Literacy and numeric in play and education
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Games and fun activities can make learning a pleasant experience as opposed to a boring and at times seemingly meaningless activity.
An interesting article from the Independent newspaper's education editor Richard Gardner ties in very well with JFS 2000's Fun Tile range and especially the new honeycomb range.
Maths to become 'cool' for children in £4m campaign
By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 27 June 2006
A £4m campaign to make maths "cool" for pupils aged 11 to 14 will be unveiled today by the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson.
Lessons will be based on solving problems which "appeal to pupils", he will tell a conference on the future of maths teaching in Coventry. For instance, pupils could be asked to consider how many flats will have to be built in the Olympic village to cater for all the athletes taking part in the Games in 2012. Alternatively, there could be questions from the world of fashion - with youngsters being asked to design a dress and then estimate how many yards of material will be necessary to produce it for, say, 100 girls.
"The problems will be based around things which appeal to pupils - such as fashion, football and the Olympics," he will tell the conference.
The initiative is designed to address major problems with the teaching of mathematics highlighted in a government report by Professor Adrian Smith, principal of Queen Mary's College, University of London. Ministers acknowledged the depth of the crisis outlined in his report - with less than 15 per cent of those who take the subject at GCSE going on to take an A-level in it. Of that 15 per cent, only about 10 per cent then go on to study it at university. The report also showed that only half of teenagers get a minimum grade C in the subject at GCSE level.
Ministers recognise that most pupils switch off maths lessons in the early years of secondary school and that therefore their efforts should be concentrating on keeping as many as possible interested in the subject during these years.
"If they do lose interest then, they may never pick up a maths book again," Mr Johnson will argue, saying: "This has a knock-on effect right down the line: exacerbating our low share of maths A-level students and graduates - which are both well behind comparable nations - damaging our competitiveness and hampering our chances of producing maths teachers for the future."
The below article, from the BBC web site, emphasises the importance of games in education:
Traditional games such as skipping and marbles are being brought back to a primary school with the support of a £6,000 grant.
And the head teacher says that children's behavior has improved since the games were introduced.
The funding has come from the New Opportunities Fund, supported by the National Lottery, and is providing equipment and training for a three-year project.
During playtimes children are being shown how to play with skipping ropes, bat and ball games, hula hoops and ludo.
Conkers have so far not made it into the playtime activities, but they could also make an appearance this autumn.
And head teacher says that these games are teaching children to play in a way that is more constructive and sociable.
"The children are happier and more engaged, you can see the see difference. They're being encouraged to be more co-operative and are learning about sharing and waiting for their turn."
The pupils, who were more used to on-screen games than playground games, had to be taught about skipping games and skipping rhymes, which they might not have encountered before.
While it was important for children to learn computer skills, she said that it was also important for them to be able to learn to work and play together.
Before the traditional games project began, the head teacher said that she had been concerned about children playing wrestling games, copied from the television.
But now children were "enjoying each others' company" and the games allowed "children to be children".
And looking at the significance for the school, the head said that the importance of playing was often overlooked.
"Playing is fundamental to learning," she said.
A teachers' union wants everyone to spend more time playing, as a "crucial" lifelong learning tool.
Delegates at the National Union of Teachers conference said children, in particular, learn through play.
They expressed concern at research showing that youngsters miss out on imaginative play "because of the demands of the curriculum" in England.
But the government says it also believes play has a key role in learning for younger children.
A teachers' union wants everyone to spend more time playing, as a "crucial" lifelong learning tool.
Delegates at the National Union of Teachers conference said children, in particular, learn through play. They expressed concern at research showing that youngsters miss out on imaginative play "because of the demands of the curriculum" in England. But the government says it also believes play has a key role in learning for younger children. Coventry delegate Jane Nellist said the way the curriculum worked at present amounted to "state sponsored child abuse".
Coventry delegate Jane Nellist said the way the curriculum worked at present amounted to "state sponsored child abuse". "Children have a right to play," she said. "Wow! How exciting to have a resolution about play," said another early years teacher, Marilyn Evans. She bemoaned the fact that, in June, she would have to set out what levels all the children in her charge had reached on the foundation curriculum - "117 tick-boxes per child". The school had six electronic whiteboards, she said, which were exciting pieces of equipment - but the children also needed sand and water to play with, which did not get the same special government funding. The resolution is relatively unusual for a teachers' conference, and in a way supplants the routine demand for the abolition of national curriculum tests for children.
It also complained at:
" pressures for more formal teaching from age five
" playing fields being sold off
" lack of space in schools for play areas in classrooms
" lack of after-school opportunities
" fewer opportunities for informal play during the school day
" limited play for teachers, too, due to "the lack of a proper work-life balance"
The resolution argues that play "has a crucial role for all, children and adults alike". Lorraine Hunte from Croydon said that she had tried to research this aspect when she was writing her speech. "However, when I Googled in 'adult play' you won't believe what came up," she said. "And I can't begin to tell you."
A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) said every organisation that wanted to succeed set targets - that was why national tests, targets and performance tables were important. "The DfES believe that learning through play has a valuable role in education and learning for younger children," he said. "Much of their education will be play based and will be about providing the experiences and activities they need to develop, grow and learn." But the NUT leadership is not convinced, and backs the grassroots concerns. General secretary Steve Sinnott said there was "increasing evidence of the damage to children's health and well-being" - with more self-harm among teenagers. All policymakers ended up demanding more from the education system, he said. "They start off by saying we need to free up schools and by the end they are specifying things which reduce time for play."
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