Applying Explicit Play Strategies to Support Kindergarten Teachers in Enhancing Children’s Cognitive Competency

Almost all experts agree that early childhood education (ECE), especially at the preschool level, is a crucial time for brain development and starting the learning process that will continue through life. It is also a key time for a child's whole development (UNICEF, 2021). Actually, during this age children develop the basic brain, social, and emotional skills that will determine their learning success and personal growth for their whole lives. High-quality early childhood education is a very important factor in the ability to learn, that is why a good preschool education is highly recommended. For instance, quality education at this level leads to the acquisition of key cognitive skills such as memory, reasoning, problem-solving, etc., which are the very first steps towards school success and further development of other areas of the child's life. Play-based learning is a fun and very effective way of teaching children. Studies show that structured and targeted play can promote the cognitive development of young children (Yee et al. 2022; Gica et al. 2025; Gaffar et al. 2021).

Globally, educational systems have turned more and more towards

1. Kindergarten teachers are advised to include direct instruction and teacher-led play activities in their daily teaching routines. These approaches will help them create meaningful and intellectually challenging learning opportunities for their young learners. School leaders can also help by making and sharing the Bilingual Explicit Play Strategies Manual so that even more teachers will have access to the resource and will be able to use the material developed in their teaching. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Educational leaders and curriculum planners could think about enhancing the blend of well-organized play-based techniques in early childhood education settings. Workshops and seminars for professional growth may be based on guided play facilitation, and the appropriate use of play-based educational resources in kindergarten classrooms may be among topics covered. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Schools may consider ways to make play materials more adequate, affordable, and accessible, for instance, by mutual sharing of resources and better structuring of teaching materials. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Future researchers may replicate these studies with a bigger number of teachers or in different educational setups to get a deeper understanding of the potential and effectiveness of explicit play strategies in early childhood education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. While the study confirmed the manual's widespread acceptance among teachers, future research could investigate the long-term effects of explicit play strategies on children's cognitive development and academic readiness. Another area to investigate is how home and school collaboration can promote the use of structured play activities in early learning. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

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