Nurturing Literacy & Maths Through Play in Early Childhood

What makes play a powerful foundation for early literacy, maths, and more? Join popular presenter and Education Consultant, Tonya Gilchrist as she clears up the messaging surrounding play-based learning, delivering evidence-backed strategies you can put to use immediately. 
Early Childhood PD

  • Targeted to

    Early Childhood

  • 2 Hours

    Course Duration

  • Standards

    1.1 (AITSL)
    1.1.2 (NESA)
    1.2.2 (NQF ECE)

  • Star rating

    New Course

NSW Teachers: This Course Counts Towards Your PD Hours

This course was published after the August 2024 NESA changes and as a result, does not carry NESA accreditation. From now on, all professional development activities, whether previously accredited or not, now count towards your required PD hours.Rest assured, this course maintains the same high standards as all ClassCover Learn courses. While NESA is no longer accrediting new PD courses, the flexibility of the new framework means you can explore more topics that interest you and still meet your accreditation requirements. Learn more

About this course

There’s no shortage of opinions on play-based learning. Our world is swirling with conflicting messages—some suggest play should be purely child-led, while others emphasise teacher direction. The uncertainty can leave both new and experienced educators questioning their approaches.  

Join Tonya Gilchrist for this engaging, research-informed course where you'll gain clarity on the what, why, and how of symbolic exploration and expression in early childhood development—and leave equipped with strategies you can use immediately. 

In just 2 hours you'll examine what symbolic exploration and expression really are and why they’re critical for literacy and maths, while learning specific strategies to incorporate them at your school or child care centre. 

Whether you're an early years educator, casual teacher, specialist, or school leader, this session will leave you feeling confident and energised to support young children throughout their learning journeys.  

You will:

  • Understand the what, why, and how of symbolic exploration and expression in early childhood development and education 
  • Explore practical examples of how to intentionally design invitations and provocations that authentically support emergent literacy and mathematics  
  • Understand the why of play-based learning, how it supports children in developing self-regulation and executive function, and the vital importance of these skills in foundational literacy and mathematics as well as in life 

Tonya Gilchrist

International Education Consultant & Learning Strategist

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About the presenter

Tonya Gilchrist is an International Education Consultant who is passionate about promoting enquiry-rich learning. A former educator, Tonya now travels the world providing tailored PD to schools everywhere.