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!
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.
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.
Discover Play-based Learning Strategies for Prep or Foundation Stage
Discover essential play-based learning strategies for Prep or Foundation stage classrooms. Learn how to foster curiosity, meet curriculum goals, and create engaging play-rich environments with my tips and free guide.
Free Halloween Writing Prompts for Kindergarten
Get your students excited about writing this Halloween with my Free Halloween Writing Prompts for Kindergarten and grade one. Quick, easy prep and educational too!
Investigation Area Ideas for the Start of School
Are you looking for some simple yet highly engaging investigation areas and learning invitations to start the school year? In this blog post, you’ll discover a heap of Investigation area ideas for the start of school. These tried and tested learning invitations are my go-to setups year after year, so you’ll be sure to find some that you can use in your classroom too.
Science Provocations - How Things Move
Looking for hands-on science activities to teach the kindergarten physical sciences unit How Things Move or Force and Motion? This blog post has practical teaching tips and engaging ideas for purposeful early childhood science learning provocations. Best of all? They are all aligned to the ACARA foundation stage science curriculum learning intentions.
9 Fun Hands-on Measurement Activities for Kindergarten
Kindergarten measurement made easy! Explore 9 fun hands-on activities using real tools, everyday objects, and playful provocations that help students build key math skills, vocabulary, and confidence.
How to Write Learning Intentions for Kindergarten and Preschool
Are you wondering how to write effective and age-appropriate learning intentions for your preschool or kindergarten classroom? In this blog post you will discover some practical strategies to help you write curriculum aligned learning intentions your kindergarten and preschool children can relate to and use.
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.