Preschool Play Research Articles

An Adaptation of Stay Play Talk for Young Children Who Exhibit Social Withdrawal

Promoting positive relationships with peers is an important support for children who exhibit social withdrawal. Children who show extreme shyness or are identified as self-isolating are at risk for developing internalizing conditions, which can also lead to poor social and academic outcomes. These children may benefit from targeted support to develop relationships with peers. Identifying effective social interventions that support children who exhibit internalizing behaviors such as social withdrawal in preschool classrooms is a critical need. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline across three focal children design was used to test the effects of an adapted version of Stay, Play, Talk (SPT) that included peer choice on the estimated duration of social play for young children who were socially withdrawn. A functional relation was found between the implementation of SPT with peer choice and focal children’s social play. This study demonstrates that SPT with peer choice may be an effective and socially valid intervention for increasing the social play of preschoolers who are socially withdrawn in classrooms. More research is needed to better understand to what extent this adapted SPT intervention impacts children’s social networks, broader social-emotional development, and specific internalizing behaviors when implemented over a longer period.

INVESTIGATION OF PLAY TEACHING SELF-EFFICACY OF TEACHERS WORKING IN PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

This study aims to understand the level of teacher's play teaching self-efficacy and the relationship between the level of self-efficacy and demographic characteristics. In the descriptive type, research is organised using the relational screening model. 100 teachers in preschool special education facilities connected to Istanbul's Ministry of National Education participated in the study. The "Personal Information Form" and the "Preschool Play Teaching Self-Efficacy Questionnaire" are used to gather research data. The data was analysed using statistical analysis. Based on the survey results, it was determined that play teaching self-efficacy is highly valued among preschool special education instructors working in institutions.

Nature and success: Outdoor play is linked to school readiness

Backgroundand Purpose: Outdoor play is widely acknowledged for its benefits to physical health and psychological well-being, yet its relationship with school readiness remains understudied in preschoolers. To address this gap in the literature, this study investigated how outdoor play relates to cognitive and psychosocial development among a nationally representative sample of preschoolers. Materials and methodData on the duration of outdoor play (on weekdays and weekends) and specific cognitive and psychosocial outcome variables (i.e., early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and flourishing) were collected via questionnaires provided to the caregivers of preschoolers. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between outdoor play with cognitive and psychosocial outcomes while adjusting for covariates and calculate the odds ratio with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). ResultsAmong the 10,682 preschoolers (i.e., 3-5y) included in this study (i.e., 5558 boys, Mage = 3.98 ± 0.99 years), there was a lower percentage of preschoolers engaged in outdoor play for over 3 h per day on weekdays (33.39 %) compared to weekends (56.85 %). Outdoor play in preschoolers is positively associated with various domains of school readiness, and engaging in outdoor play for more than 3 h per day is associated with more beneficial outcomes. ConclusionThe findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that promoting outdoor play among preschoolers can be an effective strategy for enhancing cognitive, social, and emotional development in this age group although further intervention studies are required to buttress this assumption empirically.

Effects of a Teacher-Facilitated Peer-Mediated Intervention on Social Play of Preschoolers with Autism.

Children with autism often display differences in functional and symbolic play and may experience barriers to social inclusion with peers in preschool settings. Therefore, interventions supporting social play between children with autism and their peers that can be feasibly implemented by teachers in inclusive settings are needed. A teacher-implemented peer-mediated Stay Play Talk (SPT; Goldstein et al. in Top Lang Disord 27(2):182-199, 2007) intervention package targeting the type of play children with autism engage in with peers was implemented using a concurrent multiple baseline design across four participant/peer dyads. Using a cascading coaching model with behavioral skills training, a teacher was trained in intervention strategies and then taught and supported four peers to implement the intervention. In addition to visual analysis, to statistically analyze effects, we calculated effect sizes using the parametric measure standardized mean difference. A functional relation between the intervention and increases in interactive play and initiations and decreases in solitary play was demonstrated across all dyads. Results generalized to novel settings and maintained following withdrawal of teacher support. Results suggest that SPT can be effectively implemented by a teacher to support interactive play between children with and without autism in an inclusive classroom. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Trends in the play of modern children and their connection with mental development: empirical study

Introduction. Role play is the leading activity of the preschool period, in which the key development takes place. However, the specifics of modern childhood leads to a decrease in the time for the implementation of free play. Therefore, the search for means to support role play is an important task for the scientific community and the education system. The purpose of this study was to identify current trends in the play behavior of preschoolers, as well as to study the relationship of the main indicators of children's mental development with the play behavior and attitudes of their parents to role play. Materials and methods. The study involved 596 children aged 5-6 years and their parents (from 23 years to 51 years). Sociometric status, understanding of emotions, executive functions and nonverbal intelligence were considered as indicators of children’s mental development. Data on children's play behavior and parents' attitudes towards play were obtained using a questionnaire containing three blocks of questions: socio-economic block, questions about the play behavior of preschoolers, questions about parents' attitude to free children's play. Results and discussion. The results of the study indicated a relatively low level of development of the play of modern preschoolers: according to the observations of parents, only every fifth child is deeply immersed in the game plot, about 15% of children do not seek to play at all. The data indicated that most parents do not consider it necessary to allocate enough time for free play. More than 40% of parents consider play as a "useless" activity, and more than 80% give priority to cognitive activities, for example, joint reading. At the same time, significant links of children's play behavior with the sociometric status of a child in a group, the ability to understand emotions, visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, information processing speed and nonverbal intelligence were recorded. Conclusion. The results of the study can be used to develop recommendations to support free play, as well as for scientific purposes to analyze the specifics of modern childhood.

Minecraft and Super Mario as enacted in a preschool setting: Children's engagements with digital popular culture beyond player–interface–screen ecologies

The present paper explores how the video games of Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted through children's play, material settings and toys in a Swedish preschool. Ethnographic methods, including participant observations and informal conversations, have been used and the empirical materials produced have been analyzed with methodological resources from Actor-Network Theory. The analysis focuses on how Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted through relations between children's bodies, physical movements as well as material interiors and exteriors of the preschool. Moreover, the analysis shows how multiple versions of the games of Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted in the preschool setting depending on what elements become active in a particular situation. On the whole, the findings of the paper question grand narratives on “active” and “passive” gameplaying children, featuring children and local settings as producers of digital popular culture.

Dynamics of the development of emotional hearing through play in preschoolers with hearing disabilities

Dynamics of the development of emotional hearing through play in preschoolers with hearing disabilities

Связь контроля поведения и свободной игры у детей дошкольного возраста

The article presents the results of a study of the characteristics of behavioral control in preschool children in free play. The relevance of this topic is due to the need to study the current stage of development of children's play and the incompleteness of data on the relationship between self-regulation and the characteristics of children's play. Self-regulation is considered as behavioral control - a regulatory function of the subject, based on his individual resources. The purpose of this research is to study how the level of development of various components of behavioral control and the features of free play are connected in the free play of modern preschoolers, various aspects of behavior control manifest themselves and develop, and also what impact they can have on the game itself. The study involved 35 students from a state budgetary educational institution in Moscow aged 4 to 6 years. The main research methods were testing, as well as participant observation of children's play activity. The results showed that cognitive control, to a greater extent, its verbal component, is associated with the severity of the main structural elements of the play (role, plot, rules), as well as with the independence of the child in the course of building and maintaining a in-play situation. Cognitive control also contributes to a greater ordering of children's actions and independence during play, contributes to building more structured and predictable behavior and, in turn, better interaction between children. Control of action is also related to the severity of the main structural elements of the game (role, plot, rules). There were no links between the features of the play and emotional control. The obtained data can help to better understand both the mechanisms of development and manifestation of behavior control in the free play activities of children, and also for a better understanding of the features of modern play.

Assessment of Play in Preschool-Age

Abstract: The construct of play lacks a universal and consensual definition, due to its inherent complexity. It is during childhood play is fundamental to the development of cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and language skills. Therefore, it is pertinent to conduct research on play in preschool age, seeking to identify predictors of development and methods to assess the specific components that make up the different dimensions of play. The evaluation of preschool play, using valid and reliable instruments, supports the construction of intervention programs that enhance the child’s full development. This systematic review aimed to investigate national and international instruments and tasks that assess play. The results indicate the existence of several instruments and tasks at pre-school age. However, the complexity of the construct still hinders the clear definition of the specific components to be assessed. There was a prevalence of the assessment of the social and cognitive dimensions over the assessment of the affective dimension, which is in line with the perceived frequency of the use of instruments that assess social interaction during play. So, this systematic review was a valuable contribution to the development and support of future research on tools for play assessment, specifically in preschool age.

Comparison of spontaneous and thematic play in modern preschool children

The article presents the results of a study of the features of the play activity of preschool children in two types of games: spontaneous and thematic play, with the guidance from an adult. The relevance of the study is due to the changes that the structure and organization of the modern preschool children's play is undergoing. The purpose of this study was to study the features of spontaneous play of modern children and compare it with the features manifested in the play in which an adult provides guidance to children. The study involved 71 students of the state budgetary educational institution of the city of Moscow, aged 4-6 years. The main method of research was the included observation of children's play activity. The results of the study showed that the guiding help of an adult contributes to a greater complication of the structure of the game: plot, roles, etc. It was also found that a plot without clear boundaries and a generalized role, implying many other roles, also contribute to the development of the structure of the game and support the game motivation of children. In most free play, complex plots and pronounced roles were absent. In the overwhelming case, the plots of the games were the execution of separate template, stereotypical actions with objects. The course of the play was often interrupted due to the children switching to extraneous stimuli that were not related to the play in any way. The results obtained can be used for further study of the modern play of preschoolers and the role of an adult in it.

Barns hybrida lek i förskolan

This article discusses play as hybrid, where play activities with digital and analogue tools are so interlaced that they are one common play activity: a playground which is both physical and digital. With four empirical examples from two research projects the article wants to illustrate hybrid play which is rather unexplored. With the purpose to problematize and contribute to the discussion of children's hybrid play by using a theoretical model research questions are: How is children's hybrid play expressed in preschool and what the obstacles and opportunities with the hybridity for children's play? The theoretical model presents five concepts of relevance for understanding children’s hybrid play (multimodal participatory literacies, performing self, explore, contribute and connect) in preschool. The article concludes with a new definition of hybrid play and suggest that digital play is always hybrid. The multimodality means that children are allowed to participate in more ways, hybrid play requires children to connect. Educators can both enable and hinder hybrid play, enabling by for example using creative apps, allowing digital tools as a natural part of free play and recognizing children's narratives.

Relationship between play skills and sensory processing in children with autism

Play skills in children with autism are limited due to autism symptoms. It is important to determine the effect of sensory processing skill, which is one of these symptoms, on play skills. Therefore, we aimed to investigate of the relationship between play skills and sensory processing of children with autism. A total of 58 children with autism (n = 29) and typically developing children (n = 29) participated. We used the Sensory Profile and the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used. Children with autism demonstrated a significantly lower developmental play age and were rated lower on all dimensions of the RKPPS than typically developing children. Moreover, the results of this study showed that there are complex correlations between play skills and sensory processing in children with autism. Sensory processing and play skills have complex relationships in children with autism.

Parental Perceptions on the Concept of Children’s Play in Preschool in Insein Township, Yangon, Myanmar

This study has been carried out to determine the Parents’ Perceptions of Children’s Play in Preschool in Insein Township, Yangon City, Myanmar. The subjects of this study were preschool parents who lived in the area. This research was done through a descriptive quantitative method with 40 populations. The sample of this study was 40 parents chosen by using the total sampling method. The research instruments were questionnaires. The questionnaires consist of 20 statements with three different parts; General Perceptions of parents on Children’s Play, Parents’ Perceptions of children’s play at home, and Parents’ Perceptions of children’s play in Preschool. Data was collected using an online survey. The questionnaires are made in Google Forms and the link was sent to the participants. Data analysis was done in a quantitative approach by giving scores to each answer. Based on the research analysis, it was found that generally, parents have positive perceptions of children’s play with a percentage of 90.7%. Yet, Mothers outweigh to value the importance of play contrasted to Fathers with scores of 91% and 83% respectively.

The mediating role of concepts for collective reasoning about integrating play, teaching and digital media in preschool: A potential for enabled agency for early childhood teachers

An international contemporary challenge for early childhood teachers is to integrate digital media in preschool. Research indicates that teachers have concerns regarding the use of digital media in preschool, especially in relation to play. In this study, we explore how an early childhood education and care (ECEC) work team takes on this challenge when, in focus group conversations, discusses digital media in relation to a theoretical framework with principles and implications for understanding play and teaching in preschool. We adopt a sociocultural perspective when examining the mediating role of theoretical concepts for reasoning about the integration of digital media in ECEC. The findings illustrate how the concepts mediate an understanding of (i) play and teaching as responsive activities with a focus on the importance of sharing the same digital media references (ii) play and teaching activities as building on a mutual frame of reference, which is a challenge as children have different experiences of digital media than adults, (iii) play as including fluctuations between “as if” and “as is” and something that must include fantasy and an openness, with digital media contributing to or hindering such openness, and (iv) how teaching can take shape in mutual activities where mutual experiences of digital media can be used as a starting point for teaching. Implications for professional development efforts and teacher agency are discussed.

Play and learning materials in university model preschool: Exploring the availability and utilization

This study explored the availability and utilization of play and learning materials in the Haromaya University Model Preschool, Ethiopia. In doing so, a qualitative case study design was employed. Data were generated from five chosen teaching staff of the model preschools purposively traced by the researchers. Interview protocol and observation checklist were utilized as a data-gathering tool. To comprehend the phenomenon, the researcher used thematic analysis. The study's findings were illustrated with 3 major themes and 8 sub-themes. There are average materials available for play and education in the model preschool. Teachers utilize play and learning materials to introduce new concepts, reinforce learning, promote socio-emotional development, and promote creativity. Several factors determine the usage of play materials for learning: economy, perception, and attitude of teachers, and educational qualification of teacher topping the list. In conclusion, play and learning materials are essential for preschool children's development. They help children learn engagingly, promote creativity and problem-solving skills, and provide opportunities to explore, learn, and grow. However, the level of play and learning materials is different than expected. It can create a disparity in the quality of education that children receive. To address this issue, increased funding for preschool programs, provision of training for preschool teachers on using play and learning materials effectively, and awareness creation about the importance of play and learning materials should be in place.

Spanish Cultural Adaptation and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale

Background: The Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale (RKPPS) is a comprehensive assessment test that observes the level of play development; however, there is no culturally adapted version available with stable psychometric values that would allow its widespread use and provide objective information during clinical evaluations. Methods: Cross-cultural adaptation included direct and retrospective translations, along with cognitive interviews with pediatric occupational therapists to analyze the comprehensibility of the translation. In addition, a final phase of linguistic revision was carried out to determine the grammatical and semantic fit of the adapted version. Finally, inter-rater reliability was analyzed in a sample of typically developing children aged four to six years old. Results: The processes of translation and back-translation, cognitive interview, and linguistic review determined an adequate grammatical and semantic equivalence to the Spanish cultural context. Almost perfect agreement, with values between 0.82 and 0.94, was obtained for items and play dimensions, indicating that the precision of the measurements between both evaluators was excellent. Conclusions: The cross-culturally adapted version of the RKPPS meets the necessary adjustments for the sociocultural context and can be used in the clinical practice of occupational therapy.

Supporting Social Play of Preschoolers With and Without Autism: A Collaborative Approach for Special Educators and Speech Language Pathologists

Supporting Social Play of Preschoolers With and Without Autism: A Collaborative Approach for Special Educators and Speech Language Pathologists

The Challenge of Implementing Free Play in Preschool: Concept Paper

The Challenge of Implementing Free Play in Preschool: Concept Paper

Participation and responsiveness: children’s rights in play from the perspective of play-responsive early childhood education and care and the UNCRC

ABSTRACT While children’s rights to play is stated in the UNCRC, this study investigates children’s rights in play through an analysis of narrative play in preschool. Play-responsive early childhood education and care (PRECEC) is a recently developed theory that provides analytical tools for investigating participants’ communicative coordination and reorientation in mutual activities. By empirically trying out four interrelated elements – space, voice, audience, and influence from Lundy’s rights discourse, the aim is to further develop the theory of PRECEC by differentiating the meaning of responsivity. Video-recorded data from an early childhood education and care setting provide the empirical foundation for the study. What we find analytically is how responsiveness in narrative play affords children to express themselves, be heard and be responded to, and what this entails. In the activity, children are included and recognised as contributing participants, having agency to co-narrate the development of the play.

Recipes as Invitations to Read, Write, and Play in Preschool

AbstractThis article describes how preschool‐age children can engage with recipes as a genre for reading, writing, and play. This formative/design study was conducted by a teacher researcher partnership in a linguistically and socioeconomically diverse public early learning center. Through home engagements, the research team identified cooking as a site of everyday literacies in students' homes, and designed a curricular innovation which built on these everyday literacy practices. This curricular innovation included reading, writing, and cooking recipes together, as well as incorporating related materials into the kitchen play area. Students took up these invitations to incorporate literacy into their imaginative play related to cooking. Students also played with the idea of recipes as a genre, adding silly ingredients like pizza into a salad recipe, or inventing a recipe for a race car cake. Finally, for some students, these recipe‐related activities also served to develop conventional literacy skills such as letter formation and name‐writing.