Games as a learning medium for 6 to 7 year-old pupils

Abstract

Education is for life. Primary Education is vital in that it should establish a solid base on which the future education of the child is built. When discussing the learning process, one should take into account the triangular relationship that exists between the teacher, the learner and the content. The content to be learned is the source of learner growth and thus the purpose of teaching. Organizing the content is the first step in planning teaching in such a way that enables the learner to receive it with maximum facility. Learning goals cannot exist in isolation, and what is to be learned cannot be separated from the Why, When, Where and How. In planning and teaching, the subject areas of the curriculum should be interrelated in treating the concerns that young children have and wish to pursue. This dissertation focuses on the play - enjoy - learn method of teaching, indicating that play and learning are not two separate entities but go hand in hand, helping children to develop happily at their own rate. To this end, the document provides information about the characteristics and needs of children throughout their early years and outlines the nature of the learning process. This is supported with a wide range of suggested activities and games which can be easily adopted and adapted by the teacher to meet specific classroom needs. Besides, this questionnaire was submitted to all primary teachers in Gozo, and later analysed. The questionnaire was aimed at determining the teachers' attitudes towards the strategy of teaching through games in the primary schools.