

Play is serious business.
Whether it’s reenacting a favorite book, negotiating the rules for a game, or collaborating over building blocks, Kristi Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler see every day how play helps students reach standards and goals in ways that in-their-seat instruction alone can’t do. And not just during playtimes. “We believe there is play in work and work in play,” they write. “It helps to have practical ways to carry that mindset into all aspects of the curriculum.” In Purposeful Play , they share ways to:
optimize and balance different types of play to deepen regular classroom learningteach into play to foster social–emotional skills and a growth mindsetbring the impact of play into all your lessons across the day.
“We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning,” Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. So they provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional.
Play doesn’t only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you’ll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.
Publisher : HEINEMANN
Publication date : April 1, 2016
Edition : 1st
Language : English
Print length : 184 pages
ISBN-10 : 0325077886
ISBN-13 : 978-0325077888
Item Weight : 13.6 ounces
Reading age : 4 – 8 years
Dimensions : 7.4 x 0.42 x 9.3 inches
Grade level : Preschool – 3
Best Sellers Rank: #125,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #128 in Education (Books) #182 in Early Childhood Education #580 in Instruction Methods
Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (397) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
11 reviews for Purposeful Play: A Teacher’s Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day
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Original price was: $37.13.$23.69Current price is: $23.69.


Jennifer Picotte –
Great book for kindergarten teachers
Took training from the author. Read from front to cover and sticky noted take aways. Great book for early childhood teachers. Book was delivered fast.
Gana –
Great book for Early Childhood practitioner
Great book for Early childhood practitioner. Plenty information is in this book . Thank you 👍
Miss Huck –
Proof that play is important!
Best book I’ve read on the importance of play in the classroom. It is very easy to read but has the research to back their claims. I have recommended this book to all of my Transitional Kindergarten colleagues.
Traci M Gunston –
Great read!
Great, easy read full of ideas!
Samantha Miller –
Engagement and Joy in your Classroom is Critical
A great guide and reminder that Classroom Management relies upon teacher compassion and student engagement. Add this to your teacher tool-kit for modern-day, child-centered, research-based strategies – and bring joy and smiles into teaching and learning in your classroom! An important book.
Mollie Hyman –
A must have for K-2 teachers!
I am a school counselor and used this book as supporting evidence for a grant to purchase materials for an extended PLAY time for our kinders. I really appreciate how Krisitine Mraz took the stigma out of the word play in respect to early-childhood curriculum. She gives stunning evidence and concrete recommendations for building meaningful play into early-childhood curriculum to support rigor and growth-mindset. I have been waiting for a long time for a supporting body of evidence for what I have intrinsically known is best for kids. I am so happy to have this knowledgeable and inspirational resource.
Layne –
Play provides critical thinking
This book discusses the research behind why we should add play into our classrooms and HOW you can do that with a few little (and some BIG changes). Play is not only fun, but also is the vehicle for critical thinking in the classroom.
W. Tallman –
Great book!
I bought this book because of an online book study. I didn’t follow through with the study, but I read the whole book. I loved it! I was agreeing with all of it. It was an easy read and has helped reaffirm that play is possible in these test, test, test days of education. There are several parts I will be rereading before school begins again.
doggo –
Very good book. Informative, straightforward. Glad I made the purchase.
Amazon Customer –
Awesome resource for K-1
Sibeli Bergman Masotti –
Very good book!