The Learn to Play Approach for Kindergarten Teachers (2 Day Online Workshop): 9:30am – 3:30pm, Tues 12 – Wed 13 September, 2023

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

3x Online Q&A follow up sessions: 2:00pm – 3:30pm on Tues 17 Oct, Tues 31 Oct, Tues Nov 14, 2023

*Start and end times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, UTC+11:00

ABOUT

Many children come to kindergarten who are not yet ready to learn. For some 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 Approach for Kindergarten Teachers is designed to support teachers in developing a deeper understanding of pretend play, how the complex skill of pretend play develops for children, and why pretend play is important for literacy, narrative understanding, social competence, and self-regulation.

The Learn to Play Approach for Kindergarten Teachers includes a 2 Day Online Workshop, plus 3x Online Q&A follow up sessions; 1.5hrs per session. The Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers (PPC-T) Manual and Pack of Assessment Scoring Forms are covered in the cost of the workshop and will be posted to all registrants prior to the workshop. The Manual provides in depth information on the development of pretend play, how to score and how to interpret. The Assessment Scoring Form is for the teacher to score each child’s play ability. For convenience it has a brief summary of the play skills by level and space for scoring the play skills. There is also space for comments.

The Learn to Play Approach for Kindergarten Teachers (2 Day Online Workshop) is a practical workshop that takes teachers through the Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers with case studies for practice. The Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers is an assessment tool designed to assist teachers to observe and report on the pretend play ability of children in their care. It provides a framework to assist teachers to identify targeted activities at kindergarten, highlights information to pass onto parents, and allows for specific observations of a child’s play to inform report writing and transition statements.

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.

DAY 1: Foundation, 9:30am – 3:30pm, Tues 12 Sep, 2023

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

9:30 – 11:30am: Introducing the Learn to Play Framework for understanding pretend play

• Connecting the understanding of pretend play development to literacy, narrative understanding, social competence and self-regulation;
• Identifying how Learn to Play can support 5 VELDYF outcomes.

20 min break

11:50am – 1:20pm: Pretend Play and The Brain 

• Connecting the dots between brain development in the early years, emotional regulation and pretend play development.

40 min break

2:00 – 3:30pm: Understanding Assessment using the Pretend Play Checklist for Teachers 

• Working through two case studies via break out rooms; and assessment by video analysis.

DAY 2: Principles and Planning, 9:30 – 3:30pm, Wed 13 Sep, 2023

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

9:30 – 11:30am: What is Learn to Play

• Exploring the concept of responding to the child, rather than directing;
• Working through 8 key principles and exploring emotional engagement;
• Exploring the techniques of tracking/empathic reflection.

20 min break

11:50am – 1:20pm: Video analysis of Learn to Play and explore the play skills

• Activities – working in groups to create a narrative;
• Exploring a picture book as a prompt for a play script;
• Exploring the understanding of the six key play skills of the Learn to Play framework.

40 min break

2:00 – 3:30pm: Approach planning and implementation

• Reviewing case studies;
• Working on goal setting;
• Planning approach’s for kinder with links to the VELDYF outcomes;
• Question time.

3x Online Q&A follow up sessions: 2:00pm – 3:30pm on Tues 17 Oct, Tues 31 Oct, Tues 14 Nov, 2023

*Start and end times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, UTC+11:00

The 3x Online Q&A follow up sessions (1.5hrs per session) begin approximately three weeks from the date of the 2 Day Online Workshop. These sessions are designed to consolidate the information covered in the workshop, allowing for educators who have begun implementing the Learn to Play Approach in their Kindergarten to ask questions.

First session: Understanding assessment – exploring the PPCT further

2:00pm – 3:30pm, Tuesday 17 October, 2023

Second Session: Supporting self-regulation through play

2:00pm – 3:30pm, Tuesday 31 October, 2023

Third session: Building social competence

2:00pm – 3:30pm, Tuesday 14 November, 2023

PRESENTER’S PROFILE

Dr. Siobhan Casey is a paediatric occupational therapist with 15 years 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 Approach.

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, specialist development and mainstream schools. She is currently working on projects, supporting the implementation of pretend play within the curriculum and continues to research the impact of developing pretend play ability on global developmental functioning for children. Siobhan is passionate about Learn to Play as a framework of service delivery to support children and their families, in both a sensitive and meaningful way.