The use of the outdoors surrounding the school to enhance instruction in a variety of content areas can be thought of as schoolyard-enhanced learning.  Although I hesitate to add another definition to the education lexicon, I feel that there needs to be a term that designates this specific aspect of the outdoor education concept. I see schoolyard enhanced learning as an instructional strategy used to teach concepts and process skills from a variety of content areas by utilizing the school site or adjacent areas.  Some key elements of the term include:

--Schoolyard-enhanced learning refers specifically to teaching activities that can take place right outside of the classroom. There is no need to arrange for a bus, or wait for field trip permission forms to be returned. You are just stepping outside.

--Schoolyard-enhanced learning is not tied to a specific subject area. All content areas can benefit from an occasional change of pace and place. The schoolyard can serve as both venue and content. Sometimes the outdoors provides a great setting for learning – imagine sitting outside to write poetry on a warm afternoon. Or, the outdoors may serve as both venue and content – going out to estimate the heights of trees using indirect measurement techniques. 

--Schoolyard-enhanced learning experiences can be of any length. Whether it’s a quick trip outside to measure snow depth, or a more lengthy outdoor reflective writing experience, variety has been infused into the instructional routine, and learning has been enhanced.

--Schoolyard-enhanced learning should be considered as one of many instructional approaches that can be used to add variety to teaching and learning. It is not meant to dominate instruction, but rather to provide a needed change of pace and place.

       I have intentionally used the term “schoolyard” rather than “playground”. Although play areas for both unstructured and structured play are very important, we need to focus on the entire school site as a possible instructional venue. The schoolyard needs to be viewed as more than just a play area; even the edges and unmowed areas can become sites for academic learning, reflection, community involvement, and recreation. My hope is that teachers will examine the curriculum and determine which learning objectives can be enhanced through the use of an outdoor setting.

      My book, Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning: Using the Outdoors as an Instrucitonal Tool, K-8   published by Stenhouse Publishers, explains the concept of schoolyard-enhanced learning, and also provides step-by-step help so teachers have a high probability of success when using the outdoors as a teaching tool. Included are sample activities, outdoor classroom management tips, suggestions for ways to make the school grounds “learner friendly “and specific ideas about how to plan and organize outdoor teaching. The book provides teachers both the “how” and the “why” of outdoor learning.