Fred Rogers wisely said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But, for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” When focusing on the whole student, ensuring the early childhood years are filled with opportunities for play fosters growth across domains of development. If infusing more opportunities for play into your instruction practice interests you, come join Maine DOE’s Early Learning Team for a play-filled community of practice (COP) during the 2023-24 school year. This COP will explore the research behind play being central to early learning and will consider the continuum of playful pedagogy which can be employed to promote learning. It will also examine how playful practices can be purposefully incorporated in pre-k to grade 3 classrooms and will offer opportunities for participants to share successful practices with each other.
The Plan on Purposeful Play COP will meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 3:30-4:30 PM beginning in October 2023 and running through April 2024. The schedule for the COP series is provided below.
Register for the COP through this link by September 30, 2023. An email confirmation with the Zoom link for the series will be sent following the close of registration. Contact hours will be provided at the end of the series.
| Month | Topic |
| October 10 | What is playful learning? Why is it important? |
| November 14 | Continuum of playful learning |
| December 12 | Creating conditions for playful learning |
| January 9 | Playful experiences to cultivate domains of development—Part 1 |
| February 13 | Playful experiences to cultivate domains of development—Part 2 |
| March 12 | Assessing learning through play |
| April 9 | Participant shares/reflections |
If you have additional questions about the COP, please contact Nicole.Madore@maine.gov or Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.