Bringing Play-Based Learning to Life in Morocco

Challenge

After many years as a teacher herself, Dana Baran believed in a play-based, child-centered approach to learning. But she found her program was not only lacking a curriculum with this approach—they didn’t have a curriculum at all.

Dana wanted to evolve the preschool program away from adult-led instruction and toward a play-based approach that incorporated elements of Reggio Emilia and an emergent curriculum, but a new teaching philosophy was not enough. She sought a comprehensive partnership that would not only improve outcomes for children, but support her teachers throughout implementation.

Solution

After much research and consideration, Dana found the perfect fit that met all of her needs in the Teaching Strategies ecosystem.

Results

Moving from adult-led to child-centered

“When I came to the school, it was very much adult-led instruction,” Dana reported. “It was a teacher giving instructions to the children, lots of worksheets, lots of whole-group sessions, and very little play.” Dana turned to The Creative Curriculum to help new and experienced teachers implement a more child-centered approach.

The Creative Curriculum shares many core values with the Reggio Emilia approach that Dana favored: both are grounded in the idea that children drive their own learning and benefit most from teachers who listen to children’s voices, observe their interests, and curate learning experiences that follow the children’s lead. It supports these values with easy-to-use print and digital resources to help teachers set up intentional classroom environments, conduct inquiry-driven “studies,” and establish routines that are rich in opportunities for children to explore on their own.

Uniting teachers behind a play-based approach

Nadia Engelbrecht, Early Years Teacher, is “a huge promoter of play-based learning,” so she was very excited about The Creative Curriculum. This was her opportunity to implement something she believed in and knew was the best way to engage the children in her classroom. And she saw something happen that was even more valuable: how the curriculum helped align and unite her team.

With The Creative Curriculum, teachers were able to spend less time discussing what to do and more time reflecting on how play-based learning was positively impacting their classrooms.

Creating a seamless connection from curriculum to assessment with GOLD

Maintaining consistency between classrooms became more tenable as teachers began to assess the learning in their individual classrooms with GOLD. Its automated reporting allowed teachers to compare what was working and what wasn’t, have a clearer picture of skill development for each child, and adjust instruction with curricular resources. GOLD also allowed teachers to effortlessly document children’s learning through observations captured in the moment—an approach that aligns with Reggio Emilia’s teaching philosophy.

Engaging and involving families

Casablanca American School’s teachers leverage “celebrations” of students’ work at the end of each school day to show families and caregivers what their children are learning. Instead of sending home alphabet worksheets, families witness their children’s pride and growth in projects such as writing each other letters and problem-solving through construction with blocks. “The last two or three celebrations, we had a hundred percent attendance; every child had someone represented,” Nadia said.

Families also receive activities at home to complement classroom learning through ReadyRosie “Modeled Moments” videos. They also see evidence of learning as they observe their children being more independent with daily tasks at home, such as clearing their own plates, following instructions, and taking responsibility for keeping their space tidy.

Developing a deeper kind of kindergarten readiness

Kindergarten teachers at the school are seeing the difference in students who have experienced The Creative Curriculum preschool.

“Their fine-motor skills are amazing…They listen and they talk. They’re able to put things away.” Nadia said.

Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms are seeing less disruptive behavior and less anxiety in children who were in a The Creative Curriculum classroom as well. Nadia credits the predictable yet flexible daily routines, abundance of small-group time, and the sense of ownership The Creative Curriculum fosters in young learners.

“In the morning, they set up the areas with us. They set up their routine with us. They really have a say in how they want to be spending the day, which also helps with behavior,” Nadia said. “We’ve really catered the flow of the day based around their needs, which The Creative Curriculum allows us to do.”

Supporting every teacher

When Dana first came back from a conference with a “huge box of materials” from Teaching Strategies, the school year was nearly over. Dana consulted regularly with Teaching Strategies early childhood experts and set her team up for success that fall with rapid onboarding through Teaching Strategies’ Teacher Acceleration Program and Professional Development Teacher Membership.

Teachers attended the 8-week TAP together so they could discuss their learning afterward and kept in touch with their coach so they could ask questions as the year progressed. They took online classes on their own time, learning and developing whenever was best for them and continuing to leverage their Partner Success Team for support. In fact, Teaching Strategies experts visited the school on four separate occasions to help the Casablanca American School achieve their goal of improving child outcomes through play.

Partnering for success

Now starting their third year with Teaching Strategies, the Casablanca American School has found their stride and is partnering closely with Teaching Strategies to continuously improve and expand their program. They are exploring curriculum for kindergarten, as well as new professional development opportunities for their teachers.