Play, Curriculum, and Pedagogy

Different schemes illuminate how ECE programs can use teaching with play and learning during the early years. Those teaching children are divided over whether play has educational value, and if so, what kind of play has value—with these differences reflecting educational philosophies about play and adult roles in the play of young children. Alternative positions, such as “trust in play,” “learn and teach through certain forms of play,” and “keep play out of the curriculum” can and do influence how teachers use provisions and their expertise to influence play.

Underlying philosophies and conceptual schemes impact common curricular features of ECE programs such as the availability of materials, organization of space, and daily schedule, as they likewise influence teachers’ decisions regarding whether or how to borrow from ...