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Playful Learning Institute, Preschool – 3rd Grade

See below for information on the following playful learning related resources:

Overview

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE/Department) Early Learning Team has launched a Playful Learning Institute (PLI) pilot initiative. Please read below for more information regarding the PLI.

The Institute is designed for district and school administrators, PK–3 inclusive classroom educators, and Out-of-School Time (OST) program staff and administrators. Participants gain tools and strategies to intentionally design and embed playful learning instructional strategies across the course of the day. Playful learning supports deep dives into content, creates equitable access to learning for all children, and creates varied opportunities for authentic assessment, particularly during instructional blocks across the content areas.

Awarded school teams consists of district and school administrators as well as two educators from each grade (PK–3) from the selected schools. The Institute consists of professional development (PD) for the school teams, some of which takes place in-person and some of which takes place asynchronously. District educators and leaders create an action plan for each team that is focused on the implementation of the playful learning/instructional practices.

For the 2023-2024 school year, coaches worked with educators, preschool through 3rd grade, for 3–5 hours per month, as well as coach district/school leaders for 1–2 hours per month. This in-classroom/school coaching model is aligned with and supports implementation of the action plan created by the district/school team.

Additionally, the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago has been evaluating the PLI pilot. The evaluation plan includes tools to (1) support improvements to the PLI; (2) understand the implementation experience; and (3) inform decisions about possible replication of the PLI and future DESE support for playful learning.

Approaches to Intentional and Playful Learning in Preschool through Grade 3 (PK–3) Classrooms: A Joint Position Statement of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA)

DESE and MSAA are pleased to release a joint position statement on play as an instructional strategy in the early grades. Entitled Approaches to Intentional and Playful Learning in Preschool through Grade 3 (PK–3) Classrooms: A Joint Position Statement of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) , this statement calls attention to the importance of deepening the learning and engagement of our youngest students through intentionally planned playful learning opportunities that are tied to our state's learning standards.

For our youngest students, preschool to 3rd grade, well-planned play opportunities not only help to build social-emotional competencies and language skills, but they also provide students with the opportunity to practice, strengthen and build upon their understanding of concepts taught through literacy, math, science and social studies in ways that are engaging and hands-on.

We encourage district and school administrators, classroom educators, community organizations and families to engage with this position statement, create opportunities to talk about what playful learning looks like in school-day classrooms and out-of-school time programs and how families and organizations can extend playful learning into the community and beyond.

FY2025 Fund Code 0350: Playful Learning Institute, Preschool through 3rd Grade recipient information

Playful Learning Resources

The Early Learning Team partnered with the Boston Public Schools Early Childhood Department to develop the PLI pilot. Resources, guides, and other helpful documents will be shared as they become available. Please check this section frequently for additional materials.

Playful Learning Practices Overview (as adapted from Boston Public Schools Early Childhood Department):

PLI Evaluation Resources:

PLI Videos

The following videos were designed by Neighborhood Villages, a contracted partner of DESE and our provider of professional development and coaching as part of the Playful Learning Institute, Preschool through 3rd Grade (PLI). These videos reflect the voices of administrators, educators and students participating in Cohort 1 of the PLI. Many thanks to Neighborhood Villages, our PLI coaches and the many PLI administrators, educators and students who took the time to share their perspectives.

New Videos in 2026! The following videos were created in partnership with Neighborhood Villages, PLI coaches, and PLI school administrators, educators and students. The videos capture 10–20 minutes of the PLI practices in action across a variety of classrooms, representing different grades and different schools while also including the voices of educators highlighting their experiences implementing the playful learning practices with their students.

These practices boost engagement and support diverse learners—including students with IEPs and English Language Learners—and are integrated with district-adopted High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM). The practices are inspired by Boston Public Schools Focus on Early Learning curriculum.

Each video comes with an instructional guide to be used with administrators, educators, pre-service students as part of professional learning opportunities being offered around playful learning. The instructional guides include a summary of what will be viewed in the video, what-to-look-for prompts, reflection questions and extension activities.

  • Read Aloud/Text Talk — See Read Aloud and Text Talk come to life in a second grade classroom and a preschool classroom as teachers demonstrate how this five-part routine builds vocabulary, deepens comprehension, and teaches children to build on one another's thinking. Through authentic classroom footage and teacher reflections, viewers will gain practical ideas for planning and facilitating Read Aloud/Text Talk with learners of different ages.
  • Centers/Studios — In this video, step inside classrooms to see Centers and Studios in action, where children learn through guided play, sustained exploration, and collaborative inquiry with diverse materials. In this video, three Grade 1 and two preschool teachers share how they implement Centers/Studios and reflect on its effectiveness in their classrooms. You will see children actively engaging in playful learning, accompanied by discussions on how this approach supports Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), learning aligned to MA Curriculum Frameworks standards and classroom inclusion.
  • Thinking and Feedback — Watch the Thinking and Feedback practice come alive in two vibrant, diverse classrooms—a kindergarten and a second-grade space—where all learners, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities thrive! Thinking and Feedback is a time for children to learn from and with one another as they discuss and reflect on their work. The teacher helps the presenting child(ren) select a piece of work, and guides the class through five steps in the process: Looking, Noticing, Listening, Wondering, and Suggesting & Inspiring.
  • Community Meeting
    • Video — Coming soon
    • Instructional Guide — Coming soon
  • Storytelling and Story Acting — See Storytelling and Story Acting come to life in three Massachusetts classrooms as teachers scribe children's stories, cast and perform them together, and teach students to give one another meaningful feedback. Through authentic classroom footage and teacher reflections, viewers will see how a single practice can engage an entire range of learners and how a cross-grade buddy structure deepens it further.
    • Video — Coming soon
    • Instruction Guide — Coming Soon

Additional Resources1:


1 References in this document to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporate name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by DESE. Our office is not responsible for and does not in any way guarantee the accuracy of information on other sites accessible through links herein. DESE may supplement this list with other services and products that meet the specified criteria. For more information, contact: achievement@mass.gov or 781-338-3010.

Last Updated: October 29, 2026

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