Play ~ Planning

Kathleen RoskosICCPJune 17-19, 2010roskos@jcu.edu

play planning

Can children plan for play? Yes

Should children plan for play? Maybe

• creating imaginary situations

• using objects in a symbolic way

• using language to enact play

• taking on explicit roles

• following implicit rules

• persisting at play

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Facilitates Mature Play

Develops Self-Regulation

•Inhibitory control

•Working memory

•Cognitive flexibility

“Although play is often thought frivolous, it may be essential…mature, dramatic play helps improve EF [executive function]. Daily EF “exercise” appears to enhance EF development much as physical exercise helps bodies.”

Diamond, Barnett, Thomas & Munro (2007). Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science, V 317 www.sciencemag.org

Affords Meaningful Literacy Practice

Getting Started

Reading/Writing

Discovery

Blocks

Art

Dramatic Play

•Play Board•Colored Clips

Weeks 1-2Choose-Say-Go

Step 1: Describe the 5 play areas + colorsStep 2: Use choose-say-go procedureStep 3: Each child chooses play area if clips

are gone, then must choose another area

Step 4: Each child says name of area and what will do there

Step 5: Goes to play area with clip

Weeks 3-4 or longer

Choose-Say-Draw-Go

Step 1: Introduce play plan form Step 2: Choose-Say-DrawStep 3: Go

name

drawing

word

Weeks 5-6 or longer Choose-Say-Draw-Write-Go

Step 1: Scaffold writing Say: I am going to make a castle.Draw lines:____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____(I) (am) (going) (to) (make) (a) (castle)

Write words:I am going to make a castle.

Reread and point each word.

Word segmentation

Letter awareness

Letter-sound awareness

Weeks 6 and beyond Step 1: ChooseStep 2: SayStep 3: DrawStep 4: Write Step 5: Go

For example…

Benefits

•Children identify a pretend scenario and role before playing

•They represent the plan in a symbolic way

•They practice self-regulation

•They use language to negotiate play

Play Power

+ forge play~literacy links

– Language–

Imagination–

Storytelling– Capability– Enjoyment

In play the child is always behaving beyond his age, above his usual everyday behavior; in play he is, as it were, a head above himself.

- Lev Vygotsky (1978, p.74)

F Y IF Y I

Learn more about play planning…

Bedrova, E & Leong, D (2007). Tools of the mind. 2nd Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Diamond, A., Barnett, S., Thomas, J & Munro, S. (2007). Preschool program improves cognitive control. www.sciencemag.org

Neuman, S & Roskos, K (2007). Nurturing knowledge (chapter 5). New York: Scholastic.