At around age 4 or 5, students begin to engage in mastery play where they will continuously do something over and over until they have reached a personally chosen level of satisfaction and success. They may do this with a certain puzzle or a drawing that they have been working on. This type of play is supported by modeling and scaffolding when the students requests it or seems to be stuck and getting frustrated.
The Purpose of Mastery PlayTo Develop...
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ExamplesDrawings
Biking Writing their names Puzzles Math Problems Matching Activities Sudoku |
Teacher Considerations
Carefully consider forcing students to practice a skill they have already mastered as it may lead to disengagement. Instead, working in some free play time during the day will allow them to find skills they want to practice and thus master much faster.