The Christina School District is embarking on a pilot project to incorporate play-based learning for young learners.
At a meeting last week, the Board of Education heard from Aaron Selekman and Erin Cassel, two experts helping develop the program, which the district hopes to launch in January. Cassel explained to board members that the idea of play-based learning is grounded in research and in line with state priorities.
“This is not a new idea, but it's now both research-based and policy-supported,” she said.
That policy is HB 15, the “Play to Learn Act” passed by state lawmakers last year. That measure encourages but does not require school districts to employ play-based learning in their classrooms. District officials hope to put the program into place in as many as six sites. Initially, the program will be limited to kindergarten classrooms, but it will ultimately expand through second grade.
Selekman stressed that play-based learning is about using play as a learning tool, and that the play sessions are structured.
“Fundamentally, it's not another recess, right?” he explained. “This is intentional, purposeful, and structured learning.”
While the purpose of the pilot program is to gather data, board member Amy Trauth, a science educator, noted that, because the play-based learning would be happening alongside traditional reading education, it would be impossible to derive completely concrete data.
“The best you all have here, based upon the information you've provided me, is you'll be able to make some correlational claims, not causal claims,” she said. “So you won't be able to claim that because you installed play-based learning in four of six sites, that is what caused an increase in literacy skills.”
But, Trauth stressed, she believes the research backs up play-based learning as an effective strategy.
“It can lead to higher literacy outcomes, math outcomes, all those things are all true,” she told Selekman. “So I'm in complete agreement with you. The research clearly shows that.”
“And we're excited about this,” Selekman replied.
“Okay, good,” Trauth said. “Because I am too. I'm actually proud that this district is undertaking this.”
Her concern, she added, was that if it was going to be impossible to find causal data about the importance of play-based learning, the district should start with all kindergarten classrooms instead of just a pilot program. She suggested that anything less would raise issues of inequality and possibly parent complaints.
“My concern is around the inequity of it, right?” she said. “What you're proposing here is that only a few sites will get access to this play-based learning, when we already know kids are probably going to benefit.”
But, Selekman said, the pilot program is an important step in getting play-based learning in all K-2 classrooms eventually.
“The better we can understand it, the better we can operationalize it, the better we can build systems and support around it, the more effective a whole school rollout or a whole district rollout will be,” he said.
Selekman said he would bring Trauth’s concerns back to the committee working on recommendations for a pilot program. Those recommendations are expected in the coming weeks.
