Abstract
Pretend play is the most typical play among children aged 3-6 years old, the initiation of which needs children’s matecommunication ability. In turn, the temecommunication ability of children can be enhanced and strengthened during the play. And thus the topic of how children initiate matecommunication signals in the pretend play is worthy to research. Using observation as research method, the researchers analyzed the metacommunication signals in the initiation of pretend play of 60 children aged 3-6. The results are as follows: (1) the metacommunication signals used by children aged 3-6 on pretend play show a tendency of transition from non-verbal signals to verbal signals with the increase of age. (2) Metacommunication signals used in regional activities show a feature of borrowing special materials and being limited by material exploring ability, and metacommunication signals used in life activities show a feature of using spontaneous physical actions. (3) The signals used by familiar peers are identifiable and changed frequently, and signals used by unfamiliar peers are repeatedly explained and are controlled. Some suggestions are provided. Reachers propose responding suggestions for teachers in the kindergarten: (1) Properly place regional material (2) Support children’s spontaneous communicative activities. (3) Promote the development of the psychological theory of children in junior class.
Highlights
The top five metacommnunication signals used in the pretend play are pure language, body behavior, language based on material, language conveyed through body movements and pure changing voice according to the using frequency rank
Body behavior is mainly used by children in elementary class and in middle class, it is language based on material at first and laughter matched with changing voice appeared while children in senior class use pure language at most
These findings indicate that as children grow, the metacommunication signals they used gradually transferred from non-verbal signals to verbal signals
Summary
Bateson has put forward the concept of Metacommunication through the observation of monkey playing. [2] And the achievement of this communicative intention relys on carrier---metacommunication. Metacommunication signals refer to verbal and non-verbal information indicting the special situation significance of certain behavior. [3] Due to its symbolic and fictional meaning, Pretend Play including abundant metacommunication sginals is the major game for children older than 2 year-old. Researches about metacommunication of children over the past were almost undertaken in the labour condition, in some degree effecting research efficiency. Using observation as research method, researchers analyze metacommunication signals and its features in the initiation of pretend play of 3-6 year-old children under the natural situation in order to make reference for teachers to understand children’s behavior in the play and to encourage children’s spontaneous communication.
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