Last Updated: Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit

Tags: Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Play

What is this?

This toolkit aims to support practitioners working with children in the Early Level to appropriately use play pedagogy to support learning and development.

It is designed to be used in conjunction with Curriculum for Excellence and the refreshed national practice guidance for early years in Scotland ‘Realising the Ambition: Being Me’ published February 2020.

Who is this for?

This page aims to support all who work across Early Level Curriculum for Excellence. It is relevant to teachers, ELC practitioners, leaders and policy makers with an interest in, or responsibility for, play pedagogy.

Improvement questions

Photo of girl climbing treeReflective questions are embedded throughout this interactive toolkit.

When using the toolkit in general, please consider the following reflective questions:

  • What is my understanding of the current Early Level policy and guidance landscape in relation to play pedagogy?
  • How do I use self-evaluation, research and evidence to inform and improve my practice?

How to use this toolkit

This interactive toolkit comprises of a multimedia Sway presentation of three parts:

  • Why play pedagogy?
  • Play pedagogy in practice
  • Moving forward

SWAY presentation

Download(s)

To assist those who may require to access the toolkit offline, the content has been divided into smaller downloadable PowerPoint presentations.

PDF file: Play pedagogy sketchnote (2 MB)

SWAY presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Introduction (7 MB)

Powerpoint presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Why Play Pedagogy? (Large file - 15.5 MB)

SWAY presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Play pedagogy in practice (154 KB)

Powerpoint presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Play pedagogy in practice (3.6 MB)

SWAY presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Moving forward (72 KB)

Powerpoint presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Moving forward (402 KB)

SWAY presentation: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Further reading (679 KB)

Word file: Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit - Further reading (51 KB)

Related links

  • How good is our early learning and childcare? (2016) provides a suite of quality indicators. These support staff to look inwards; to scrutinise their work and evaluate what is working well for babies, toddlers and young children, and what could be better. The framework is designed to be used to support self-evaluation for self-improvement by practitioners at all levels. • The Early Years Framework (2008) sets out a vision for early years services in Scotland to ensure that children get ‘the best start in life’.
  • Building the Ambition (2014), is national practice guidance for all those delivering early learning and childcare to babies, toddlers and young children.
  • Pre-Birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland’s Children and Families is national guidance to support practitioners and students working with babies and toddlers aged 0-3 and their families.
  • Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) builds on the solid foundations developed in the critical years pre-birth to three. Within CfE, children are entitled to a broad general education from age three until the end of S3. The early level of CfE for most children spans the period of time from age three until the end of Primary 1. It supports a smooth transition in learning between ELC and primary school.