Learning Through Play

In today’s world, science literacy is incredibly important. To keep up with the ever-changing landscape of technology and science, children need to be equipped to face the challenges of an increasingly dynamic world. Researchers believe that play-based learning is critical to developing the fundamentals of lifelong learning. A recent white paper by the LEGO Group has complied the most recent research about play-based learning. They found play has been demonstrated to promote long-term learning (Zosh et al., 2017), increase connectivity in the brain, and fosters higher engagement with STEM in high school and college (LEGO Group, 2017). Experts in the science of play suggest these are the mechanisms that make play-based learning so effective:

1.     Play is engaging and fun, children encouraged to learn through play are more likely to enjoy learning and are more motivated to continue learning across the lifespan (Dilek, Tasdemir, Konca, & Baltaci, 2020)

2.     Play provides a rich context for children to understand how content knowledge applies to the real world.  Children taught through rote-memorization techniques are less likely to apply learning to real-world problems because the information has been de-contextualized. When learning is not done in an authentic context, or removed from real-life, children find it difficult to acquire this knowledge and retain it because it fails to meaningfully connect with the child’s known world.

3.     Play facilitates the acquisition of deeper learning. In addition to learning surface information (a triangle has three sides), children taught through structured play also have the opportunity to observe patterns, as well as innovate and create, resulting in a deeper, richer understanding of the content

4.     Play is repeated. When activities are fun and engaging, children will repeat them, allowing for iterative learning that allows for the absorption and refinement of learning objectives.