The Power of Play at Holland International School
31 January 2023, Ms. Ashley Bentley
When you visit Holland International School, one of the first things that strikes you is that our children love to play! For many years, children’s psychologists have emphasised the importance of play-based learning to educators and parents. Jean Piaget (1962) was one of the first psychologists to study the impact of play on a child’s cognitive development. Scientific research shows that play experiences help children to develop: physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. As the poet Diane Ackerman states, “Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning”. Play is good for you.
However, when I first started teaching 20 years ago, many parents and school leaders found it hard to understand how children could reach the goals expected of them by simply ‘playing’ all day. There has certainly been a shift in mindset over the past decade, much to the relief of Early Years practitioners around the world! It is vital to understand the impact play has on young children. Essentially, it allows them to learn about the world around them and make sense of it. Play encourages children to create their own processes, ways to complete the tasks and ‘jobs’ they wish to achieve, both within the classroom and at home. Good quality play-based learning, allows children to learn new skills and to challenge their own thinking. It provides numerous opportunities to collaborate; to forge new relationships, share ideas (and resources), solve problems and negotiate arguments. At Holland International School, these are some of the key principles that we base our school upon.
At HIS, play is a central part of both our Dutch and English Stream. Dutch education is well-known for focusing on learning through play throughout the first 2 to 3 years of primary school. The English Early Years Curriculum, also centres its goals around the child and encourages independence; we allow children to navigate their own way within a play-based environment. The learning environment within our Preschool and Early Years department, is designed to allow students the opportunity to engage in both unstructured and structured play. Continuous provision is available in all classrooms; these are the staple resources that the children can access every day, for the whole school year, regardless of the IPC unit that is being followed. This predictability in play is not a weakness within teaching, it is actually essential for young children; repetitive play is healthy for our youngest learners. Having these core resources (such as building blocks) promotes confidence and increases self-esteem in children as they become ‘experts’ in navigating their own environment. Our Early Years teachers are skilled enough to allow children to make their own decisions when playing, as this nurtures their sense of identity.
As the children at Holland International School move from the preschool to the Reception Class or to Group 1, they are offered structured as well as unstructured play. Teachers know when to step-back and when to intervene in order to scaffold play and move learning forward. Enhancements are added to learning corners, which allow for further challenge and exploration as each child grows. However, students continue to make their own choices and pursue their personal interests as we believe this is key. The role of adults is crucial in modelling conversations and developing language in our classrooms. Many of the children at HIS speak at least two languages. Whilst playing outside or within roleplay corners, our children replicate the rich language they hear adults use.
One of the unique features of the preschool and Early Years at Holland International School, is its beautiful setting within the Bukit Timah area of Singapore. In 2005, Burdette and Whittaker carried out some thought-provoking research which proved that outdoor play encourages a child’s brain to develop at a faster rate than indoor play. Within our setting, outdoor play also holds significant importance as children have several opportunities each day to play outside with different groups or classes. They can: run, climb, dig, balance, create, pretend and explore the environment that surrounds them. They can access: sand, water and other materials to encourage them to get their feet dirty.
Psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison stated, “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
At HIS, we couldn’t agree more. If you would like to come and see our school in action and observe our children play, please make an appointment here.