The presentation of John C. Yiannoudis in IPSEF Dubai 2016. The magic behind setting up a play-based preschool as per the example of Dorothy Snot preschool & kindergarten in Athens, Greeece.

1. The
magic
behind
se.ng
up
a
play-­‐based
preschool
by
John
C.
Yiannoudis
for
IPSEF
Dubai
September
28,
2016

2. • What
is
play?
“Engagement
in
ac+vity
for
enjoyment
and
recrea+on
rather
than
a
serious
or
prac+cal
purpose”
(Oxford
DicKonary)
“Play
is
what
I
do
when
everyone
quits
telling
me
(“Teacher
Tom”)
• Play
is
about
freedom.
Play
means
that
I
engage
with
only
what
I
want
to
engage
in
free
will,
and
grasp
most
possible
pleasure
and
happiness
out
of
life.
Play,
for
children
is
life
itself:
an
exciKng
journey!

3. • “Educa8on
is
not
prepara8on
for
life;
educa8on
is
life
itself.”
(John
Dewey)
• So,
if
play
is
life
and
life
is
educa@on,
then
play
should
be
educaKon!
• And
that
is
how
play-­‐based
learning
was
born:
an
approach
providing
educaKon
through
play
• Play-­‐based
learning
just
describes
an
educa@onal
approach
which
allows
children,
while
playing,
to
engage
into
real
world
derived
acKviKes
(all
photos
you
will
see
in
this
presenta8on
come
from
our
school)

4. • Such
school
ac@vi@es
should
reflect
behaviors
and
acKons
of
everyday
life
and
encourage
children
to
take
their
own
iniKaKves
• This
way,
very
young
children
build
strong
personality
and
character
on
experience
&
emoKon
(i.e.
managing
conflict,
disappointment,
rejec@on,
team-­‐playing,
respec@ng
rights,
etc.)
• In
other
words:
very
young
children,
through
play,
learn
to
manage
their
own
life

5.
• In
most
tradiKonal
educaKon
systems,
teachers
set
the
plan
and
ask
students
to
follow
-­‐
no
maKer
if
they
want
or
not
to
do
so.
Discipline
and
obedience
are
highly
valued
• In
a
play-­‐based
school,
what
happens
is
exactly
the
opposite:
the
needs
of
the
children
are
the
tools
that
move
class
ahead
• Teachers
just
listen
and
respect
what
children
want.
They
never
impose
top-­‐to-­‐boKom
orders.
Instead,
they
enforce
children
to
express
quesKons,
provide
moKves
and
all
class
together
designs
life-­‐derived
acKviKes
that
will
help
finding
the
answers

6.
But,
why
to
set
up
a
play-­‐based
preschool
instead
of
a
tradiKonal,
academic
one?
Let
me
name
three
major
reasons,
under
the
view
of
a
school
owner:
• It
produces
extraordinary
results
in
terms
of
learning
and
character
building
• The
fun
factor
in
school,
is
maximized.
Children
love
it
and
teachers
are
happy.
So,
it
creates
an
enthusiasKc
community,
boos@ng
school
life
• Parents’
saKsfacKon
rate
is
sky
high!

7.
Talking
about
parents’
saKsfacKon
rate….
Dorothy
Snot
parents’
Quality
SaKsfacKon
Survey
2014
-­‐
2016

8.
Talking
about
parents’
saKsfacKon
rate….
Dorothy
Snot
parents’
Quality
SaKsfacKon
Survey
2014
–
2016
• Is
Dorothy
Snot
a
school
that
meets
your
highest
standards?
4.90
/
5.00
• Would
you
recommend
Dorothy
Snot?
4.96
/
5.00

9.
Why
do
parents
are
so
much
happy
in
a
play-­‐based
preschool?
Because:
• They
see
their
children
developing
happy,
confident
and
strong
while
learning
fast
• Comparing
their
children
with
others
aKending
tradi@onal
academic
schools,
they
no@ce
substanKal
difference
in
freedom
and
autonomy
• Parents’
extensive
involvement
in
school
life
improves
their
parenKng
skills
and
creates
a
solid
relaKonship
with
children,
as
well
as
the
school
itself

10.
So,
what
are
the
key
steps
on
establishing
a
top
class
play-­‐based
preschool:
• selec@ng
the
right
teachers
• keep
training
them
properly
&
constantly
• developing
a
strong
school
community,
by
sharing
common
values
• remain
open
minded
and
innovaKve
towards
children
needs

11.
What
are
the
key
steps
on
establishing
a
top
class
play-­‐based
preschool:
• The
most
important
element
is
selecKng
the
right
teachers.
They
must
be
able
to
listen
carefully
and
openly
to
children,
avoid
stereotyping
and
respect
their
needs
• Teachers
must
learn
not
to
interrupt
class
life.
They
have
to
be
facilitators,
no
tutors.
To
closely
observe
behaviors,
point
out
issues,
not
suppress
feelings
and
iniKaKves

12.
What
are
the
key
steps
on
establishing
a
top
class
play-­‐based
preschool:
• Training
a
teacher
is
a
constant
process.
The
main
effort
is
to
learn
how
to
leave
her
ego
outside
class
and
become
a
sincere,
open
and
respecful
companion
in
children’s
explora@ons
• Teachers
must
learn
not
to
judge
children
and
not
to
criKcize
their
behavior.
On
the
contrary,
to
sincerely
accept
the
unique
personality
of
every
child
and
help
him/her
discover
the
world
on
his/her
own
pace

13.
What
are
the
key
steps
on
establishing
a
top
class
play-­‐based
preschool:
• Forming
a
strong
community
around
school
which
shares
as
many
common
values
as
possible,
is
also
a
key
success
element.
A
school
has
to
be
open
to
society
and
parents
should
be
acKvely
involved
in
school
life,
either
on
a
scheduled
or
an
ad-­‐hoc
way
• A
play-­‐based
school
needs
to
develop
a
strong
relaKonship
with
environment
and
local
society.
Play
in
real
life
terms
is
a
key
educaKon
element
and
therefore,
extensive
interacKon
with
actual
world
has
to
be
maintained

14.
What
are
the
key
steps
on
establishing
a
top
class
play-­‐based
preschool:
• A
play-­‐based
school
works
by
default
on
the
edge
of
innovaKon.
Children
keep
bringing
in
new
needs
and
ideas
and
at
the
end,
they
tend
to
become
the
“real
owners”
of
their
school
life!
• Therefore,
management
and
teachers
must
always
keep
an
open
mind,
allowing
all
this
“fresh
air”
to
come
in
and
form
a
constantly
changing
educa@on
shape,
well
adjusted
of
course
to
the
special
characterisKcs
of
the
local
community

15.
In
Dorothy
Snot
we
have
developed
our
very
own
approach
on
play-­‐based
preschool
educaKon
We
call
it
Life-­‐derived
Learning
and,
as
our
Athens’
school
experience
proves,
it
allows
children
to
grow
confident
&
strong,
while
maintaining
high
levels
of
joy
and
love
for
learning
You
can
learn
more
about
it
and
see
how
it
works
in
www.lifederivedlearning.com
School
address:
175a
Ippokratous
street,
11472,
Athens
Athens
tel.
no:
+30210
6427594
Official
site:
www.dorothy-­‐snot.gr
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/DorothySnot
YouTube
channel:
www.youtube.com/c/DorothySnot2008