"Research provides more and more evidence of the positive effects that well-developed play has on various areas of child development, such as children's social skills, emerging mathematical ability, mastery of early literacy concepts, and self-regulation" (134).
In the Rivers Class, students enjoy well-developed play throughout the morning, especially in drama. This week the students have enjoyed setting the table with a table cloth and napkins, real china plates, saucers, cups and hosting a tea party.
"Teaching children to play has to be as intentional and systematic as teaching literacy or math, and at the same time must take a form very different from adult-initiated practices often used to teach these content-related skills" (134).
In drama, all the essential elements of make-believe play are evident: a plan, roles, props, time, use of language, and a scenario. On Wednesday, the students served tea biscuits (graham crackers) and fruit (raisins), politely asking for the food to be passed and for pretend tea to be brewed and poured.
At The Nest preschool, we believe that "Play should be preserved and nurtured as one of the 'uniquely preschool' activities that provide the most beneficial context for children's development" (142).
If you share these photos with your children, ask them to describe what they are doing with their friends and pose some questions about dramatic play in the Rivers Class.
You could ask questions that begin this way:
What do you see...?
What do you think...?
What do you wonder...?
All quotes in this post are taken from Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Preschoolers (Copple, Bredekamp, Koralek, Charmer, eds.), one of the books that was read and discussed by River Class teachers this summer.
