A Play-Based Learning Approach to Teaching the Writing Outcomes of the 2019 Primary Language Curriculum in a Junior Infant Classroom

Abstract

The Primary Language Curriculum (PLC) recommends that educators use a playful approach to teaching emergent literacy in infant classes (Department of Education and Skills [DES], 2019). This study examines how a Play-Based Learning (PBL) approach can be used to meet the writing outcomes of the PLC (DES, 2019). This action research study was undertaken in a rural school and the twenty-three five- and six-year old participants were from the researcher’s junior infant class. Data was gathered using group interviews, observations and a reflection journal. The results of this study support the use of a play-based pedagogy to teach emergent writing. It suggests that using modelled play prior to open-ended play allows children to practice their emergent writing skills in a pressure free environment, while also providing opportunities for the children to be agentive in their learning. Furthermore, it indicates that educators should be mindful of the digital technologies that they use, as laptops/computers may be more suited to promoting writing development than iPads. Finally, the results conclude that a PBL approach to emergent writing is effective at evolving and changing the relational pedagogy that a teacher has with her pupils and the partnership that she has with their parents.