Moore Learning has a Play-based preschool philosophy that is child-centered. Teachers act as a facilitator and base the curriculum on children’s interests, skills, and goals. Children are free to move around, choose their activities, and play with students in class. Teachers encourage exploration by planning open-ended, hands-on, and imaginative activities.
Research shows that when children engage in real‐life and imaginary activities, play can challenge children’s thinking. Children learn best through first-hand experiences.
Play motivates, stimulates, and supports children in their development of skills, concepts, language acquisition, communication skills, and concentration.
A play-based approach involves both child-initiated and teacher-supported learning. The teacher encourages children’s learning and inquiry through interactions that aim to stretch their thinking to higher levels.
Studies have shown that play-based learning is more effective than direct-instruction approaches, which are the traditional academic-oriented teaching styles. One study found that in addition to improving play skills and narrative language ability, play-based curricula have a positive influence on grammar acquisition.
“Play…is the way the child learns what no one can teach him. It is the way he explores and orients himself to the actual world of space and time, of things, animals, structures, and people. Through play the child practices and rehearses endlessly the complicated and subtle patterns of human living and communication which he must master if he is to become a participating adult in our social life.”
Lawrence K. Frank
