RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Researchers at RTI International, with support from toy giant LEGO’s foundation, are launching an effort to develop tools that will measure how children learn through play.

RTI is working with New York University on the program called “Learning to Play.”

“RTI is very excited to be working with NYU-TIES, funded by the LEGO Foundation, to develop tools to help us better understand the benefits of play and how it can be promoted at home and at school for children of all ages,” said Melinda Taylor, senior vice president of International Education at RTI.

Tools will be:

  • open source
  • user friendly
  • cost effective
  • designed to be adopted across contexts by local governments, researchers, civil society and other stakeholders
  • include a suite of measurement tools focused on children aged 0–12 years
  • include resources to support training, piloting, contextualization, and analysis

“This initiative will provide new ways to measure Learning through Play and help researchers understand how play contributes to holistic skills development in children,” RTI said.

RTI already is working with the LEGO Foundation on a “Learning through Play Pedagogies” effort in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda.