Helping Children Thrive at School with CCPT Principles
By: Holly Dudley
Teachers know that when emotions run high, learning often takes a back seat. That’s where Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) principles can be beneficial. CCPT isn’t just therapeutic; it’s grounded in neuroscience and supported by research as a way to promote both emotional and academic growth (Blanco & Ray, 2011; Gaskill & Perry, 2014; Massengale & Perryman, 2021).
In schools, teachers see students at their best and at their most vulnerable. Many children carry stress, frustration, or challenges from home and community into the classroom. Without a way to process those feelings, they often struggle to stay regulated and focused. CCPT offers principles that teachers can apply to everyday interactions. These principles help children feel safe, connected, and capable, laying the foundation for both emotional regulation and academic achievement.
Why Relationships and Regulation Come First
Neuroscience tells us that children must first regulate, then relate, before they can fully reason and learn (Perry, 2006). This simple sequence, sometimes referred to as “bottom-up” brain processing, explains why CCPT emphasizes the therapeutic relationship above all else (Brunzell et al., 2015; Gaskill & Perry, 2014). A child who feels overwhelmed or unsafe cannot access the higher-order thinking skills required for academics.
For teachers, this means that moments of connection are not wasted time; they are essential preparation for learning. When a child feels seen and understood, their nervous system calms, making it easier to concentrate on tasks like reading, problem-solving, and peer collaboration.
Research on CCPT and Academic Growth
CCPT is not only beneficial for emotional regulation, but it also has measurable impacts on academic performance:
First-grade outcomes: In a controlled study, first graders who received CCPT made significant gains on standardized achievement tests compared to peers in a control group (Blanco & Ray, 2011).
Prevention-based results: A study with second-grade students showed that children who received 10 weeks of CCPT sessions kept pace with, and in some cases slightly outperformed, their non-qualifying peers in reading, math, and language usage (Perryman et al., 2020).
Longitudinal benefits: A follow-up study demonstrated that at-risk elementary students who received CCPT displayed sustained improvements in academic achievement in reading and math into later grades (Massengale & Perryman, 2021).
Together, these findings highlight CCPT as both a mental health and an academic intervention, helping children regulate emotionally while also fostering long-term success in school.
The Role of a Child-Centered Play Therapist
While in the playroom, children engage in CCPT sessions that allow them to process overwhelming emotions, try out new ways of coping, and strengthen the skills teachers want to see carried into the classroom.
Through CCPT, children work toward goals that directly benefit their school experience:
Emotional Regulation: Learning to calm themselves after frustration or disappointment, making transitions smoother, and reducing classroom disruptions.
Building Inner Resources: Developing confidence, self-trust, and persistence when faced with challenges.
Expanding Emotional Vocabulary: Putting feelings into words, which helps them seek help appropriately and resolve conflicts more effectively.
Resilience and Problem-Solving: Practicing flexibility, recovering from setbacks, and approaching challenges with creativity.
Social Skills: Strengthening cooperation, empathy, and perspective-taking, which translates into better peer relationships and group work.
The play therapist’s role is not to “fix” behavior or teach, but to help children access the inner strengths that allow them to thrive. As children experience acceptance, consistency, and empowerment in play therapy, these changes often show up in the classroom as better focus, smoother peer interactions, and greater willingness to engage in academic tasks.
In this way, CCPT bridges mental health and education. Teachers see progress in the areas they most hope for, while children gain lifelong capacities for resilience and self-regulation. Together, teachers and play therapists create a school environment where children feel both supported and capable, setting the stage for genuine growth in learning and life.
How Teachers Can Use CCPT Principles in Classrooms
While teachers aren’t expected to be therapists, they can weave CCPT principles into daily classroom interactions:
Reflect Feelings – “You’re frustrated that the group didn’t pick your idea.”
Helps students regulate emotions.
Track Behavior and Use Encouragement – “You worked hard and finished your writing.”
Builds awareness and intrinsic motivation.
Offer Choices – “Would you like to start this now or after centers?”
Promotes autonomy and reduces resistance.
Set Limits with Empathy – “You’re really upset, and the classroom is not for yelling in. You can choose to take a break or talk in a calm voice.”
Balances boundaries with connection.
Over time, these strategies create a classroom climate that mirrors the CCPT playroom: safe, consistent, and affirming. They also align directly with what neuroscience teaches us. Children learn best when they feel calm, connected, and supported.
Why This Matters for Teachers
Teachers often feel pressure to get through academic material quickly, leaving little time for relational moments. But the research shows that these relational strategies are not a distraction from learning; they are the pathway to it (Brunzell et al., 2015).
By integrating CCPT-informed practices, teachers help students access their thinking brain. This means less time spent managing behavior and more time engaged in meaningful instruction. It also means students develop skills like problem-solving, persistence, and emotional vocabulary, abilities that serve them well beyond the classroom (Blanco & Ray, 2011).
Teachers don’t need to be play therapists to make a meaningful difference in their students’ lives. By weaving CCPT-informed strategies into daily routines and remembering that regulation and relationships come before reasoning, educators can create classrooms where children feel safe enough to learn.
Research shows these approaches not only support emotional well-being but also contribute to measurable academic gains, from early elementary years through long-term outcomes (Blanco & Ray, 2011; Massengale & Perryman, 2021; Perryman et al., 2020). When teachers prioritize connection over correction, they set the stage for students to thrive, both academically and emotionally.
References
Blanco, P. J., & Ray, D. C. (2011). Play therapy in elementary schools: A best practice for improving academic achievement. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89(2), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2011.tb00083.x
Brunzell, T., Waters, L., & Stokes, H. (2015). Teaching with strengths in trauma-affected students: A new approach to healing and growth in the classroom. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000048
Gaskill, R. L., & Perry, B. D. (2014). The neurobiological power of play: Using the neurosequential model of therapeutics to guide play in the healing process. In C. A. Malchiodi & D. A. Crenshaw (Eds.), Creative arts and play therapy for attachment problems (pp. 178–194). The Guilford Press.
Massengale, B., & Perryman, K. (2021). Child-centered play therapy's impact on academic achievement: A longitudinal examination in at-risk elementary school students. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(2), 98–111. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000129
Perry, B.D. (2006) The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics: Applying principles of neuroscience to clinical work with traumatized and maltreated children In: Working with Traumatized Youth in Child Welfare (Nancy Boyd Webb, Ed.), pp. 27-52, The Guilford Press, New York
Perryman, K. L., Robinson, S., Bowers, L., & Massengale, B. (2020). Child-centered play therapy and academic achievement: A prevention-based model. International Journal of Play Therapy, 29(2), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000117
