Leading High-Quality Play-Based Programs
High-quality play-based learning happens when leaders build the systems, supports, and culture that make it possible.
Building on the foundational understanding established in our prior session, ”The Practice of Play: Understanding and Observing High-Quality Play-Based Learning,” this webinar explores the leadership strategies and program structures that sustain intentional, developmentally appropriate, play-based learning across classrooms and programs. You’ll learn how to design environments and schedules that support intentional play, how to coach and empower teachers, and how to communicate the rigor and value of play to families and stakeholders.
What You’ll Learn
- How leadership decisions shape high-quality play-based learning across classrooms
- Ways to structure environments, routines, and resources to support intentional play
- Strategies for coaching and supporting teachers
- How to communicate the rigor and impact of play-based learning to families and stakeholders
How documentation and authentic assessment demonstrate impact over time
This session is designed for leaders of early childhood programs across private child care, Head Start, and public preschool who oversee program quality, teacher practice, and family engagement.
Welcome to a three-part series for early childhood program leaders from Head Start, private child care, and public preschool exploring high-quality play-based learning and how it drives meaningful, measurable positive outcomes for children, families, and educators. Over the course of this series, we’ll examine the foundations of play-based learning, supportive leadership practices, and real-world examples of the practice at work.
Whether you’re new to early childhood education or deeply experienced, this series will help you observe intentional play with confidence, create the conditions for play to thrive, and see how high-quality play-based learning improves engagement at all levels, attendance, and kindergarten readiness.
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Understanding and Observing High-Quality Play-Based LearningWednesday, February 4, 2026 | 3:00PM EST -
How Real Programs Bring High-Quality Learning to LifeWednesday, February 25, 2026 | 3:00PM EST
