ResearchMeta-analysisEvidence: Large study or reviewAges 1–9
Can guidance during play enhance children's learning and development in educational contexts?
Author or publisher Skene et al., Child Development Published 2022 Reviewed by eduStack editors Last checked 13 Nov 2026
1What the study found
For children aged 1 to 8, play with gentle adult guidance did better than direct teaching on early maths, shapes and switching between tasks, and better than free play on spatial words. Other outcomes showed no difference.
2Sources and check record
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13730 Skene et al., Child Development. Can guidance during play enhance children's learning and development in educational contexts?. 2022. doi:10.1111/cdev.13730 Last checked · 13 Nov 2026