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*Start and end times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, UTC+10:00

ABOUT

Many children come to kindergarten who are not yet ready to learn. For other children it becomes clear over their time at kindergarten that they are not ready for school and need extra resources or extra time at kindergarten. The Learn to Play program for Kindergarten Teachers is designed to support teachers in a deeper understanding of pretend play, how it develops, and why pretend play is important for literacy, narrative understanding, social competence, and self-regulation.

This practical workshop will take teachers through the Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers with case studies for practice. The Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers is an assessment to assist teachers to observe and report on the pretend play ability of children in their care. It provides a framework to assist teachers identify targeted activities at kindergarten, information to pass onto parents, and specific observations of a child’s play to inform report writing and transition reports. The Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers is available for purchase on our website shop

The workshop provides for small group work to design play activities within group settings and to identify how these play activities build foundational skills for children’s school readiness.

Outline of the workshop

9 –11.00am: A framework for understanding pretend play. Identifying why pretend play is important for school readiness.

11:30 – 1pm: The Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers

1:30 – 4pm: Practical application of the morning by review of case studies. Participants will work in groups allocated into break out rooms for those who are not part of a group. Those who meet in a group will work face to face. Planning play activities for groups of children 3 – 4 years. Planning play activities for groups of children 4 – 5 years

PRESENTER’S PROFILE

Siobhan Casey is a paediatric occupational therapist with experience in working with children, their families and teachers in a variety of settings. In 2018, Siobhan was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from Deakin University. Her research primarily focused on understanding the developmental processes that occur for self-regulation and pretend play capacities in supporting resilience in children. Her prior research included identifying important markers and processes for change, for children with Autism participating in the Learn to Play program. Siobhan has presented on pretend play development at conferences both nationally and internationally and enjoys delivering training to a wide range of audiences interested in promoting the opportunity for pretend play development in children. Siobhan has previously worked in early intervention community settings, private practice and specialist development schools. She is currently working within a mainstream school setting, supporting the implementation of pretend play within the curriculum. Siobhan continues to research the impact of pretend play development on global developmental functioning and has further interests in researching the role of pretend play development in supporting positive health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

COST $350 (GST incl.)