EDLC 554
EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT: GUNN
Area 1: Approaches to Play and Learning
Description
Approaches to Play and Learning refers to a child’s ability to engage with the environment
around them and discover and interact with the senses of “touching, tasting, smelling,
listening, and observing.” (Virginia Early Learning and Developing Standards) As a child
interacts with the environment around them they engage their imagination, curiosity,
initiative, creativity, and cognitive and behavioral self-regulation. The acronym for
Approaches to Play and Learning is APL. APL is the beginning stage that focuses on a child’s
ability to communicate their ideas, ask for assistance, and take risks. Children who are in a
supported environment are able to develop self-assurance, self-regulation, and a sense of
ownership in their learning journey that encourages positive approaches to play and learning.
Example
Activity,
Instructions,
and Sample
Sensory Stations
Sensory stations play a key role in a child’s APL especially as they enter the primary grades.
To spark student’s interests and get all five senses engaged, sensory stations can be set up in
the classroom environment. Each station should focus on a particular set of objects, textures,
or materials. Common stations can be bins with rice, moon sand, flat surfaces with shaving
cream, play dough, slime, flour, carpet squares, ect. Each station should have a different
texture or material to engage the student in. Students are given instructions to navigate from
one station to the next and investigate the items by touching with their hands or feet (when
appropriate per station- example carpet squares) To encourage student’s sense of imagination
and curiosity, play should be encouraged and students should be given the ability to
experiment freely with a variety of materials. The sensory stations activity encourages
students to take risks and be curious in a safe place. They are able to connect with the
environment around them while developing learning techniques, engaging and free play, and
engaging in all five senses to make connections.
Example: https://rainforestlearningcentre.ca/preschool-sensory-station-ideas-5-senses/
Contextual
Analysis
Primary level children who have been identified with special needs require a variety of
different opportunities that are meaningful in their learning. These activities should allow
these students to foster curiosity, self-awareness and necessary physical and cognitive skills.
When children are provided with opportunities to play that focus on specific skills increases
their ability to stay engaged with the activity but also allows them to have control over their
learning. Children of all abilities benefit from an environment where they feel safe and
nurtured. As children engage in meaningful play they are able to establish a sense of
confidence and positivity while learning. Several skills such as imagination, problem solving,
creative thinking, and curiosity are all skills fostered when a child engages in APL activities.
A 2 S i l d E ti l D l t
Description
The term Social and Emotional Development (SED) refers to the process in which young
children begin to develop a sense of awareness in their emotions along with the emotions of
the individuals around them. The development of effective communication, empathy, and
making connections that are positive are heavily focused on in this domain. Young children
are educated on how to handle their feelings, solve conflicts, and how to develop self control.
Self-identity is explored along with their role within their families and community as a whole.
When interacting, teaching, and fostering a child’s social and emotional development it is
essential that they are taught perseverance and how to be resilient in challenging situations.
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EDLC 554
Example
Activity,
Instructions,
and Sample
Emotions Jenga
Prior to playing this game with students, the teacher will need a jenga set with a permanent
marker. On a random block the teacher will write down various emotions that students need
to learn about. Some examples of emotions are anger, happiness, jealous, bored, worried, ect.
As students pull each block they must tell their partner what that emotion means to them and
