ABSTRACT
This chapter explains briefly why child-initiated play is so powerful and will also begin to consider how complex it is to organise well. It also gives some detailed examples of the play that occurred with the 2–3s at Staple Hill Stars. Involvement focuses on the extent to which pupils are operating to their full capabilities. In particular it refers to whether the child is focused, engaged and interested in various activities. The Leuven Scale for Involvement includes Low activity, frequently interrupted activity, mainly continuous activity, continuous activity with intense moments and sustained intense activity. Engagement is the key indicator about the quality of any setting – a measure of how much learning is happening at any time. Ferre Laevers has developed descriptors for various levels of involvement, and these can be used as a simple, objective way of measuring the engagement of an individual, group or class.
