Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit

Published 17/12/2019.  Last updated 11/04/2023
sourceLearning resources groupsEarly Learning and Childcare (ELC) groupsPrimary

This interactive toolkit is in the form of a Thinglink and contains four sections:

  • why play?
  • why play pedagogy?
  • the learning Environment: considering interactions, experiences and spaces
  • moving Forward
  • further resources and reading

How to use this resource

Reflective 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?

There is also a helpful, ‘how to use this toolkit’ section included on the contents page of the toolkit.

Thinglink presentation

Additional Resources

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 sets out a vision for early years services in Scotland to ensure that children get ‘the best start in life’.

Realising the Ambition - this refreshed early years national practice guidance for Scotland presents key information about the characteristics of child development based on research and evidence.

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.

Early Level Play Pedagogy Toolkit

Published 17/12/2019.  Last updated 11/04/2023
sourceLearning resources groupsEarly Learning and Childcare (ELC) groupsPrimary

This interactive toolkit is in the form of a Thinglink and contains four sections:

  • why play?
  • why play pedagogy?
  • the learning Environment: considering interactions, experiences and spaces
  • moving Forward
  • further resources and reading

How to use this resource

Reflective 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?

There is also a helpful, ‘how to use this toolkit’ section included on the contents page of the toolkit.

Thinglink presentation

Additional Resources

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 sets out a vision for early years services in Scotland to ensure that children get ‘the best start in life’.

Realising the Ambition - this refreshed early years national practice guidance for Scotland presents key information about the characteristics of child development based on research and evidence.

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.