This paper examines the practice of two kindergarten teachers, Mia and Kyra, who both stated they valued play as vehicle for learning. However, observations of their respective classrooms highlighted that they valued play for learning in different ways. Mia valued play as a means of arriving at the educational outcome she had planned. Free play, therefore held little value for her as there was no teacher-derived outcome attached. Hence, even though Mia’s program offered play situations, it was depictive of a highly structured room (Miller & Almon, 2009) with little balance between adult and children’s efforts (Epstein, 2007). In contrast, Kyra valued the process of play as a learning experience in itself. As the process was valued, preconceived educational outcomes did not take precedence; rather, Kyra skilfully examined the implicit cues and rules that children formed in their play and used these in her interactions with them to enhance the learning that emerged. As Kyra saw educational value in children’s free play, her classroom was depictive of a program rich in child-initiated play and playful classroom with focused learning (Miller & Almon, 2009) with a balance between adult and children’s efforts (Epstein, 2007). 

The discussion has been taken from a larger study conducted in 2009 that investigated the strategies teachers used to support (or hinder) kindergarten children’s social and emotional development. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and conceptualised using Rogoff’s (2003) concept of development as transformation of participation in sociocultural activity and Vygotsky’s (1987) scientific and everyday concept formation. This latter theory was transposed onto Miller and Almon’s (2009) Kindergarten Curriculum facilitating a robust discussion on the value of balanced teacher-child interactions in all forms of play as the primary mechanism of child development and learning.

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