Pre-School Learning through ‘Purposeful Play’

Humpty Dumpty might not have fallen off the wall if it had been strong and stable. This is the interesting lesson that pre-schoolers at the Ascension Kindergarten learn even as they play. When the children learnt that Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, the teacher guided them in building a wall that is strong and stable for Humpty Dumpty to sit on and not fall off. To further stretch the children’s imagination, the teacher even created models of Humpty Dumpty in different sizes.

Using ‘Humpty Dumpty’ as an example, the staff of Ascension Kindergarten strongly believe that children learn best when they are actively engaged in ‘purposeful play’. “Purposeful play is intentionally planned with clear learning objectives. It is also about creating the environment for experiential and context based learning,’ says Mrs Dianne Seet, the Principal of Ascension Kindergarten.

Engaging children in learning through purposeful play is meaningful, but it might be an uphill task for some. “Although many activities in pre-schools are labelled as ‘play’, not all play experiences can be considered purposeful,” said Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Education and Law. “Purposeful play is not just any play. Besides being enjoyable, it allows children to make meaning out of their experiences. It also requires teachers to thoughtfully plan for the play experiences and organise the environment to facilitate the child’s play.”

‘Purposeful play’ forms the foundation of a child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills necessary for success in school and life. The role of purposeful play can be easily underestimated despite it being critical for the holistic development of pre-school children. This learning approach in purposeful play will be part of the refreshed and updated Kindergarten Curriculum Framework by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Fostering a Culture of Excellence

Speaking at the 4th Kindergarten Learning Forum held at Republic Polytechnic on 20 November 2012, SMS Indranee addressed about 1,000 pre-school educators. To enable children to transit from pre-school to Primary One smoothly, MOE has helped pre-schools to develop programmes that will strengthen the relationship between learning and play. The dynamic collaboration between MOE and pre-schools has enhanced the quality of pre-school education and in cultivating a positive disposition for learning.

At the Forum, 23 kindergartens and nine teachers were also honoured for fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. The awards, now into its 5th year, recognises kindergartens that have implemented innovative projects to enhance children’s learning experiences and teachers who have contributed passionately to the teaching pedagogy in their kindergartens.

Learning points and best practices were also shared among pre-school educators at the Forum. Since the inception of the MOE Innovation Grant in 2008, the number of kindergartens applying for the grant has increased from 88 to 145 pre-school centres. Interesting projects funded by the MOE Innovation Grant include ‘Little Movie Makers’, where PCF Teck Ghee was recognised for its creative use of movies to fuel children’s interest in movie making. ‘Little Movie Makers’ was one of the award winning projects displayed at the Forum.

As the concept of ‘purposeful play’ gets integrated into pre-school curriculum, the heart of pre-school education goes beyond laying the foundation in numeracy and literacy; it also lies in igniting in the child, a passion for learning.