Drawing on children's digital repertoires to enable playful digital literacies in the primary classroom

This chapter seeks to demonstrate the value of digital play within educational settings, exploring how the integration of digital play in the classroom can tap into children's existing digital skills. The authors discuss three research projects, each focusing on different orientations of digital play in schools. These three case studies involve children aged 7 to 11 years old, a group often overlooked in play-related discussions. Firstly, the ‘Blogging Barnsborough’ project introduces a virtual world video game to children from two schools. Next, ‘The Street’ focuses upon the collaboration with teachers and children across two school sites in a multi-media project focused on playful activities. Finally, via ‘Building a Virtual Community’, an after-school Minecraft club considers a variety of digital play orientations to enhance literacy skills based on children's existing interests and digital competencies. The chapter concludes by suggesting that digital play in the classroom can effectively harness children's established digital repertoires, bridging the gap between classroom experiences and the children's out of school digital literacy practices.