STATEMENTS OF ENTITLEMENT TO PLAY

The basis of this video and book Pack - StEPs - is a belief in the rights of the young child to appropriate opportunities to be children and to learn in playful and meaningful ways. It is also predicated upon a view that practitioners working with young children have equal rights to teach using playful strategies.

Children and adults are responsible for making the most of the playful learning and teaching opportunities provided in quality early childhood settings and to ensure that the curriculum - statutory or recommended - is implemented efficiently and effectively. The view taken throughout is that there is no conflict between being accountable to parents, politicians or providers for children's learning and offering play experiences as the basis for that learning.

Playful teaching and learning are discussed and exemplified throughout the two elements of the Pack. The video offers viewers a chance to see some of the practitioners who contributed to the Pack, in their own settings using aspects of StEPs to support their everyday teaching and learning. One of the major intentions of the Pack is that it should be used by practitioners and settings - or those undertaking training sessions with them - to both evaluate and extend play practices. The video, child development charts, planning sheets and other documentation, explained in various sections, support a variety of uses across a range of settings reflecting different backgrounds and ethos. Once the framework is understood, the StEPs themselves offer endless opportunities for development of quality learning experiences for children and for articulation, explanation and advocacy of quality practice by practitioners to parents, inspectors and those who evaluate settings.