Blog - My Play Based Classroom
Hi there!
I'm Janelle - a play-based early years teacher passionate about creating learning experiences that ignite curiosity, creativity, and academic growth.
On this blog, I share practical tips on meeting curriculum benchmarks through a balance of explicit teaching and play, setting up the ideal learning environment and fostering social-emotional development.
Let’s make play-based teaching work in your your preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms!
Reflection Time in a Play Based Classroom: How to Run It Effectively
Discover why reflection time is a vital part of a play-based classroom. Learn how to implement Walker Learning reflection strategies to connect play with curriculum and support student growth.
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.
How to Write a Statement of Intent for Your Play Based Learning Classroom
If you are familiar with the Walker Learning Approach, then you are no doubt also familiar with writing a Statement of Intent. This fortnightly planning document is vital to the success of your play-based learning program. Check out this blog post to see how we write ours.
How to Write a Play Based Learning Term Overview
If you think curriculum planning and mapping out your term is hard work and you find it a dreaded task that seems to take you forever, you are going to love this blog post on how to write a play-based learning term overview. I’ll show you my quick and easy process.
Science Provocations – Properties of Materials
Teaching the early years chemistry strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations? This blog post has 5 hands-on learning invitations to help you teach about Materials and their Properties. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.
Science Provocations – Living Things
Are you teaching the early years biology strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations to help your students learn about Living Things? In this blog post there are 5 engaging living things provocations to inspire you. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.
Teaching Science in a Play Based Classroom
Teaching science in a play based classroom is one of the easiest things you will ever do as a classroom teacher. In this blog post you will discover how play based learning and science education go hand-in-hand. I’ll share heaps of photos and ideas you can use in your classroom to teach science through play and learning provocations.
How to Start with Play Based Learning
Interested in play based or inquiry learning but don’t know where to start? Discover how I do it and find out all the benefits of play based learning. You will also get some practical ideas and my play based learning hints and tips on how you can easily get started learning through play in your classroom today.
Environment as the Third Teacher
Are you interested in transforming your learning environment into the third teacher? Read this blog post for tips and ideas on how you can get the third teacher working for you.
Walker Learning Reporter Role
The classroom reporter role is a key element of the Walker Learning Approach. Find out what a classroom reporter does and why you need one in your classroom. Discover how to implement the child reporter role and download free resources to help you.
Teaching Science in Early Childhood
Find out how to effectively teach the early childhood science curriculum in just 40min a week. The children in my class reach curriculum benchmarks easily. In fact, they learn so much more than the mandated curriculum.
Classroom Photographer Child
A classroom photographer child is an important role from the Walker Learning Approach. Discover how having a child as a photographer can enhance learning, engagement, and documentation.