The Influence of Play on Early Literacy

Where Play Becomes Literacy 

"Look! My car is flying!" Ariela shouted as she adjusted the ramp she had built from blocks. A group of classmates gathered, testing different angles, predicting which car would go the farthest, and cheering each other on when the results surprised them. A few minutes later, one child grabbed a clipboard to draw the ramps and label them, while another dictated a short "race report" for me to write down. 

At first glance, it looked like simple play. But in that short burst of exploration, the children were practicing early literacy skills: using language to express ideas, sequencing events, making predictions, and creating meaning through writing and drawing. In international schools, where students bring diverse languages, cultures, and learning experiences to the classroom, moments like these carry even greater weight. Teachers are tasked with meeting varied developmental needs while fostering academic growth, and play provides a powerful pathway to make that happen. Research continues to show that meaningful, well-designed play experiences are among the most effective ways to support early literacy. They build the foundation for communication, comprehension, and creative thinking, all while keeping learning joyful. 

The Power of Play in Early Literacy 

Play isn't just an activity; it’s how young children make sense of their world. Through storytelling, pretend scenarios, and collaborative exploration, children develop the language and comprehension skills that directly influence their early literacy. Researchers Roskos, Christie, and Richgels emphasize that play provides a natural context where children experiment with vocabulary, narrative structure, and symbolic thinking, all of which are essential for reading and writing. 

In my classroom at Colegio Maya, I see this unfold every day. During a forces and motion inquiry, students explored how ramps, speed, and height affect movement. While the experience was playful and full of choice, it was also intentional. I carefully designed the environment, introduced new vocabulary, and prompted questions that encouraged students to explain their thinking. After testing their ideas, they documented their findings through drawings and dictated captions, transforming playful exploration into rich literacy experiences.

Parents can play an essential role in this process as well. When families are invited to join their children in play, whether through classroom events, at-home activities, or community projects, it deepens the experience and creates richer opportunities for language development. Parents model vocabulary, ask open-ended questions, and build on children’s ideas, making play an even more powerful foundation for literacy. Involving families helps create consistent, supportive environments where learning continues beyond the classroom walls. 

Learning thrives in a balance between self-directed play (where children lead the way) and intentional play (where teachers thoughtfully guide the experience to introduce new concepts or vocabulary). Child-led play offers students ownership and creative freedom, while intentional play provides opportunities for teachers to scaffold language, introduce new concepts, and guide children toward deeper connections. Both forms of play complement each other, supporting not only literacy but also confidence, collaboration, and problem-solving. 

By designing playful, purposeful experiences, educators can intentionally embed literacy opportunities without making learning feel forced. For multilingual learners, these structured play opportunities are especially powerful. Play creates a safe space to experiment with English while drawing on home languages for meaning-making. In international classrooms, this dual-language exploration builds literacy, belonging, and identity simultaneously. 

Universal Design for Learning: Welcoming Every Child 

One framework that guides my teaching is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which focuses on designing flexible and accessible environments for all students. In international early childhood classrooms, where students’ backgrounds and abilities vary widely, UDL provides a roadmap for inclusion. 

In my classroom, this comes to life during morning exploration. I set out open-ended materials like blocks, loose parts, fabrics, and puppets that children can adapt based on their interests and abilities. One child might build a structure and describe it in English or their home language, another might act out a story using puppets, while a third might quietly sort colors and shapes. Whether it’s self-directed or part of a guided activity, all of these experiences provide language-rich, literacy-building opportunities. 

UDL encourages teachers to offer multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression, allowing students to enter learning in the way that works best for them. In practice, this might look like pairing visual cues with spoken instructions, integrating music into storytelling, or incorporating movement into literacy routines. These strategies make literacy inclusive, dynamic, and deeply connected to play. 

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Meeting Children Where They Are

The Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) framework from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) reminds us that effective teaching starts with knowing your learners, their developmental stages, interests, and cultural contexts. In international schools, where students arrive with vastly different experiences, this approach is essential. 

Some children enter Pre-K already recognizing letters and writing their names, while others are still developing the fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil. Instead of pushing everyone through the same path, DAP encourages teachers to scaffold learning, meeting students where they are and building from their strengths. 

In my classroom, one way this happens is by embedding literacy into both intentional play and free exploration. When children role-play as shopkeepers, we add menus, labels, and price tags to encourage writing and reading. When they’re building a zoo, we introduce books about animals, charts for recording data, and opportunities to share discoveries with peers. 

This approach is strengthened by what Masterson and Bohart (2020) call “Powerful Interactions,” moments when teachers connect meaningfully with students to extend their thinking. By intentionally joining children’s play, asking open-ended questions, and validating their ideas, we can turn everyday moments into opportunities for deep literacy learning. These natural, interest-driven connections ensure that literacy emerges authentically, not as a forced skill, but as a joyful tool for communication and exploration. 

Practical Strategies for International Educators 

International classrooms bring unique challenges: multilingual learners, varied literacy exposure, and diverse family expectations. Here are a few strategies that have supported early literacy development in my own setting: 

• Blend Self-Directed and Intentional Play: Offer open-ended exploration alongside purposeful, teacher-guided activities to balance creativity with structure. 
• Create Language-Rich Environments: Add labels, clipboards, and writing tools in all play areas to integrate literacy naturally. 
• Use Home Languages as Bridges: Encourage students to express ideas in their first languages alongside English. This strengthens comprehension and confidence.
• Design Inclusive Opportunities with UDL: Offer multiple ways for children to access, practice, and demonstrate literacy skills through visuals, movement, storytelling, and hands-on exploration. 
• Connect Play to Real-World Inquiry: Purposeful play, like building ramps in a forces and motion unit, helps children test ideas, gather information, and communicate their thinking through drawings, captions, and shared reports. 
• Partner with Families: Share the value of play-based literacy with parents, helping them understand that rich conversations, storytelling, and daily routines build foundational skills. 

Looking Ahead: Supporting Literacy Through Play

As international educators, we have an extraordinary opportunity to create environments where children’s natural curiosity and creativity guide their learning. Embracing both self-directed and intentional play isn’t about lowering expectations for literacy; it’s about meeting children where they are and providing the tools they need to explore, imagine, and express themselves. 

By thoughtfully integrating play, UDL, and DAP into our classrooms, we open up more pathways for every child, regardless of language, background, or ability, to experience the joy and confidence that come with growing as a reader, writer, and communicator. Research continues to affirm that play lays the groundwork for early literacy, helping children connect meaning, language, and expression in ways that feel natural and empowering. When we create spaces where play and literacy work hand in hand, we nurture not just early reading and writing skills, but also a sense of belonging and curiosity that inspires a lifelong love of learning. 

References 

Brightwheel. (2024). Why play-based learning works. Retrieved from https://mybrightwheel.com/blog/play-based-learning 

California Department of Education. (2016). California preschool learning foundations. Retrieved from https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/psfoundations.pdf 

Masterson, M. L., & Bohart, H. (2020). Powerful interactions: How to connect with children to extend their learning (2nd ed.). NAEYC. 

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2020). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (4th ed.). NAEYC.