Welcome to My Play Based Classroom Blog

Hi there!

I'm Janelle - a play-based early years teacher who is super passionate about creating learning experiences that boost curiosity, creativity, and academic growth.

On this blog, I share practical tips for meeting curriculum benchmarks through a balance of explicit teaching and play, setting up the ideal learning environment and fostering social-emotional development.

So, let’s make play-based teaching work in your preschool, kindergarten, or first-grade classroom!

Investigations and play

Explicit teaching

Classroom Environment

Social and Emotional

Janelle McArdle 1/12/25 Janelle McArdle 1/12/25

F to 2 Australian Curriculum English V9.0 Explained

Discover how to teach F–2 Australian Curriculum English with confidence. Clear guidance, practical examples, and resources to support student learning.

Janelle McArdle 17/11/25 Janelle McArdle 17/11/25

F to 2 Australian Curriculum Maths V9.0 Explained

Discover how to teach Australian Curriculum Maths F–2 with clear aims, six strands explained, and play-based strategies that save you prep time.

Janelle McArdle 10/11/25 Janelle McArdle 10/11/25

Effective Strategies for Teaching Acara Foundation Stage in the Classroom

Discover effective strategies for teaching the Acara Foundation Stage through play-based learning, differentiation, and authentic assessment.

Janelle McArdle 30/5/22 Janelle McArdle 30/5/22

Teaching the F-2 ACARA Math Learning Intentions Through Play

Discover how to teach ACARA Maths through play-based learning in Foundation to Year 2. This blog post shares hands-on strategies, activities, and resources aligned with Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.

Janelle McArdle 4/4/22 Janelle McArdle 4/4/22

Do You Need Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in an Early Years Classroom?

Do you really need to display your learning intentions in a kindergarten or preschool classroom? In this blog post you will discover exactly what learning intentions are and learn some practical teacher tips and ideas for you to have success using or displaying classroom learning intentions in the early years learning environment.

Janelle McArdle 15/5/21 Janelle McArdle 15/5/21

Use a Rhyming Basket to Teach Rhyming Words

Discover how to teach rhyming words with a playful rhyming basket activity. Perfect for kindergarten, this hands-on rhyming basket idea builds rhyming skills for phonological awareness.