Tag: intentional teaching

Smuggling knowledge into play?

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Hey educators! Have you heard of the concept: “Smuggling content knowledge into play”? It is a concept proposed by Sue Hedges, an early childhood education researcher. It refers to the intentional integration of academic content or subject matter into play-based learning experiences for young children. It is when we ask: what colour is that?

Rather than approaching learning as a separate and formal activity, Hedges suggests embedding educational content within the context of play. This approach capitalises on children’s natural inclination to explore, experiment, and make sense of the world through play.

For example, instead of directly teaching mathematics concepts through worksheets or drills, educators might create play scenarios or provide materials that encourage children to explore mathematical ideas through hands-on activities. This could involve counting, sorting, measuring, or problem-solving within the context of a pretend grocery store, construction site, or kitchen.

By “smuggling” content knowledge into play, educators can make learning more engaging, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate for young children. It allows for a seamless integration of academic concepts into children’s everyday experiences, fostering deeper understanding and retention of knowledge.

I do “smuggling of knowledge into play “quite a lot, but I am also reflective about my role in children’s play as an observer or a “foreigner” (a concept for another post!).


What about you – are you guilty of smuggling content knowledge into children’s play?

Why do we need intentional teaching in early childhood education and care?

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Do you know how Storykate is a big fan of socio-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky?

I’ll give you an example of why I believe that scaffolding and teaching cultural tools are important in my philosophy as well.

I like Vygotsky not because he was a Soviet psychologist but because he provided us with his framework that still works, so according to social-cultural theory, social interaction and cultural transmission are important sources of knowledge.

When I was at university, we were given an example of how young street vendors in Brazil learn to count really well while selling goods, and these children did not go to school.

Is it a proposition not to go to school?

Does it mean that mathematical skills can be learned through observations or practice? Yes, and no!👩‍🎓

Hear me out!

The researchers were quite interested in the skills of the street vendors; they could easily perform simple arithmetic with 98% accuracy while buying and selling, including 2 and 3-digit numbers. They did addition and subtraction fast and well. When they were asked to write it down or understand arithmetic with mathematical notation, in other words, written down, they didn’t fail exactly, but their accuracy dropped to 37%. I like this example! Australian school children can perform the following two problems, and solve them. A boy wants to buy three chocolates that cost 50 coins each. How much money does he need? And the second problem is, ‘Another boy wants to buy 50 chocolates, this costs three coins each. How much money does he need?’

You can replace coins with cents or whatever currency you are using; if you think about it, it’s just a very simple problem from the point of an adult learner.

School children solve the problems with multiplication: 3×50 and were able to solve the second problem really well because they knew and understood that 3×50 = 50×3; they knew equations. In contrast, the children from the streets, the young street vendors from Brazil, were not able to use this fast method, so they used addition in both cases.

It means that teaching explicitly through scaffolding is what we have teachers for, including preschool teachers. Teachers help to move fast, solve problems more effectively, and learn cultural tools through interaction. Children at school learn how to do the equations and how to do multiplication because they went to school. Children should talk about how they solve the problem because they learn by reasoning. According to Vygotsky, the teacher also scaffolds this type of learning by modelling, providing prompts, and practicing. What about vendors? They learn it through practice, which is a wonderful way to learn as well, according to modern scientists like Marilyn Fleer, who is also a supporter of social-cultural theory. Concepts can be better introduced even at the preschool level if you are intentional.

Scaffolding is an important teaching strategy and we MUST use it in addition to play or self-paced learning.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, EDUCATORS?