Re-Exploring Play and Playfulness in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Narratives, Reflections, and Practices

This book explores early childhood teacher educators’ lived experiences in designing and implementing intentional play-based approaches in teaching preservice teachers. The chapters cover action research, teaching stories about playful classroom practices, and diverse narratives about developing preservice teachers’ positive views toward play. Early childhood teacher educators will be encouraged to (re)explore their beliefs about the roles of play and playfulness in higher education. Readers will learn playful strategies to actively engage preservice teachers in building meaningful knowledge about play and how to use play to support young children’s learning across varied cultural contexts, experiences, and individual differences.

Dr. Melanie K. Felton has been an Associate Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education at College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska for over 30 years teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Early Childhood Education, Lifespan Development and Educational Psychology. She taught 3-5-year-olds in a multi-age full day program at Iowa State University Child Development Laboratory School and created the first Prekindergarten program for St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Dr. Diana H. Cortez-Castro is the Program Coordinator and Faculty of Teacher Education at Texas Southmost College. She has 16+ years of experience in Hispanic-serving institutions, developing and teaching courses in Early Childhood Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Bilingual Education, and Educational Psychology. Dr. Cortez-Castro is an active advocate for children’s right to play and has organized Community Play Days promoting sustainability, equity, and diversity since 2008.