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The discussion is reinforced by neuroscience findings that early experiences shape brain architecture, emphasizing that caring, stable, and supportive environments—through secure attachments and responsive caregiving—promote social-emotional functioning and effective 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are play-based learning environments important for children?","Question",{"text":61,"@type":62},"They have immediate and long-term impacts on children’s optimal growth and development, supporting learning through meaningful interactions in a social setting.","Answer",{"name":64,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":65},"How does Vygotsky’s theory connect play to learning?",{"text":66,"@type":62},"Vygotsky’s social learning theory suggests children construct knowledge through play and interactions with adults or peers, which facilitate cognitive growth and knowledge acquisition.",{"name":68,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":69},"What does neuroscience say about early learning environments?",{"text":70,"@type":62},"Neuroscience emphasizes that the first five years matter for lifelong development, and that the best learning happens in environments that are caring, stable, and supportive, strengthened by responsive care and secure 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environments have an immediate and long-term impact on children’s optimal growth and development. With the continuing efforts of state and federal government agencies to fund early childhood programs with the intention of assuring that all children enter school ready to learn, enrollment into these programs continues to grow. However, progress to reduce the achievement gap continues to be slow (Kober et al., 2010) . As such, increasing attention has been paid to two issues in the current early childhood education literature: play-based classroom learning environments and roles of early childhood teachers in creating play-based learning environments.  \nPlay-based Learning Environments  \nVygotsky’s social learning theory implies that it is important that the learning environment serves as a platform for children’s growth and development. In Vygotsky’s viewpoint, children learn to construct their own knowledge through play and meaningful interactions with the environment. Interactions with adults or peers in a social environment are important to facilitate children’s cognitive growth and knowledge acquisition. Similarly, the Reggio Emilia approach, which highlights the role of play, views the classroom environment as “the third teacher”(Malaguzzi, 1996) . According to Copple and Bredekamp (2009), in a developmentally appropriate classroom, teachers have an important role in creating an age appropriate, individually appropriate, and socially and culturally appropriate classroom learning environment for children.  \nGordon and Browne (2018) define the environment as the sum total of the physical and human qualities that combine to create a space where children and teachers work together. In other words, an environment includes not only the physical space and materials but also aspects of time and interpersonal relationships. In particular, Gordon and Browne’s notion of environment consists of essentially three facets of the learning environment: the physical environment, the temporal environment, and the inter  \npersonal environment. The  \nphysical environment includes the equipment, facilities, and materials availability, as well as the arrangement of the room. The temporal environment contains timing for transitions, routines, and activities. The interpersonal environment is made up of the number of teachers, the ages, and number of children, and interactions among teachers, children, and their families. Classroom learning environments provide physical and social settings in which children interact with their peers and teachers. Within this social context, the learning environment is viewed as the third teacher and a significant indicator of play-based learning for early childhood programs (Malaguzzi, 1996) .  \nIn the next section, neuroscience’s support of a play-based learning environment for children, as well as Vygotsky’s social and cultural learning theory, the Reggio Emilia approach, and developmentally appropriate practice are discussed respectively. They provide the theoretical background that explains the importance of play and of learning environments for children’s optimal growth and development.  \nNeuroscience Supports Play-Based Learning Environments  \nNeuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system, has provided significant scientific evidence to support play-based learning environments for young children. The convergence of research from neuroscience and developmental psychology showed that early experiences determine whether a child’s developing brain ar-  \nDimensions • Volume 50/Number 3 19  \nchitecture provides a strong or weak foundation for his or her future learning, behavior, and health development (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007) . The most significant message from neuroscience advocates is that the first five years of a child’s life matters and lasts a l","cbCaipWe4ouNvWku","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipWe4ouNvWku","pdf",136277,"English","# Play-based Learning Environments\n## Neuroscience Supports Play-Based Learning Environments","[{\"question\":\"Why are play-based learning environments important for children?\",\"answer\":\"They have immediate and long-term impacts on children’s optimal growth and development, supporting learning through meaningful interactions in a social setting.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Vygotsky’s theory connect play to learning?\",\"answer\":\"Vygotsky’s social learning theory suggests children construct knowledge through play and interactions with adults or peers, which facilitate cognitive growth and knowledge acquisition.\"},{\"question\":\"What does neuroscience say about early learning environments?\",\"answer\":\"Neuroscience emphasizes that the first five years matter for lifelong development, and that the best learning happens in environments that are caring, stable, and supportive, strengthened by responsive care and secure attachments.\"}]","Rethinking Teachers’ Roles in Creating a Play-based Learning Environment | PDF",1792092559,18]