Term
Spring 2023
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MALED
Facilitator(s)
Maggie Struck
Content Expert
Kelley Ungerecht
Abstract
The research question asked in this capstone project is: how might incorporating playful learning into a literacy framework help improve early literacy outcomes? There is a growing body of evidence that playful learning, a mix of free and guided play, has a slew of benefits to school-aged children including: physical, emotional, social, and cognitive. The foundational research for this project explores the intersections of educational neuroscience, Culturally Responsive Practices, and foundational literacy skills and practices. In particular the scholarship of Eric Jensen, Drs. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Zaretta Hammond, and Hollis Scarbourough were foundational in the conception and development of this project. The curriculum designed for this project provides a series of playful learning activities to embed within a kindergarten literacy block. The project involved creating two to three playful learning activities that are designed to be embedded within small-group instructional time. While this project specifically aligns with a particular curriculum, it can easily be adopted to benefit a variety of environments, time constraints, and curricular materials. The goal of this project is to reinforce foundational literacy skills while also providing a host of holistic benefits including creating even more joyful classroom environments
Project Type
Curriculum
Keywords
Brain-based Learning, Literacy, Reading
Recommended Citation
Bice, Kimberly, "Improving Early Literacy Outcomes Through Play" (2023). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 916.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/916
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects