A Basque model for learning through play: St Timothy's Primary School
A P1 teacher from St Timothy's visited Etorkizuna Ikastola (a primary school near Bilbao) to observe good practice in learning through play. She discovered that the methodology included many of the strategies that she had promoted during her two-year secondment as a Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) tutor.
Amara Berri - an introduction
The 'Amari Berri' methodology (used at Etorkizuna Ikastola) is based on a belief that through play children imitate the adult world and, as a result of this imitation, they learn. Children are encouraged to question and to show initiative and it is believed that the teachers should not have to do anything the children can do for themselves. The children move on when the teacher feels they are ready.
In the infant classes there is a stage for acting out familiar stories or for the telling of 'news' and by the time children reach the upper school, they can make a presentation to explain to the class what they have learned, or they can make a radio or television broadcast to the school. This is directly linked to TfEL where the children are encouraged to work as a team to show what they have learned at the end of a piece of work.
Any written work can go to 'The Press' to be included in the school newspaper. If a letter is written, it is not written in a jotter, but on paper to be sent to the addressee. The child then completes a form saying who the letter was to and subject of the letter. The teacher signs it, dates it and keeps it as evidence. All work therefore has a purpose.
Adapting the Amara Berri methodology for use in a Scottish context
The teacher worked on how to link this methodology to 5-14 and began to think about the classroom layout and organisation of resources. Planning sheets were devised to cover the 5-14 attainment targets.
Project aims
- To assist the transition between nursery and primary school
- To develop the learning of maths, language and environmental studies through play
- To make learning more active and fun
- To give learning a purpose
- To enable children to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
