Scaffolding Sociodramatic Play in the Preschool Classroom: The Teacher's Role

P L N Randima Rajapaksha

doi:10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n4p689

Abstract

Preschool children best learn through play. Among different play types sociodramatic play takes a crucial role during preschool years. Adults play a major in facilitating sociodramatic play for learning and development in preschool children. This study attempted to examine the role of the teacher in scaffolding the sociodramatic play activities implemented in the preschool classroom. The study employed Observations, interviews and reflective journal as the data collection instruments under qualitative approach. The study conducted a sociodramatic play intervention for a sample of 25 children aged from 3-5 in a preschool located in Colombo district under four themes. The observations which were carried out throughout 4 weeks were videotaped and documented via field notes. The data analyzing was done from the beginning based on descriptive analysis. The intervention identified that when the children are not engaging in the sociodramatic play activities much due to their limited experiences, the teacher has to be a play leader. When the children improve their interest in engaging in the sociodramatic play activities the teacher has to shift her role to co-player role. Thus the study concluded that the intervention identified pedagogical strategies for the teacher to scaffold the sociodramatic play activities in the preschool classroom. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n4p689

Highlights

In Sri Lanka, it is identifies that the early childhood education centers should not be places where something is taught to the child but centres with multiple activities for the overall development of personality including child’s education; those conducting preschool programmes should be properly trained in child development of children between 3-5 years of age (EFA National Plan 2004: 35)
Because this study focused on the teacher's role and interaction of the teacher with the preschool children in the sociodramatic play setting using multiple forms of data collection, such was the method for this study
The sociodramatic play intervention concluded that children showed a greater interest in sociodramatic play when compared with the other usual classroom activities

Summary

Introduction

In Sri Lanka, it is identifies that the early childhood education centers should not be places where something is taught to the child but centres with multiple activities for the overall development of personality including child’s education; those conducting preschool programmes should be properly trained in child development of children between 3-5 years of age (EFA National Plan 2004: 35). In order to do so, play must still be considered a valued learning tool for students in their early child development (Schroeder, 2007). In preschool years children engage in different forms of play including social, parallel, sociodramatic and locomotor play. Among the different forms of play sociodramatic play is highlighted as most common and important type of play during 3-5 years old. Sociodramatic play, in which children use objects as props to develop story episodes that involve other children, is seen increasingly as the children progress through this age period (Morgenthaler, 1998)

Methods

Results

Conclusion