The Substance of Play : Principles of Pre-primary Teaching

Contents: 1. The Aim of Education. 2. The Basis of My Methodology. 3. What is Play Content?. 4. Selected Play Content for this Manual. 5. How to Use Play Content. 6. Classification of Activities. 7. Therapeutic Activities. 8. Creative Activities. 9. Constructive Activities. 10. Cultural Activities. 11. Outdoor Activities. 12. The Setup. 13. Suggested Materials and Directions. 14. How to Begin?. 15. Sharing a Few Classroom Experiences. 16. Observation Records. 17. Pre-lesson Plans. 18. Teaching Language (First Steps towards Formal Learning). 19. Teaching Mathematics (Introduction). 20. Names. 21. Colours. 22. Actions. 23. Animals. 24. Shapes. 25. Parts of the Body. 26. Trees and Plants. 27. Numbers (for 3-year-olds). 28. Numbers (for 4-year-olds). 29. Numbers (for 5-year-olds). 30. Addition. 31.m Subtraction. 32. Conclusion. Bibliography.

In this book, K. T. Margaret sets out to explain the substance of play and why she believes it is the most important element in the education of pre-primary children. Taking up common issues faced in nursery classes, she draws on her considerable experience as a teacher and educator for more than thirty years to elaborate on a methodology she devised to improve children’s overall learning experience. Personal yet instructive, the book includes anecdotes, photographs, case histories and comprehensive lesson plans. It has been compiled with the aim of assisting and motivating both aspiring and experienced pre-primary teachers in developing a curriculum which will provide a strong foundation for future learning. (jacket)