What does Vygotsky say about pretend play?
 Show
The Importance of Role Play in a Child's LifePretend Play forms a valuable and essential part of a child’s development. It’s now widely recognised by paediatricians and educators as an essential method of learning and development in young children. Several theorists such as Lev Vygotsky (Cognitive Development Theory) and Jean Piaget (Theory of Play) have identified the values of imaginative play as a necessary contributor to the development of a child. Imaginative play, which allows ideas and emotions to be moulded and rearranged, is a major feature of a child’s social and cognitive development. Encouraging Imagination and CreativityResearch has identified that an important benefit of imaginative play is the development of a child’s capacity for cognitive flexibility and creativity. The ability to use our imagination is a cognitive skill that we all require throughout life. It’s important to ensure there are ample opportunities for children to experience, initiate and engage in imaginative play. Supporting Social and Emotional DevelopmentWhen a child engages in imaginative play and pretends to be different characters, they are essentially experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. It’s about learning who they are as individuals, how the world works and how to walk in somebody else’s shoes. They develop empathy and learn how to co-operate, become responsible and share responsibility. Through make believe, imaginative play allows children to experience and express emotions and deal with them positively. Improving Language and Communication SkillsIt’s amusing to listen to children interact with their friends and share phrases, stories and sounds that we didn’t know they could make. Imaginative play allows children to experiment and learn about the power of communication, and how it affects others and themselves. It also helps them to understand that words help make ourselves heard and understood. Imaginative play offers the perfect opportunity to expose children to new vocabulary, thus expanding it. They could spend a whole afternoon at “the supermarket” purchasing ingredients for dinner, or a whole morning at the “doctors” learning all the different words associated with check-ups and medical equipment such as a stethoscope. Through role play, children learn to choose their words carefully when they communicate. They use their listening skills to understand what’s going on around them and how to fit in. Developing Thinking, Learning and Problem-Solving AbilitiesImaginative play presents children with a variety of different problems to solve. Scenarios help them decide what games to play, what characters to take on, who will be involved, what the rules will be and how to fix issues if something “goes wrong”. Participating in pretend play requires a child to call upon cognitive thinking skills that they find themselves using in each aspect of everyday life. These skills will stay with them all the way through to adulthood. Keiki Early Learning encourages play-based learning. We want children to be led by their imagination when they play, with no limits as to where their minds can take them. Our environments allows your child to use their imagination as a learning tool. We use song, dance and art to help utilize their creativity so that they learn new cognitive and personal skills. If you want your child to grow in a playful learning space, fill out our Enquiry Form today. Exploring the reasons why imaginative play is so important in Early Childhood.
'There is no activity for which young children are better prepared than fantasy play. Nothing is more dependable and risk-free, and the dangers are only pretend.' Paley, 2004 Piaget saw through play, an opportunity for children to exercise representational schemes but now this view is considered too limited with further studies highlighting different stages of imaginative play during a child’s early years (Berk, 2009). THE STAGES OF PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOODThree stages have now been identified in the development of make-believe play which 'reflects the preschool child’s growing
symbolic mastery: · Play increasingly detaches from the real-life conditions associated with it. · Play becomes less self-centred. · Play includes more complex combinations of schemes' (Berk, 2009). Imaginative play is also considered important for the development of children’s cognitive and social skills. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE'In play, a child stands taller than himself. Vygotsky' He regarded imaginative play as a 'unique, broadly influential zone of proximal development in which
children advance themselves' (Berk, 2009). THE CONCEPT OF SELF REGULATIONThe concept of self-regulation plays an essential role in Vygotsky’s view of child development in the preschool years. RULES OF PLAYMake-believe play is also rule-based. Through pretend play, young children are learning to control their impulses and follow the rules of play; moreover, drawing on their own experiences, children develop an understanding of social norms and strive to act in socially desirable ways. HOW CAN I SUPPORT THIS IN THE CLASSROOM?Berk (2009) suggests make-believe play in early childhood can be enhanced by – · Providing sufficient space and play materials. · Supervising and encouraging children’s play without controlling it. · Offering a variety of both realistic materials and materials without clear functions. · Ensuring that children have many rich real-world experiences to inspire positive fantasy play. · Helping children solve social conflicts constructively. What is the theory of pretend play?Pretend play might be a zone of proximal development, an activity in which children operate at a cognitive level higher than they operate at in nonpretense situations. Alternatively, pretend play might be fool's gold, in that it might appear to be more sophisticated than it really is.
What is Vygotsky's view of make believe play?Vygotsky emphasized the importance of symbolic play—the make-believe that emerges in toddlerhood and that flourishes during the preschool years, evolving into sociodramatic sce- narios with peers involving complex coordination of roles.
What do Piaget and Vygotsky say about play?Where Piaget presented the child as a 'lone scientist', Vygotsky emphasised the social and cultural aspects of play. He argued that during play children were able to think in more complex ways than in their everyday lives, and could make up rules, use symbols and create narratives.
What theorist talks about imaginative play?Several theorists such as Lev Vygotsky (Cognitive Development Theory) and Jean Piaget (Theory of Play) have identified the values of imaginative play as a necessary contributor to the development of a child.
|
