WEBINAR: The Promise and Potential of Play-based Learning

This year, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading has been focused on how much kindergarten matters as a crucial time to identify and close gaps and ensure that students from low-income and marginalized families have an equal chance to make the most of this year as a sturdy bridge toward early school success. Innovative teaching and learning strategies are needed to ensure young learners are prepared and progressing on target both to and through the all-important kindergarten year. Luckily, research also has shown that play-based learning is an effective teaching and learning strategy that, according to the Early Learning Academies, leads young learners to “be interested in what they are learning, more likely to retain knowledge, and to apply new knowledge to different activities.” In this GLR Week plenary, listeners have the chance to learn from the leading experts on play-based learning about the power and promise of play and what it takes to make this strategy work to close the kindergarten gap for students from economically challenged families and English language learners.