Reflection

Taking the course on the benefits of play in the classroom, grounded in the insights from Pedagogy of Play, has been a truly rewarding experience. My focus on integrating play within intervention groups revealed the powerful impact that targeted games can have on literacy development. By embedding games such as Battleship, Memory, Four in a Row, Bingo, and word searches within the Wilson program, I was able to provide students with more opportunities for repeated practice in reading words, fluency, and encoding skills. This playful approach not only made learning more engaging but also reinforced essential reading strategies in a meaningful way.

Collaborating with fellow teachers was another highlight of the course. Drawing from their ideas, I created games like “Fishing for Fluency Phrases,” using sentences specifically from the Wilson program. I also used popsicle sticks to design an editing investigation activity rather than simply editing during the publishing process, which can be considered stale work. From years in the DOE where I saw firsthand the value of individualized, playful learning and the impact on enriching what they are learning as well as their social emotional well being. Observing other educators bring play into their unique settings and styles reminded me fondly of my Reading Recovery days during Behind the Glass sessions, where I saw firsthand the value of other teachers' style of teaching in their element.

An important part of my practice is data driven. So I took time to monitor the importance of this work within the Wilson program through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods such as:

Student Progress Data
Tracking improvements in my targeted skills such as reading fluency, word recognition, encoding, or comprehension before and after introducing the play-based activities. Use assessments aligned with my intervention goals.
Engagement and Motivation Observations
Paying special attention to changes in students’ enthusiasm, participation, and willingness to practice during intervention sessions.
Repetition and Practice Opportunities
I measured how the games and playful experiences increased the number of practice repetitions students get compared to traditional Wilson methods, as more repetitions often lead to stronger skill acquisition.
Student Self-Assessment
I checked in with my students, asking how they feel about learning with games or playful activities and whether they feel more confident or interested?
Retention and Transfer
I checked if skills practiced in play generalize to other contexts, like independent reading or writing tasks outside intervention. For my line of work this was probably the most challenging because I see most of my students only in small group and have only had them for a year.

Overall, this hands-on experience deepened my appreciation for the role of play in intervention and literacy instruction. I am grateful for the opportunity and eager to continue exploring and applying these methods in my teaching practice if the chance arises again.