Inquiry through Play - Supporting PYP Parents

Learning in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is based on ‘approaches to learning’ skills (ATLs). These skills aim to support children of all ages to become learners who know how to ask good questions, set effective goals and pursue their aspirations with the determination to achieve them. The infographic below, represents how ATLs can be developed through play.

What does inquiry through play look like?

Whilst we are all familiar with the idea of play, it can be difficult to agree on exactly what it looks like.

5 key characteristics of play

1. Play is meaningful – children play to make sense of the world around them, and to find meaning in an experience by connecting it to something already known. Through play, children express and understand their understanding of their experiences.

2. Play is joyful – of course, play may have its frustrations and challenges, but the overall feeling is one of enjoyment, motivation, thrill and pleasure.

3. Play is actively engaging – watch children playing, and you will usually see that they become deeply involved, often coming physical, mental and verbal engagement.

4. Play is iterative – play is not static. Children play to practice skills, try out possibilities, revise hypotheses and discover new challenges, leading to deeper learning.

5. Play is socially interactive – play allows children to communicate ideas, to understand others through social interaction, paving the way to build deeper understanding and more powerful relationships.

UNICEF and The Lego Foundation, 2018

Learning at home:

Inquiry through play Here are some suggestions for inquiry through play that you can try at home. See the links at the bottom for more ideas Be guided by your child - what are they curious about at home? E.g. your child is curious about the kitchen cupboards and why things in there are made of different materials. Or why soap creates bubbles. They love dressing up and role playing or building things from cardboard and tape. These are opportunities to see how play is learning as you follow your child’s ideas. Role-play dressing up Put a box of clothes and shoes out and see what characters your child decides to become. Help them to make any ‘accessories’ they need from card or paper. Characters from recent stories you have read with your child might well pop up, or ones they have seen on the television. This can lead to a storytelling or drama session. Going on a bear hunt Popular books often spark games. One example is Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. This is a great one for acting out the story and including sound effects. Make some cardboard binoculars together before you go…

Making caves Old cardboard boxes can make a great cave or playhouse for children. They can be used to make tunnels too. If you don’t have boxes, a blanket over the table is a good alternative. A torch can spark curiosity about night and day, or light and dark. Or maybe you get invited to a picnic under the table.