Play and Learn for Inclusion - an Experience to Share

Abstract

Inclusion and play were analyzed in the European project in which we take a part and we considered that it will be an interesting thing to share this experience with the others. Intending to create networks, establishing common concepts and implementing seminars was demanded careful planning to be worthwhile. All case studies included aspects of the individual child’s micro, micro and macro-experiences, such as interests, characteristics, family and local provision in an early years context. All three case studies had the same four questions for participants to respond to, aiming to provoke discussion and reflection on a range of issues related to play and inclusive practice. The participants were early years practitioners and specialists from kindergartens and schools, mostly women, from Sibiu city and also Sibiu County. Overall there were 92 participants in addition to six facilitators who were academic staff from ‘Lucian Blaga’ University of Sibiu. The link between school, family and community is currently a very weak one and has to be encouraged; a community presence in school is almost nonexistent. Measures for inclusion in education that have been taken so far are not sufficiently articulated, indicating that there is not yet a unitary vision and coherent approach for all levels of education and all types of learners. Outdoor play is also a challenge for most of the kindergartens, because they are not suitably equipped for promoting children’s outside play.