SchemaPlay is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. Its core aim is to contribute towards an improvement in the learning outcomes of young children, and to narrow the gaps in educational outcomes that are often associated with young children with SEND, socio-economic, cultural and gender difference. SchemaPlay is also committed to an early childhood philosophy and practice that is grounded in Education for Sustainable Development. As such, the company seeks to work towards improvement in long-term health, well-being, resilience and quality of life.
Many early years’ practitioners question how they ‘weigh-up’ the extent of their involvement in children’s play, and the question of how formal, or informal, structured or unstructured, dependent and independent learning experiences should be to meet each child’s interests and needs. They are also concerned about the appropriate aspirations for children’s learning and development and how to support children’s transitions.
Generally, early years’ settings recognise the need to provide play and learning experiences which are underpinned by accurate assessment and continual quality-enhancing activities. However, our research (Siraj-Blatchford & Brock, 2016; 2018; 2019) suggests that more can be done to support educators to identify children’s capabilities and in ‘seeding’ free-flow play to support the development of skills and competencies that can be assimilated and combined to new contexts. A challenge for many practitioners is to recognise how the operational processes children acquire can lead to new figurative knowledge/concepts. To help satisfy this need SchemaPlay has produced a model together with training materials to support operational processes, memory recall, inquisitiveness, communication skills and engagement in sustained shared thinking, which in turn leads to full immersion in activities and conceptual acquisition. In appreciating the value of the ‘home learning environment’ and fostering partnerships, our training and the SchemaPlay ParentZone resources help to promote a respectful dialogue with families and other professionals supporting children’s development.
The SchemaPlay ZPDF model is structured to support practitioners to differentiate between operative knowledge (schemes) and figurative knowledge (schemas), and their recognition of the emotional impact of scaffolding learning; which depends upon the resilience that children have developed in their prior learning experiences. Resilience begins with beliefs, especially the child’s beliefs related to self-identity and self-efficacy, which must be nurtured alongside other forms of knowledge.
SchemaPlay Pedagogy (TM) promotes inclusive learning and positive outcomes across the curriculum and, most importantly, it fosters an explosion of joy, passion and renewed engagement in play for all children; primarily due to the unique way which educators follow each child.
For further information about SchemaPlay Embodied, Ecological Pedagogy training, or our SchemaPlay Educator and SchemaPlay Setting Accreditation program, please contact admin@schemaplay.com
The below photographs, taken on 13 April 2022 and 1 April 2022, are of the most recent SchemaPlay Setting Accreditations.
Congratulations to Tops Day Nursery, Prince Rock on your SchemaPlay Educator Accreditation and SchemaPlay Setting Accreditation.
Congratulations to Tops Day Nursery, Corfe Mullen on your SchemaPlay Educator and and Setting Accreditation.
Lynnette Brock, Director of SchemaPlay.
Contact: admin@schemaplay.com
SchemaPlay Embodied, Ecological Early Years Pedagogy Training 