Study Bolsters Effectiveness of 'Guided Play' for Learning
Cara MurezTHURSDAY, Jan. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Hands-on learning can be fun, and new research suggests that it works as well as more traditional teaching methods.
Known as "guided play," the technique involves educational activities that are gently steered by an adult but give kids the freedom to explore while learning. They include games that require children to read, write or use math.
"The argument is sometimes made that play, while beneficial, adds little to children's education," said Paul Ramchandani, professor of play in education, development and learning at the University of Cambridge in England.
"In fact, although there are still some big questions about how we should use guided play in classrooms, there is promising evidence that it actively enhances learning and development," he said in a university news release.
The strategies are more common in a preschool setting, but can also work well in early elementary school, the researchers found.
The study examined guided play for about 3,800 3- to 8-year-olds.
The researchers unearthed 39 studies done between 1977 and 2020 that had some information about guided play in comparison with either free play or direct instruction, even though the studies were on broader subjects.
They then calculated how much of an overall positive or negative effect guided play has on different aspects of learning.
The takeaway: Guided play was as effective as traditional methods in developing literacy, the ability to work with numbers, social skills and essential thinking skills known as executive functions. Some of those skills -- like learning math -- may even be more successfully learned through guided play, the researchers said.
"It's only recently that researchers have started to conceptualize learning through play as something that exists on a spectrum," said study co-author Elizabeth Byrne, from Cambridge's faculty of education. "At one end you have free play, where children decide what to do with minimal adult involvement; at the other is traditional, direct instruction, where an adult tells a child what to do and controls the learning activity." Guided play falls somewhere in between.
"It describes playful activities which are scaffolded around a learning goal but allow children to try things out for themselves," Byrne explained in the release. "If children are given the freedom to explore, but with some gentle guidance, it can be very good for their education -- perhaps in some cases better than direct instruction."
Researchers also found evidence that guided play better develops kids' ability to switch between tasks. They found no statistically significant evidence that guided play is less effective than direct instruction on any of the learning outcomes studied.
They said it's possible that guided play helped kids learn how to work through the logical steps in math tasks. The fact that it involves hands-on learning may be important, they added.
"Children often struggle with mathematical concepts because they are abstract," Byrne said. "They become easier to understand if you are actually using them in an imaginary game or playful context. One reason play matters may be because it supports mental visualization."
This style of learning may also enhance motivation, persistence, creativity and confidence, the authors said, which could make a difference in schools.
The study was published Jan. 12 in the journal Child Development.
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on the power of play.
SOURCE: University of Cambridge, news release, Jan. 12, 2022
This article: Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Resources
-
Articles
-
Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
- Introduction- Development During Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Average Growth
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross and Fine Motor Development
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Introduction
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Symbolic Function
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Intuitive Thought
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Information Processing
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Language Development
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Emotional Expressiveness and Understanding
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Reflective Empathy
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Aggression
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Identity and Self-Esteem
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections Continued
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Conclusion
- Early Childhood Moral Development
- Early Childhood Moral Development Continued
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality Continued
- Early Childhood Conclusion
-
Parenting Your Todder, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Introduction to Parenting Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Early Childhood Feeding and Nutrition
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Continued
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Conclusion
- Early Childhood Sleep
- Early Childhood Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Hygiene
- Early Childhood Hygiene Continued
- Early Childhood Exercise
- Early Childhood Love and Nurturing
- Early Childhood: It's Important to Encourage Reading
- Early Childhood Medical Care
- Early Childhood Mental Health Care
- Early Childhood Safety
- Coping with Transitions in Early Childhood: Getting a New Sibling or Remaining an Only Child
- Coping with Transition: in Early Childhood: Going to Daycare
- Coping with Transition: Starting Preschool or Kindergarten and Final Conclusions
-
Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Introduction
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Children's Readiness
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Family Readiness and Red Flags
- Pre-Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Preparing the Space for Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Toilet Training-Friendly Clothing
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Continued
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Conclusion
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Travel
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Constipation and Fear of Flushing
- Bedwetting, Encopresis and Enuresis, and Conclusions
-
Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Parents as Disciplinarians in Early Childhood
- Preventing Early Childhood Misbehavior Before it Happens
- The Use of Choice in Early Childhood
- A Step-by-Step Guide for How to Discipline Children in Early Childhood
- Natural and Logical Consequences in Early Childhood
- Combining Choice and Consequences in Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Time Outs
- Spanking in Early Childhood
- Coordinating to Provide Continuity of Early Childhood Discipline Across Caregivers
- Lying in Early Childhood
- Supportive Communication in Early Childhood and Discipline Conclusion
-
Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Creating Nurturing Space in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Gross Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Fine Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Continued
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Conclusion
- Social Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Emotional Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cultural and Spiritual Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Nurturing at Home and Outside the Home and Nurturing Conclusions
-
Child and Adolescent Development Theories
-
Infants: Parenting and Child Development
-
Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
-
Questions and Answers
-
Book & Media Reviews
-
Links
-
Videos
- ADHD in Preschoolers: What to Look For and How to Help
- Button Batteries Sending Kids to the ER
- The Breakdown on Bedwetting
- Holiday Travel - Child Safety Away from Home
- Stuttering- A Window of Opportunity
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 18: The School Years: Psychosocial Development
- Nightmare vs. Night Terror
- Safe Seats for Baby
- 3 Tips on Swim Safety
- Big Kids Need a Boost
-
11 more
- All in On Water Safety
- Diaper Rash Dos & Don’ts
- Your Active Preschooler: Could it be ADHD?
- Sunscreen Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers
- Pack Car Seat for Summer Travel
- How do I get my child to eat new foods?
- Addressing Health Disparities in Early Childhood
- 6 tips to help your children control their emotions
- Recognizing challenging behaviors in young children: Could it be ADHD?
- Classroom Managment Supports for ADHD Behaviors in Preschool Settings
- Household Poisonings and Childhood Dangers
Topics
-
Related Topic Centers
-
Addictions
-
Aging & Elder Care
-
Assessments & Interventions
-
Career & Workplace
-
Emotional Well-Being
-
Life Issues
-
Parenting & Child Care
-
Abuse
-
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Adoption
-
Autism
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
-
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
-
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
-
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
-
Childhood Special Education
-
Divorce
-
Family & Relationship Issues
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Learning Disorders
-
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-
Parenting
-
Self Esteem
-
-
Psychological Disorders
-
Anxiety Disorders
-
Bipolar Disorder
-
Conversion Disorders
-
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
-
Dissociative Disorders
-
Domestic Violence and Rape
-
Eating Disorders
-
Impulse Control Disorders
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Mental Disorders
-
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
-
Personality Disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
-
Schizophrenia
-
Sexual Disorders
-
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
-
Suicide
-
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders
-