Teaching Resource: Pathways to Understanding
Pathways to Understanding is a resource based on collaborative action research from the NOWPlay Project, involving teachers and early childhood educators in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. It highlights land-based, experiential, and play activities designed to support children’s Indigenous language, cultural learning, and literacy. Each activity includes context, objectives, teaching steps, and outcomes to help educators adapt them in their own classrooms.
Teaching Resource: Wenesh Niin (Who am I)
NOWPlay is excited to introduce “Wenish Niin: Who Am I?”, a resource for teachers aimed at enhancing their understanding and support of a child’s educational journey. Developed by educators Yvette and Jacinta Manitowabi, this resource combines Anishinaabe teachings with the Ontario curriculum to revitalize Anishinaabemowin and celebrate students’ unique talents and cultural identities. By adopting a holistic, land-based learning approach, it encourages educators to foster meaningful environments that integrate language, writing, and community.
Writing & Drawing Exemplars
In this book, we describe samples of the most frequently-occurring responses to our Drawing, Writing, and Talking Task (DWTT) Protocol for four-year olds in their first year of kindergarten, for five-year olds in their first and second years of kindergarten, and for six-year-olds in grade one. See how children expand their abilities as they practice letters and graphic symbols with teacher, assistant, and parent encouragement.
Creative Collaborative Curriculum Activities (CCCA)
Our CCCA Collection
The activities in these two collections were produced by teachers and partners in the NOW Play Project to promote playful learning for students in pre-kindergarten to grade 2. Check out the dozens of ideas to bring into your classroom or learning centre by clicking on each book cover!
Classroom Assessment Tools
Michigan Reading Journal
Collaborative Action Research: Fact Sheets
Click on the images below to learn more about collaborative action research and how to get started!
Articles for Teachers
Play & Literacies
Dryneck, R., Moosenose, J., Antonio, J., McDonald, E., & Stagg Peterson, S.(2025). Using Storytelling to Teach Tłichǫ Language and Culture to Young Children in the Canadian Northwest Territories . The Reading Teacher.
White, A., Peterson, S., & Quigan, E. (2022). Young children co-constructing stories with teachers. Early Childhood Folio, 26(2), 13-19.
Kim, J., Madsen, A., Peterson, S. (2021). Play, oral language, writing and cultural relevance in northern rural kindergarten classrooms: Teachers’ roles. Early Childhood Education, 47(1), 3-8.
Peterson, S.S. (2021). To help children learn how to read in the pandemic, encourage writing messages as part of play. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/to-help-children-learn-how-to-read-in-the-pandemic-encourage-writing-messages-as-part-of-play-153171
Peterson, S.S., Eisazadeh, N., Lau, K., & Liu, W. (2024). Language purposes and children’s learning: Story drama in a northern playroom . Early Childhood Education, 50(1), 26-30.
Pan, C., & Peterson, S.S. (2019). Informal instruction and dramatic play to support kindergarten children’s language and writing development. Master of Teaching Research Journal, 2, 1-11.
Portier, C., Friedrich, N., & Peterson, S.S. (2019). Play(ful) pedagogical practices for creative collaborative literacy. The Reading Teacher, 73(1), 17-27.
Wajskop, G., & Peterson, S.S. (2015). Dramatic play as a meaning-making and story-making activity. Early Childhood Education, 43(1), 17-20.
Writing
Eisazadeh, N., Altidor, A., Peterson, S. (2021). “That’s a home run!”: Assessing young children’s writing multimodally. California Reader, 54(2), 17-22.
Friedrich, N., & Portier, C. (2020). Let’s go to the movies: Children’s textual practices before and during a play-based classroom initiative. Texas Journal of Literacy Education, 8(1), 38-57.
Peterson, S.S., & Senior K. (2019). Looking for gold: Role play and writing in a northern rural Canadian kindergarten classroom. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 48(1), 9-17.
Friedrich, N., Wishart, K., & Peterson, S.S. (2018). Supporting emergent writers through guided play in a kindergarten classroom. Journal of Childhood Studies, 3(2), 58-64.
Peterson, S.S., & Horton, L. (2019). Child-directed dramatic play as identity text in northern Canadian Indigenous kindergarten classrooms. Literacy, 53(4), 254-264.
Peterson, S.S., Huston, L., & Loon, R. (2019). Professional lives and initial teacher/educator experiences of Indigenous early childhood educators, child care workers and teachers in northern Ontario, Brock Journal of Education, 48(2), 17-32.
Peterson, S.S., Friedrich, N., Portier, C. (2018). Developing a multimodal observation tool: Teachers and researchers working together. Alberta Voices, 14(1), 3-9
Peterson, S.S., & Grimes, A. (2018). Authentic writing in children’s lives outside school. Early Childhood Education, 45(1), 20-25.
Peterson, S.S., & Portier, C. (2016). Teaching vocabulary and writing in kindergarten through dramatic play centers. Colorado Reading Journal, 27, 25-32.
Stagg Peterson S. Writing as Part of Culturally Relevant Play Supports Overall Literacy. In: Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Peters RDeV, eds. Rvachew S, topic ed. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/language-development-and-literacy/according-experts/writing-part-culturally-relevant-play-supports. Published: January 2025.
Oral Language
Peterson, S. S., Eisazadeh, N., Liendo. A. (2021). Assessing young children’s language and nonverbal communication in oral personal narratives. Michigan Reading Journal, 53(2), 15-25.
Greenberg, J., Bowles, P., Peterson, S.S., & Altidor-Brooks, A. (2019). Supporting children’s vocabulary and thinking in a magic potion laboratory: A reflective conversation between educators, a speech-language pathologist and a linguist. Early Childhood Education, 46(1), 3-9.
Kim, M. & Peterson, S.S. (2018) Play-based intervention supporting kindergarten children’s language in a Northern Ontario First Nations community. Master of Teaching Research Journal, Inaugural Issue, 1-11.
Peterson, S.S., & Portier, C. (2017). Rural northern Canadian teachers’ discoveries about young children’s oral language. Language and Literacy, 19(2), 109-126.
Peterson, S.S., & Greenberg, J. (2017). Teacher intervention to support oral language and literacy in dramatic play contexts. Texas Reading Association Journal, 5(1), 10-23.
Indigenous Culture and Identity
Eppley, K., Wood, J., & Peterson, S. S. (2025). Reconciliation and joy: Using Canadian rural Indigenous books in the classroom. Literacy Today 42(3), 54-56.
Rochwerger, L., Mason, B., Lazarovic, L., & Kim, M. (2024). A Land Exploration-Based Approach: First Nation students learn about structures and functions through outdoor exploration. Science and Children, 61(6), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/00368148.2024.2411761
MacKay, J., Rommel, J., Peterson, S.S., & Eisazadeh, N. (2024). Story drama in playroom: Teaching Tłįchǫ language and culture in a northern early childhood education program. Journal of Classroom Research in Literacy,14, 4-16.
Ings, E., Peterson, S.S., Eisazadeh, N., & Esquaga, W. (2024). ECE instructor’s action research: Reflections on an initiative to teach Anishinaabemowin. ECE Link Winter2024, 17-26.
McDonald, E., Simpson, C., McGregor, S., Peterson, S.S., Eisazadeh, N. (2024) Collaborative action research in a northern early childhood educator program: Professional learning of instructors and interns. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 24(2), 63-80.
Eisazadeh, N., Girmohanta, S., Peterson, S. S., & Wood, J. (2024). Foregrounding Anishinaabek culture and collaborating with children in their multimodal text creation. Brock Education Journal, 33(2), 71-87.
Eisazadeh, N., McDonald, E., Wedawin, S., Yadav, S., Francis, G., & Peterson, S. (2022). Creating a home kit for teaching Tłı̨chǫ Languages: Starting with input from parents and educators. Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀, 1(1), 69-83.
Sky, K., & Peterson, S.S. (2020). Fishing with elders builds these Oji-Cree children’s language, cultural knowledge and writing. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/fishing-with-elders-builds-these-childrens-oji-cree-language-cultural-knowledge-and-writing-138915
Peterson, S.S., & Robinson, R.B. (2019). Culturally sustaining practice in a northern Canadian Indigenous kindergarten classroom: Story drama and writing. California Reader, 52(4), 17-24.
Peterson, S.S., Gardner, T., Ings, E., & Vecchio, K. (2018) Dramatic play in northern Aboriginal Headstart classrooms – supporting Indigenous children’s learning of their culture and language. ECE Link, 2(1), 35-44.
Northern Oral Language and Writing Through Play 