Collaborative Play
Learning Goals: Literacy, Mutually-Directed Play
What did this class do?
Based on student interest in the human body, the students in this class wanted to create a doctor’s office in their dramatic play centre.
First, the class discussed the resources they needed to create the doctor’s office and the educator guided this discussion using prompting questions. Throughout the discussion, the educator wrote down student ideas on an easel.
Next, the educator provided students with the materials and resources to create the doctor’s office.
On an ongoing basis, the class discussed any changes or additions to make.
During play, the students took on various roles such as doctor, nurse, patient, and receptionist.
The educator extended the play by introducing the idea of an x-ray machine. The students learned how x-ray machines help patients and created their own x-rays throughout their play.
Suggested Resources:
Materials to create signs and labels
Tables and chairs
Doll beds
Dolls
Why is it Collaborative Play?
The educator and the children worked together to co-construct this new dramatic play centre. The teacher helped provide materials for the students to create the centre.
The children had control over what happened in the play, with the teacher working to extend it such as introducing the concept of an x-ray machine.