Playing Our Way through the Transition to K: Using Play-Based Practices to Support Students with and without Disabilities in Pre-K through K Environments

This session focuses on how intentional, play-based practices can support children with IEPs as they transition from self-contained or blended Pre-K classrooms to inclusive Kindergarten classrooms. We will define play-based learning and explore how it can be used as a framework for individualized instruction that meets the needs of all learners: academically, socially, and emotionally. Participants will examine strategies for planning both student-initiated and guided play experiences that are aligned with the Illinois Early Learning Standards and Common Core. Attendees will leave with tools to design developmentally appropriate and inclusive classrooms where play is used intentionally to meet diverse learning needs.