The Pedagogy of Play in Teaching of Reading: Low Tech and High Tech Interactive Reading Methods

Play is essential to the healthy growth and development of children. As children play, they explore new roles, try out new ideas, and bond with each other. Play increases language, cognitive, and social skills. How can the power of play be harnessed and shaped for educational purposes? How can teachers infuse play into the classroom to improve reading and related language skills? Teaching reading requires a combination of teaching skills but also requires ways to motivate students to read. Whatever the reading level or ability, most students will enjoy reading and read more often when they connect to the text in one way or another. Not all reading material that students read in school is enticing to them. Play-based methods and play integration have the potential to increase motivation and engagement with the reading if used flexibly with the student in mind. Also, play-based methodologies are student-centered by nature.