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Millbrook expands guided play to first and second grades, students showcase activities
Summary
At its Feb. 3 meeting the Concord School District board heard Millbrook Elementary students and staff describe a new guided-play program extended into first and second grades, developed with a UNH play coach and designed to support cognitive, social-emotional and language development.
At its Feb. 3 monthly meeting, the Concord School District Board of Education heard Millbrook Elementary teachers and students describe a guided-play program that the school has expanded into first and second grades.
School presenters said the program grew from a state Department of Education push to make kindergarten play-based and from a subsequent partnership with the University of New Hampshire to provide a play coach for kindergarten teachers. "Play is fun for everyone, and me and Elise learned that you learn and play," one student told the board during a short student panel and video presentation.
School staff told the board that guided play at Millbrook is structured, with a short pre-play gathering where teachers set learning goals, an active guided-play period during which teachers facilitate learning, and a post-play reflection when children share what they learned. Presenters said teachers designed activities so play reinforces math, reading and social skills while letting children exercise choice.
The school framed the move as a response to student advocacy: presenters said kindergarten students wrote an opinion piece asking for choice time to continue beyond kindergarten and teachers and the UNH coach then tested ways to fit guided play into older grades’ schedules. Millbrook staff told the board they concluded 6- and 7-year-olds could benefit from guided play and reworked schedules to include it for all students at the school.
Board members asked students and staff questions during the learning celebration. Students described specific materials and learning habits they use during play time; one student described using number and letter boxes to combine concepts, another described measuring with peers and re-creating ideas seen in videos.
School leaders said the guided-play model supports cognitive development, social-emotional learning, language and physical skills and can serve as a bridge to academics. Millbrook staff invited board members and members of the public to observe, noting that guided play occurs at the start of the school day and that the school recorded a short video of the panel that will be posted to the district’s community television and YouTube pages.
Board members applauded the presentation and thanked the students and staff for attending the meeting.
