The magic behind setting up a play-based preschool

The magic behind se.ng up a play-‐based preschool

by John C. Yiannoudis for IPSEF Dubai

September 28, 2016

•  What is play?

“Engagement in ac+vity for enjoyment and recrea+on rather than a serious or prac+cal purpose” (Oxford DicKonary)

“Play is what I do when everyone quits telling me (“Teacher Tom”)

•  Play is about freedom. Play means that I engage with only what I want to engage in free will, and grasp most possible pleasure and happiness out of life. Play, for children is life itself: an exciKng journey!

•  “Educa8on is not prepara8on for life; educa8on is life itself.” (John Dewey)

•  So, if play is life and life is educa@on, then play should be educaKon!

•  And that is how play-‐based learning was born: an approach providing educaKon through play

•  Play-‐based learning just describes an educa@onal approach which allows children, while playing, to engage into real world derived acKviKes

(all photos you will see in this presenta8on come from our school)

•  Such school ac@vi@es should reflect behaviors and acKons of everyday life and encourage children to take their own iniKaKves

•  This way, very young children build strong personality and character on experience & emoKon

(i.e. managing conflict, disappointment, rejec@on, team-‐playing, respec@ng rights, etc.) •  In other words:

very young children, through play, learn to manage their own life

•  In most tradiKonal educaKon systems,

teachers set the plan and ask students to follow -‐ no maKer if they want or not to do so. Discipline and obedience are highly valued

•  In a play-‐based school, what happens is exactly the opposite: the needs of the children are the tools that move class ahead

•  Teachers just listen and respect what children want. They never impose top-‐to-‐boKom orders. Instead, they enforce children to express quesKons, provide moKves and all class together designs life-‐derived acKviKes that will help finding the answers

But, why to set up a play-‐based preschool instead of a tradiKonal, academic one? Let me name three major reasons, under the view of a school owner: •  It produces extraordinary results in terms

of learning and character building

•  The fun factor in school, is maximized. Children love it and teachers are happy. So, it creates an enthusiasKc community, boos@ng school life

•  Parents’ saKsfacKon rate is sky high!

Talking about parents’ saKsfacKon rate…. Dorothy Snot parents’ Quality SaKsfacKon Survey 2014 -‐ 2016

Talking about parents’ saKsfacKon rate…. Dorothy Snot parents’ Quality SaKsfacKon Survey 2014 – 2016

•  Is Dorothy Snot a school that meets your highest standards? 4.90 / 5.00 •  Would you recommend Dorothy Snot? 4.96 / 5.00

Why do parents are so much happy in a play-‐based preschool? Because: •  They see their children developing happy,

confident and strong while learning fast

•  Comparing their children with others aKending tradi@onal academic schools, they no@ce substanKal difference in freedom and autonomy

•  Parents’ extensive involvement in school life improves their parenKng skills and creates a solid relaKonship with children, as well as the school itself

So, what are the key steps on establishing a top class play-‐based preschool:

•  selec@ng the right teachers

•  keep training them properly & constantly

•  developing a strong school community, by sharing common values

•  remain open minded and innovaKve towards children needs

What are the key steps on establishing a top class play-‐based preschool:

•  The most important element is selecKng the right teachers. They must be able to listen carefully and openly to children, avoid stereotyping and respect their needs

•  Teachers must learn not to interrupt class life. They have to be facilitators, no tutors. To closely observe behaviors, point out issues, not suppress feelings and iniKaKves


•  Training a teacher is a constant process. The main effort is to learn how to leave her ego outside class and become a sincere, open and respecful companion in children’s explora@ons

•  Teachers must learn not to judge children and not to criKcize their behavior. On the contrary, to sincerely accept the unique personality of every child and help him/her discover the world on his/her own pace


•  Forming a strong community around school which shares as many common values as possible, is also a key success element. A school has to be open to society and parents should be acKvely involved in school life, either on a scheduled or an ad-‐hoc way

•  A play-‐based school needs to develop a strong relaKonship with environment and local society. Play in real life terms is a key educaKon element and therefore, extensive interacKon with actual world has to be maintained


•  A play-‐based school works by default on the edge of innovaKon. Children keep bringing in new needs and ideas and at the end, they tend to become the “real owners” of their school life!

•  Therefore, management and teachers must always keep an open mind, allowing all this “fresh air” to come in and form a constantly changing educa@on shape, well adjusted of course to the special characterisKcs of the local community

In Dorothy Snot we have developed our very own approach on play-‐based preschool educaKon

We call it Life-‐derived Learning and, as our Athens’ school experience proves, it allows children to grow confident & strong, while maintaining high levels of joy and love for learning You can learn more about it and see how it works in www.lifederivedlearning.com School address: 175a Ippokratous street, 11472, Athens

Athens tel. no: +30210 6427594 Official site: www.dorothy-‐snot.gr Facebook: www.facebook.com/DorothySnot YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/DorothySnot2008

Education

The magic behind setting up a play-based preschool