The Importance of Play: TIP Mini Episode
Marthe Spizman + Lindsey Elliott
Meet our guests
Marthe Spizman is an EC educator in Chicago IL. She has been working in education for seven years and grew up in Highland Park, IL. Marthe went to Columbia College where she studied early childhood education. After two years of student teaching and traveling to Reggio Emilia to learn more about the approach, she began her career. In her free time, Marthe loves to cook (and eat), make art, and laugh with friends, family, and her two lazy kitty cats!
Lindsey Elliott (Marthe’s Co-Host!), is also an EC educator in Chicago, IL, and has been teaching for the past 12 years. She grew up in Oconomowoc, WI, and studied at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. After moving to Chicago, she decided to pursue a career in teaching, earning a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from DePaul University. Lindsey traveled to Italy in March 2017 to study the Reggio Emilia Approach and that experience sparked her love of professional development as a continual inspiration for teachers. Lindsey's greatest joy is her two children, Isla and Leo.
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Teacher Takeaways
The Importance of Play
Truth:
Play creates children who have strong adaptive skills and creativity.
Inquiry/Prompt:
Closely watch/observe your students’ engage in play today.
Pick one designated open-ended play area (i.e. blocks, kitchen, dress-up area) and observe for a good amount of time.
What are the skills that the children are learning through this play? (Social, emotional, early literacy or math concepts, etc…)
What are some ways the children are adapting?
What creativity do you see through their play?
Did you notice any play schemas? (see resources below for a list)
What do you notice about the way they are using the materials? Or not using the materials
Use your observations to document learning or simply to share with parents!
Did this observation spark a study in your class?
Resources/Sponsors
Referenced in the Interview
