At Nagoya International School's Early Learning Center (ELC), we embrace a play-based learning approach rooted in the principles of the Reggio Emilia philosophy and integrated with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). This combination creates a dynamic environment where children learn through exploration, inquiry, and play, fostering a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom.
What Does Play-Based Learning Look Like?
In our ELC, play-based learning manifests in carefully designed spaces where children are free to explore, create, and engage with their surroundings. Different learning areas might feature building materials, sensory activities, dramatic play setups or creative artistic expressions in an area called Atelier. Centers are rotated throughout the year to reflect the unit of inquiry or student interests and include teacher-planned provocations to target learning goals whilst still being student-directed. The intention of these activities is for children to express themselves and investigate concepts in a real-world, hands-on way, whilst promoting the image of the child as a strong, capable protagonist in his or her own learning.
For instance:
- Building with blocks fosters an understanding of shapes, balance, and gravity while encouraging creativity, problem-solving, motor skills, and coordination.
- Dramatic play allows children to express their imagination in role-play, practice social interactions, problem solve, share emotions and expand their language skills.
- Outdoor exploration, central to the Reggio Emilia philosophy, highlights the environment as the "third teacher," providing children with opportunities to explore physics and science first-hand through independent discovery, collaborative learning, and a deeper connection to nature and their surroundings.
The Benefits
Making Sense of the World.
Children are viewed as active participants in their learning journey, and are naturally intrinsically curious to explore the world around them through play. At NIS, outdoor play is a vital part of that experience which offers full-body learning opportunities for children to engage all their senses. Climbing, running, digging, and interacting with nature help children not only develop motor skills but also grasp fundamental concepts like physics, biology, and environmental stewardship. Ample time for free exploration fosters a climate of encouragement, allowing children to form hypotheses and take risks within an environment purposefully designed for discovery. For example, a child playing in the sandpit may learn about weight, texture, and cause and effect by building sandcastles. Simultaneously they are developing their communication and teamwork skills by collaborating with peers.
Learning Classroom Concepts
Play offers a unique and engaging way for children to grasp classroom concepts. In this child-centered, open-ended approach, teachers carefully observe children’s ideas and interactions, then introduce explicit instruction in the form of provocations to spark curiosity and inspire deeper exploration. This creates a dynamic, reciprocal exchange of teaching and learning between teachers and children. For example, sorting objects by size or color in a playful setting introduces early math concepts like classification, pattern recognition, and counting. Building structures or creating shapes fosters an understanding of geometry, while imaginative storytelling enhances language acquisition and comprehension. The physical manipulation of objects, movement, and peer interaction allow children to absorb information in a multidimensional way, and provides a richer, more immersive experience compared to traditional, one-directional teaching methods.
Intellectual, Social, and Emotional Development
Play is a powerful tool for holistic development. At NIS, we observe how intellectual growth is sparked through experimentation and problem-solving, often initiated by a question. Whether children are figuring out how to build a stable structure with blocks or devising rules for a game, they are developing critical thinking and logic. Socially and emotionally, play teaches collaboration, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Children learn to navigate relationships, through sharing toys, taking turns, and communicating their needs and ideas to others. These interactions promote emotional intelligence and self-regulation, critical skills they need as they move through their educational journey.
Developing Cooperation and Building Relationships Cooperation
Cooperation is at the heart of play. Aesthetically pleasing environments tailored to children’s interests and developmental stages serve a dual purpose: they support academic learning goals while fostering communication, enhancing relationships, promoting collaboration, and facilitating exploration.
At NIS, children learn to work together through activities like group games, co-constructing projects, or simply engaging in a make-believe doll house scenario. Whether they are building a city out of play dough or discussing the correct way to fold an origami ninja star, they practice listening, negotiating, and problem-solving. These experiences help them develop the social skills they need to build lasting friendships and work well within a community. The ability to cooperate is not just about immediate success in group activities; it lays the foundation for how children will approach teamwork and collaboration in future academic and personal endeavors.
By learning to value the perspectives and contributions of others, they are better prepared to be active participants in a diverse, interconnected world.
Why Play-Based Learning Matters
At Nagoya International School, we believe play-based learning cultivates a love of learning and is essential to helping children become confident, curious, and capable learners. Reggio Emilia learning revolves around immersive projects where students explore, observe, question, discuss, hypothesize, and revisit their ideas to refine and deepen their understanding (Hewett, 2001). By integrating this approach with the PYP curriculum, we create an environment that encourages children to pursue their interests, ask questions, and take ownership of their learning.
NIS also values the importance of caregivers in the learning process and actively invites them to engage in their child's education. By fostering inquiry through open-ended questions both at school and at home, we educate and encourage caregivers to participate frequently, supporting the child's holistic development and nurturing their growing sense of agency and independence holistically.
Children are naturally curious about the world around them and play allows them to develop a deeper understanding of concepts by engaging their minds, bodies, and emotions. This full-body approach to learning—where children are not merely absorbing information but actively constructing knowledge—empowering them to make meaningful connections between what they experience and what they learn. The focus is on process not product.
In the end, play-based learning is about more than just fun; it is a powerful way to nurture intellectual growth, foster social-emotional development, and build a foundation for lifelong learning. At NIS, we celebrate the value of play, knowing it is one of the most effective ways for children to make sense of the world around them and their place within it.
