This book empowers language and literacy teachers and researchers by framing teaching as the use of S.P.A.C.E. within constraints to create ""playgrounds"" where everyone can engage. It enhances readers’ ludic, language, and pedagogical literacies, encouraging them to play, learn, apply, and seek more. Drawing from decades of successful teaching and research, the book balances theory, research, and practice while critiquing gamification and game-based learning—advocating instead for genuine ludic approaches. It includes two rigorous courses to help readers design lesson plans and evaluate their teaching. Playful elements such as memes, jokes, anecdotes, and reflections on both successes and failures make the book engaging and relatable. With a humanistic approach that prioritizes teachers and students over technology, the book is also inclusive, offering ludic language pedagogy examples for diverse contexts. Additionally, it bridges the research-practice divide and integrates support from a dedicated community.
""From interactive strategies to playful techniques, this book is your passport to a rich adventure of literacy teaching. Whether you are a teacher or researcher, prepare to be inspired and entertained as you discover the intersection of play and games, literacy and language education. With tons of practical details, this is a perfect guide for teachers to find SPACE for their students to play!""
—Matthew Farber, Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado; author, Gaming SEL.
""Freedom to Play provides an engaging – and intrinsically playful – practical guide for language educators (and teachers more generally) looking to create more gratifying experiences in their classrooms. Underpinned by personal reflection and theory, this guide provides an accessible and convincing introduction to the value of playful learning.""
—Nicola Whitton, Professor of Digital Learning and Play, Northumbria University, UK
By:
Jonathan deHaan,
James York
Series edited by:
Mila Zhu
Imprint: Peter Lang Publishing Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Volume: 1
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Weight: 902g
ISBN: 9781636675961
ISBN 10: 1636675964
Series: Ludic Scholarship
Pages: 600
Publication Date: 28 February 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Chapter 1: An Invitation to Play Dear Reader To teachers To researchers and other folks in the audience On the ""Goldilocks tone"" Interstitial notes How we’ll play together in this book Chapter 2: Constraints and play in education Chapter 3: What is Ludic Language Pedagogy? Chapter 4: Level up your ludic literacy Chapter 5: Level up your language literacy Chapter 6: Level up your pedagogy literacy Chapter 7: Make your ludic language pedagogy Chapter 8: Assess and share your ludic language pedagogy Chapter 9: Coda Author introductions Hi! I’m James. I’m a teacher. Hi! I’m James. I’m also a researcher. Hi, I’m Jonathan. I’m a teacher. Hi, I’m Jonathan. I’m also a researcher. Chapter 2: Constraints and play in education ️ On finding the ""freedom to play"" Why play? STEP 1: Know your constraints Schools as factories The tyranny of testing The epitome of the factory model ️ Datafication Grades Gamification Learnification of education Technology replacing teachers? ⏸️ Pause: Can we REALLY play in schools? ➡️ From factories to playgrounds From grades to portfolios From single to many goals ⚖️ From ""all work no play"" to a healthy work-play balance But what about cram schools? Wrap up ♀️ STEP 2: Understand the “ways to play” ☺️ Play is gratifying Contemporary literacy education angle Playful education angle Progressive pedagogy angle Rewilding the classroom We need SPACE to play! ️ STEP 3: Build your playground(s) ️ Pedagogy is play STEP 4: Let students play Short examples of how we have created freedom to play Ludic students STEP 5: Share your playgrounds Part 1: Focus on your playground Part 2: Share and connect your playground to other playgrounds Chapter 3: What is Ludic Language Pedagogy? The Ludic Gaming literacy as an imperative Ludic: the terminology Ludic as a pedagogical framing device Ludic in objects and you The Language Language is play The Pedagogy Pedagogy is play The dangers of ""ludic-like"" approaches to teaching Diversify more → Be more inclusive → Matter more Ludic Literacy Pedagogy Wrapping up Want to know more? Chapter 4: Level up your ludic literacy Introduction 1. Ludic objects 2. Ludic in you! Ludic as playing within constraints Wrap-up Section 1: Play Type A: Ludic in you -- Being playful Type B: Ludic Objects -- Playful things Section 2: Learn about Questions to Level Up Your Ludic Literacy -- Introduction Questions to Level Up Your Ludic Literacy Would you like to learn more? (Some recommended reading) Section 3: Apply what you’ve learned Application Step 1: Understand The Known Application Step 2: Understand the new Section 4: Yeet Roleplays Identity play Outdoor Play Board games and card games Word games Drama Improvise and imagine Storytelling Digital games Debate Make things together Chapter 5: Level up your language literacy Introduction Section 1: Play with some language and literacy Step 1: Focus on the words in the rules of the game Step 2: Focus on the words while playing the game Step 3: Focus on words in the world about the game Section 2: Learn more about language and literacy 1: Games are language 2: Literacy is more than reading and writing 3: Literacy is more than vocabulary 4: Literacy is genre 5: Literacy is social and cultural 6: Literacy is multimodal 7: Literacy is participation 8: Literacy is everything; everything is a literacy 9: The Pedagogy of Multiliteracies Would you like to learn more? (Some recommended reading) Section 3: Apply what you’ve learned Application Step 1: Explore words and the world by learning and teaching Application Step 2: How do you teach language and literacy? Section 4: Yeet Chapter 6: Level up your pedagogy literacy Introduction Pedagogy is a literacy Section 1: Play with some pedagogy Step 1: A word game Step 2: A different word game Step 3: Yet another word game Section 2: Learn more about Pedagogy SPACE for pedagogy Methods Materials Mediation Would you like to learn more? (Some recommended reading) Section 3: Apply what you’ve learned Get your LLP kitchen in order Are you missing any ingredients? Express your LLP kitchen Sequence some delicious MMM into an idea Section 4: Yeet More Methods More Materials More Mediation Chapter 7: Make your ludic language pedagogy Short introduction STEP 1: What do you teach? STEP 2: What are your constraints? STEP 3: Who are your students? Overview of the above STEP 4: How will you teach? Build your playground Lesson template (for the REALLY stuck) Chapter 8: Assess and sharing your ludic language pedagogy Introduction Section 1: Assessing your ludic language pedagogy Step 1: ""What should I research?"" Step 2: ""How do I assess my ludic language pedagogy?"" Step 3: Where do I stick these thermometers? Step 4: Research templates (combine your LLP lesson plan with some thermometers) Step 5: A few research tips Would you like to learn more? (Some recommended reading) Section 2: Sharing your ludic language pedagogy 1: What to share? 2: Where to share? 3: How to share in the Ludic Language Pedagogy Journal?"
Jonathan deHaan is an Associate Professor at the University of Shizuoka who views life through a literacy lens. He applies his experiences and insights about games, play, language, and life to his teaching. Formerly an advocate of video games he now focuses on creating meaningful learning experiences through his ""Game Terakoya"" playground. James York is a teacher and researcher at Meiji University, Tokyo, specializing in the intersection of games, play, and education. As the founder of York Game Lab, he designs and publishes games that blend learning and entertainment. James is also an avid gamer who enjoys playing titles like Super Smash Bros. with his son and takes pride in accomplishments such as completing Towerfall Ascension on Legendary difficulty.
Reviews for Freedom to Play: A Ludic Language Pedagogy Primer
From interactive strategies to playful techniques, this book is your passport to a rich adventure of literacy teaching. Whether you are a teacher or researcher, prepare to be inspired and entertained as you discover the intersection of play and games, literacy and language education. With tons of practical details, this is a perfect guide for teachers to find SPACE for their students to play! Matthew Farber Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado; author, Gaming SEL. Freedom to Play provides an engaging – and intrinsically playful – practical guide for language educators (and teachers more generally) looking to create more gratifying experiences in their classrooms. Underpinned by personal reflection and theory, this guide provides an accessible and convincing introduction to the value of playful learning. Nicola Whitton Professor of Digital Learning and Play, Northumbria University, UK
