Guided Play
Overview
Guided play is when a child is actively engaged in a playful learning environment, with an adult supporting their play and learning.. Guided play is interactive and dynamic, a balance of child initiative and adult scaffolding that can overlap with other types of play, such as free choice and play based learning. Two common forms of guided play are when the adult creates a learning environment with particular learning outcomes in mind, and when the adult supports the child in fully child-directed activities. In both scenarios, children have some degree of choice, and the adults support, with specific learning outcomes in mind. That support is particularly helpful for students with ADHD or those who have difficulty with Self-Regulation, as it builds a sense of independence while also modeling how to self-regulate while working with others. Teaching students through guided play encourages them to take an active role in their learning and supports the development of a broad array of cognitive skills. In addition, guided collaborative play can also promote the development of social skills, Communication, and Collaboration, supporting students' social and emotional learning.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how teachers and administrators adopted a play-based learning approach using guided play to meet academic objectives and teach the whole child.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Cooperative Learning Strategies
As learners work together to solve problems, they learn new strategies and practice Communication skills as they express their academic thinking.
Flexible grouping is a classroom practice that temporarily places students together in given groups to work together, with the purpose of achieving a given learning goal or activity.
Gallery walks are ways of showcasing content and materials as multiple “exhibitions” for students to view and interact with as part of larger learning goals.
Interactive writing activities for young learners can include cooperative activities to practice their foundational writing skills and can support engagement with content knowledge as they write and draw to reflect upon what they have learned.
Respectful redirection, or error correction, outlines a clear and concise way that educators can provide feedback on behaviors that need immediate correction, in a positive manner.
Think-Pair-Share (TPS), also known as Turn & Talk (T&T), is when the teacher pauses instruction so students can discuss a topic or prompt in pairs or small groups, to enhance engagement, language development, and learning outcomes.
