning for higher level thinking/problem solving is key. #ecechat
A3. We have a minimum of an hour of free choice, play based, centers built into our pre-k classroom schedule… but small groups & whole group are play based times as well! Students thrive when they are having fun! #ecechat
A2: So many skills are learned through play: interacting with others, using imagination,etc. I was surprised because I set up a play pizza oven in my room about a month ago and my 4th grade boys LOVED playing with the oven. It was fun to watch them interact! #ecechat
A3: We incorporate play in almost every aspect of our day. Exploration through centers, time on the playground, STEAM lab and motor lab, and also our outdoor classroom. Bring play into your read aloud lessons to keep engagement and the learning constant! #ECEchat
A3: 45 minutes of center play in Prek in open ended play based learning spaces. In kinder, I think daily "big center" time is a critical component of social development and creative expression but seems to be very uncommon these days. #ecechat
A3: Using play as part of the investigation or engagement part of a new theme or unit. It can also be part of the project based learning during a unit. #ECEChat
#ecechat A3: center time is always all play while learning. Small groups are always fun with games. Transitions always involves movement and play or singing
A3: We have the opportunity everyday to explore and learn at play centers each day. We are fortunate to have monthly themes and a great team of teachers who work together to make it happen. #ECEchat
A3: We have an hour of play built into our schedule! I have also begun incorporating math and literacy into each of my centers so that my students are able to "play" during that subject time using those materials #learningisfun#ecechat
That is such a great idea Liz, I bet families with future students like that you have incorporate this into your office and provide opportunities to show your passion and priorities..kids! #ECEChat
I have worked hard with my district curriculum director (for 63 elem schools) to solidify a 60 minute minimum of play into district time allotments. We have the time and are now working on elevating the play experiences. #ECEChat
A-3. As a second grade teacher, I provide my students with math and spelling games along with daily recess. I would love to incorporate more play into my day!! #ECEChat
A3 I have seen teachers in our school utilize play in small groups during all subject areas as well as recess, boost up, play center time. Kids are creating, building, acting, turn taking with math, reading science games and activities. #ECEchat
Yes, and also thinking through how to do small group outside of center time so that teachers are free to play and facilitate learning through play during center time. #ecechat
A4: so many but I loved getting a ticket delivered to me, inviting me to the movie theater...K classroom transformation, awesome experience although the concession stand was super expensive #authenticplaylearning#ECEChat
A4 play-dough, legos, creation station, puppets, dress-up....I love playing along with them; brings back the memories of childhood. What a great endorphin rush! 😉#ecechat
A4. My favorite play based activity must be the pretend & learn center.. It’s like bringing the real world inside your classroom, a farm, the ocean, camping, Home Depot, a gym, a zoo, etc #ecechat
A4: My favorite play based activity would have to be our sensory tables. Students are so engaged with the sensory tables-communication, teamwork, sensory. And, the best part: all the learning that takes place through communication and play. #ECEChat
A4. Pretend play-based centers are always a hit with our kids. We have a Pretend, Play, Learn room as one of our specials. The kids call it PPL! #ECEChat
A4: MakerSpace playing has been awesomethis year, watching kids literally run into class, collaborate, create their own learning, have crazy fun and not want to leave = priceless #ECEChat
A4: I think my favorite would actually be when they go and do their own thing during free time/brain breaks. They have a lot of options and I like to see what they come up with and how they interact. That is what happened with the pizza oven. #ecechat
A4 blocks and anything related to building and engineering. Students collaborate, are utilizing critical and creative thinking skills and can connect it to so many avenues of learning. #ECEchat
A4 #STEAM or #STEM challenges and pretend & play center!!! I love how versatile the pretend and play is in a classroom and the creativity it unleashes in teachers to make it into so many different things! #ECEchat
A4: I currently LOVE what is happening in our science/discovery center. My students grew their own grass (with silly face cups of course), explored measuring different objects, and have CHOSEN to continue learning about these topics. They are so curious! #ecechat
A4: favorite play based activity is definitely our Pretend & Learn Center- I absolutely love listening in, watching and joining them- I have learned so much about my Ss from this center #ecechat
A-4. As a former kinder teacher, my favorite was the “house” area. I learned so much about the children by listening to their conversations, watching them role play, and interact with each other. #ECEChat
My students make so many things during art that I never would have thought of doing with the materials. I love hearing them explain their thinking for creating their project! #ecechat
This fall we took a field trip to the @SPAMbrand Museum. I had a student create a meal in their play area, without using any language-I learned so much about how he learns from that 10 minutes of play observation! @annietomschin#ECEChat
In reply to
@VickiHolth, @SPAMbrand, @annietomschin
I added paper & pencil to our dramatic play center when it was a grocery store, & it was CRAZY how much they wrote! Even the kids that struggle with writing. I loved it! #ecechat
A5: Our administration has been super supportive of our initiative to bring play into our classrooms! We also have an educational facilitator that has spent her time brainstorming, coaching, and even building some of the centers with me! #ecechat
A5: I go to my play center committee members for ideas in incorporating more play. Other resources would be my Principal @JessicaCabeen , online resources @ECEchat , and other coworkers and friends. #ECEChat
A5. Resources from @NAEYC and @TEC_Center give educators practical tools to incorporate meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways to play as well! #ECEChat
I can tell she is already! So important to have school leaders understanding the importance of developmentally appropriate practices in early learning and advocating for them! #ECEChat
I’d love that! Be sure to encourage them to register for the pre-conference on Saturday 6/23 at @EriksonInst & attend the @ISTE_ELN Playground on Tuesday 6/26! #ecechat
A5:I would vote for @raepica1 as well! I reference her so much in my instructional coaching and professional learning opportunities! Shes a must follow! #ecechat
We use a variety of researchers but I invite you to check out my school’s @RKES_KG team & all that they share on Twitter surrounding #LearningThroughPlay#ECEchat As a former early childhood educator I am so proud of all who make this a priority!
The 4th quarter- this is the time of year that separates the good teacher from the gr8. The gr8 finish strong. The gr8 use the momentum of this 4th quarter to fuel learning (theirs & students) through the summer. The gr8 never let a day go to waste. The gr8 make a difference!
A4: My faves are the things you don’t expect! Stacking cups, pool noodles + toothpicks, popsicle sticks, index cards....LOVE seeing what they come up with😍 #ECEChat
A6: The first thing we will be introducing during play tomorrow is a haircut area for our silly grass hair! I can already hear the giggles and see the laughs as they get to give their cup a trim! #ecechat
Alright friends, message me if my K can send you a Flat Stanley. All U do is write,email or Vox us back after U receive him. We want all students to get a response and all 50 states represented. Thx 😊#ECEchat
Yes! I love to see what they can create and it's such a great way to build confidence and encourage them to express themselves! I encourage you to try something like @Flipgrid to let them share their process of "how" they made their art! Such fun! #ecechat
