“English Games Appropriate for Culture and Development in the Preschool Period” Workshop Held

Organized by Assist. Prof. Burcu Güngör, at the School of Education, Ibn Haldun University, the “English Games Appropriate for Culture and Development in the Preschool Period” was held on September 10, 2026, with the participation of teachers from YETEV Schools and Çınar College.

The workshop, which took place in three sessions, was attended by a total of 11 educators, including preschool teachers, English teachers, English coordinators, and assistant principals. Based on the principle that foreign language learning in early childhood is more lasting when it occurs in contexts involving movement and repetition, the workshop restructured traditional games familiar to children to align with English language learning objectives.

The workshop aimed to reduce the reliance of teachers providing English education in the preschool period on ready-made and externally sourced materials, and to develop their competence in designing developmentally appropriate learning experiences based on their own cultural background.

At the end of the workshop, a 46-page resource booklet comprising 11 games developed throughout the process was prepared. It was noted that the material was designed to be used directly in classrooms, featuring a practical structure that progresses from easy to difficult stages, is adaptable to different themes (colors, animals, emotions, professions, etc.), and requires no additional materials. At the end of the event, the teachers expressed that they gained a pedagogical framework and skill set that they can adapt to English language objectives in their own classrooms.