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Play Assessment

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   Inclusive Play Assessment If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid. This powerful metaphor highlighted our week 13 session, perfectly shows the danger of "one-size-fits-all" education. Reflecting on our exploration of play assessment, I realized that assessment should not be a hurdle to clear, but a bridge to built.  The revelation that the word assessment stems from the Latin assidere meaning "to sit with," completely shifted my perspective. It suggests a collaborative, supportive and affirming relationship rather than a top-down judgement. In play-based settings, like those practiced at Rinpung ECCD, this means observing children's skills, behaviors and interactions within their natural play to identify strengths and challenges. It is about gathering information to provide meaningful educational and therapeutic not just assigning a grade.  I was particularly struck by the distinction between asse...
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Adult's Role in Play

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 Reimagining the Adult's Presence in Play I used to view playtime as a well-deserved break for both children and teachers. However, after attending the session on adults role in play has completely shifted my perspective. I've realized that we are not just supervisors, we are the " maker or breaker of quality play. " What we choose to do or not do determines whether a child's play environment thrives or fails.  One of the most aha moment was the concept of Continuum of Adult Roles. I previously thought that that staying out of the way was the hallmark of a good educator, but now I see that being " Uninvolved" is a precarious role that results in poor-quality, repetitive motor play. On the other hand, I've often caught myself acting as a redirector, interjecting academic reality into a beautiful moment of make-believe just to check for prior knowledge. Thus, I learned that the precarious habit must be avoided.  Instead, the goal is to inhabit facilita...
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Field Trip to Rinpung ECCD

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Beyond the classroom: Lessons from Rinpung ECCD What if the most important lessons in life aren't at a desk, but in a sandpit or a block corner? At April 9, I had an eye-opening opportunity to visit to Rinpung ECCD  to observe how they've turned the concept of a play-based environment into a living reality.  Walking into the indoor space, I was immediately struck by the thoughtful design . It wasn't just about being "clean and safe", every shelf was at child's eye level, promoting a sense of independence and self-selection. I watched as children moved freely between clearly defined areas like literacy, blocks, art and dynamic play choosing their own path of discovery. This wasn't chaos, it was active participation supported by organized, labelled and inviting materials.  A takeaway for my own future practice was observing the teacher's role. Instead of directing, the facilitators used scaffolding, stepping in only to extend a child's thinking while...
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Play Development from 5 to 8 Years

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 Why Play is the Heart of the Learning?    Did you know that by the time a child turns five, a staggering 90% of their brain development is already complete? This powerful statistic from our recent session on "Play and Development" completely shifted my perspective on what happens during early years. Far from being a mere break from real learning, play is the foundation of learning itself.   During our session, we didn't just study theories, we experiences through the "World Cafe Strategy". Rotating through seven strategies each representing a domain from Bhutan ECCD Curriculum Framework, I was stuck by how deeply play is intertwined with every aspect of growth. As a visitor moving between groups, I learned that play activates both the neocortex (the brains thinking center) and the amygdala (the emotional center), helping the children integrate the two vital areas.  One concept that resonated with me personally was "decentralization" in pretend play, t...
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Introduction to Play

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Play is the heart of learning  The first session on the module "Play in Early Childhood" was an eye opener. We started off the session with a warm-up game called "Pass the Clap" and it illustrated how beneficial the play is, with respect to impact and social connectedness. It was a very special moment specially for me as we moved on to the storytelling and shared some of our childhood play experiences. It emphasized that play is universal language and one of the major ways in which we see the world.                                                                                                      What I learned the most is that play is not " Free time " but it is a meaningful learning.  While the defining the play is difficu...
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