Pretend Play Research Articles

Pretend play of young children in the Malaysian context

ABSTRACT Pretend play is one of the most beneficial and complex forms of play that promotes a myriad of children’s development. Children’s engagement in pretend play can be influenced by their genders, age, material or toys available, and adults’ support. Pretend play has been long studied globally, however, there is still a dearth of available information about it in the Malaysian context. This study explored 85 young children’s engagement in pretend play at home from the perspectives of parents, the differences in engagement based on children’s age and gender; and the perceived benefits of pretend play for young children. Children mostly engage in pretend play at home alone, with siblings and their parents. Children as young as 2 years old engaged in from the simplest to the complex form of pretend play. However, no statistical differences were found in pretend play engagement across age and gender groups. Most parents perceive that pretend play is beneficial for children’s development especially creativity, imagination, social and communication skills. Results are from a single source and are to be interpreted with caution which can be improved with multiple sources of data collected in future research.

Intertextuality and the advance of mathematisation in young children’s inscriptions

ABSTRACT A fundamental question in early childhood mathematics concerns the relationship between young children’s own informal signs and the formal abstract symbolic language of mathematics. This study presents research investigating the genesis of mathematical semiosis from a Vygotskian cultural-historical (social-semiotic) perspective. In this study we look at the premature stages of dealing with quantity and their relationships. Our aim is to reveal the interweaving of young children’s sign-use and to consider the role of intertextuality in mathematisation. Longitudinal, ethnographic data were gathered from case studies of seven children aged 3–4 years in an inner-city nursery school in England, documenting observations of their spontaneous pretend play. The data are interrogated through interpretive analysis and show that some graphical signs moved between individuals’ texts, also borrowed from others including the teacher, and woven together. Children’s progressive understandings of mathematical sign-use appear to be attained in part through intertextual exchanges in social and culturally meaningful contexts, such as pretend play.

Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review and Analysis of the Risks and Benefits.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition made up of enduring challenges in social communication and interaction and the presence of repetitive and restricted behavior patterns. Early diagnosis of autism is crucial for timely intervention and improved long-term outcomes. This review aims to explore some of its signs and symptoms, look into some diagnostic tools, and analyze the benefits and risks associated with an early diagnosis of autism. The symptoms of ASD vary from child to child, some of which are: avoidance of eye contact, lack of response to names, excessive fear, and lack of interactive and pretend play. Early identification of these symptoms by caregivers and healthcare providers facilitates the need for diagnosis and appropriate interventions. Some screening and diagnostic tools that have been found to help make the diagnosis are the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F), the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), amongst others. The benefits of early diagnosis include the opportunity for early intervention, which has been shown to enhance developmental outcomes and improve adaptive skills. Early identification allows for the implementation of specialized interventions tailored to the specific needs of individuals with autism, targeting social communication, language development, and behavioral challenges. Furthermore, early diagnosis enables families to access appropriate support services, educational resources, and community programs, facilitating better coping mechanisms, reducing parental stress, and increasing adult independence. However, early diagnosis of autism also entails certain risks. One significant concern is the potential for labeling and stigmatization, which can impact the child's self-esteem and social interactions. There is a risk of overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis, leading to unnecessary interventions and treatments. Additionally, the diagnostic process can be lengthy, complex, and emotionally challenging for families, requiring comprehensive assessments by multidisciplinary teams. This review highlights the importance of a balanced approach when considering the benefits and risks of early diagnosis. Early identification allows for timely interventions that significantly improve developmental outcomes and quality of life for individuals with autism. To mitigate the risks, it is crucial to ensure accurate and reliable diagnostic procedures, support families throughout the process, and promote societal awareness and acceptance. We also highlighted some future directions in the management of autism, including the use of biomarkers and the use of artificial intelligence and learning for diagnosing ASD.

Using the System of Least Prompts to Teach Pretend Play to Preschoolers With Developmental Disabilities in Contexts With Their Peers

Play skills are a behavioral cusp as they provide the foundation for the development of other related skills in young children. Children with developmental disabilities often demonstrate significant delays in their play skills. When children do not engage in play at the same rates or in the same ways as their peers or siblings, their ability to learn and practice other skills such as communication and social interactions is negatively impacted. We used a concurrent, multiple probe design across participants to assess the efficacy of using a system of least prompts (SLP) intervention package to teach pretend play to three children with disabilities in contexts with their peers. The SLP intervention package was related to increases in target pretend play behaviors for all three children. Also, parents and teachers reported observed changes in play across both the classroom and the home environments.

Superhero Pretense, Superhero Identification, and Risk-Taking in Preschool-Aged Children.

The preschool years represent a stage of rapid human development, hallmarked by exploring the environment through gross and fine motor movement and imaginative pretend play. This exploration is developmentally appropriate but also presents risks for injury, the leading cause of death for preschool-aged children. Common injuries reflect exploration and risk-taking exhibited during play, and play may be particularly risky when children imitate risky models like superheroes. Frequent exposure and subsequent identification with superheroes are concerning because the media glorifies superheroes, creating social learning effects on children and promoting play situations where children may attempt superhuman abilities and hurt themselves. This study examined the relations between pretend play, superhero identification, and children's risk-taking. One hundred five children aged 4-5 years old were randomly assigned to either a superhero- or school-themed, story-based protocol. In both conditions, children engaged in three identical behavioral tasks to assess risk-taking. Identification with superheroes was measured using parent-report questionnaires and child interviews. Pretending to be a superhero was not associated with increased risk-taking behavior acutely, but identification with superheroes was associated in some analyses with preschool children's broader risk-taking behavior. Across risk-taking behavior tasks, children with high superhero identification pretending to be superheroes tended to take the most risks. Given the popularity of superhero media and the present results suggesting superhero identification may relate to injury-risk situations during play, prevention efforts should consider ways to reduce young children's exposure to superheroes and/or mitigate injury risk during active pretend play.

Peningkatan Literasi Keuangan dan Kepedulian Ekonomi Anak berbasis Pretend Play bagi Orang Tua

Purpose: The level of financial literacy of the Indonesian people is still relatively low, making it necessary for citizens to have an increase in financial literacy. This is especially so for children, because this consumptive behavior is starting to be imitated by children along with the increasing number of advertisements on TV and social media. This community service activity (PKM) aims to provide financial literacy assistance to young children by using the pretend play method which is very appropriate for the stages of early childhood development in order to increase the habit of saving money Methodology: This activity was carried out using mentoring and socialization methods as well as a grand launching of books and financial literacy media Result: The event ran smoothly and was full of appreciation from the participants who attended. The context of play makes children happy in learning activities which will have an impact on increasing children's interest in learning. So, with an increase in children's interest in learning, it is hoped that the child's initiative will emerge in carrying out activities related to what is being studied. Limitations: Teach children to love saving Contribution: Parents are able to understand how important financial literacy is for early childhood and know the pretend play learning method in teaching financial literacy to children. In addition, this assistance can increase efforts to like to save in early childhood

Exploring pretend play and creativity development among preschool children in Northern Ethiopia: a collective case study

ABSTRACT The early childhood stage is a time of basic foundation in which children are engaged in pretend play and creative activities. The objective of this study was to explore the role of pretend play on the creativity development of preschool children. Data were collected from four purposefully selected preschool children (two male and two female) whose mean age is 6.25 years. These children were attending their preschool education in two private schools found in South Wollo Zone, Dessie Town, Northern Ethiopia. A qualitative case study approach was used to conduct the study. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations were employed to collect data while children were engaged in outdoor and indoor activities. Children’s drawings, storytelling and singing were recorded. Narrative and thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Children were creative in drawing pictures of a person using lines, dots and circles and storytelling. The pictures were representations of the children themselves or one of their family members. The creative stories have moral education themes. This implies that play and creativity are inseparable activities for children. Preschool teachers need to allow children to engage in pretend plays to promote creativity.

Pretend play predicts language development in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT This quantitative study uses longitudinal caregiver surveys to explore the relationship between pretend play and development in children with ASD. Caregivers assessed the development of 7069 young children quarterly for three years on five subscales: combinatorial receptive language, expressive language, sociability, sensory awareness, and health. Pretend play was associated with superior developmental trajectories: 1.9-fold greater improvement of combinatorial receptive language (p < 0.0001), 1.4-fold greater improvement of expressive language (p < 0.0001), and 1.3-fold greater improvement of sensory awareness (p = 0.0009). Pretend play did not account for a significant amount of the variability in children’s sociability and health. The strong association of pretend play with combinatorial receptive language remained significant even when controlling for expressive language. Similarly, the strong association of pretend play with expressive language remained significant even when controlling for combinatorial receptive language. The association of pretend play with combinatorial receptive language was stronger than the association of seizures, sleep problems, or high-TV exposure. These findings support earlier studies suggesting that pretend play may be an important stepping stone for language acquisition and highlight a potential for pretend play therapeutic interventions.

The influence of pretend ‘technologies’ on children’s cognitive development in symbolic play

ABSTRACT This research seeks to understand developmental processes of cognition, especially as these processes become observable in children’s role-play. In seeking to understand cognitive development in young children, we focus on how children incorporate pretend ‘technologies’ in role-play, such as non-operational cell phones, through pretend conversations and actions in the play episode. In observations with two preschool classes of four-year-old children, role-play that involved pretend ‘technologies’ was analyzed as to its effect on children’s ability to think abstractly and to form mental representations. This qualitative study collected observations and documentation of children’s actions and words as they played, coded and analyzed through constant comparison. Two findings were identified indicating that role-play using pretend ‘technologies’ promotes expansion of children’s abstract thought; and role-play with pretend ‘technologies’ enhances children’s perceptions and enactments of dual representation. With further examination, we distilled three ways that abstract thought and dual representation occurred during role-play with pretend ‘technologies’: through children’s symbolic understanding and actions, higher mental functions when interacting with pretend ‘technologies’, and children’s on-and-off line cognitive functions when operating pretend ‘technologies’. This study suggests that there are many benefits of children engaging in pretend play and that incorporating technology in the play scenario amplifies cognitive benefits.

A Comparative Study of the Theory of Mind and Pretend Play in Children With High-Functioning Autism and Healthy Peers Aged 5-7 Years

Background and Aims Autism spectrum disorder is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders. The main symptoms of this disorder are problems in communication and social interactions, and having repetitive and limited patterns of behaviors. Considering the importance of the theory of mind (TOM) and pretend play in cognitive and social development of children and the existence of mentioned problems in children with autism, this study aims to compare the effects of pretend play and the TOM between normal children and children with high-functioning autism (HFA). Methods In this analytical-comparative study, 45 normal children and 18 children with HFA were selected. They underwent TOM test and Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (CHIPPA). Then, the collected data were analyzed. Results The mean total score of TOM test was 9.94 in autistic children and 28.96 in normal children. The mean percentages of elaborated pretend actions in total were 87.96 and 43.45 in normal children and children with HFA, respectively. The mean number of object substitutions was 16.47 in normal children and 2.81 in children with HFA. Also, the mean number of imitated actions in total was 2.02 in normal children and 3.06 in children with HFA. Conclusion Autistic children have poorer performance in the TOM test and pretend play compared to normal peers. They have poorer elaborated pretend actions and object substitutions; however, the number of imitated actions in the pretend play is low in both groups.

Exploring social justice awareness in young children's shopping pretend play at ECEC settings and museums

ABSTRACT This article aims to provide insights of social justice awareness in young children’s pretend play (2–6 years old) involving shopping activities in the nursery and the children’s museum. Previous literature acknowledges the importance of grocery exhibits and relevant learning centres in the cognitive and socio-cultural development of children, but rarely addresses broader social justice issues. Educators’ narratives were analyzed using the Capability Approach to examine how children’s play experiences relate to Nussbaum’s central human functional capabilities. Thematic analysis indicated that interactions associated with payment transactions and budgeting concepts, healthy eating and consumerism, as well as cooperation in running the shop were instrumental in facilitating social justice awareness and developing a great variety of the central human capabilities. The nursery environment seemed to enable a more agentic stance and a stronger understanding of social justice-related issues, while practitioners’ prompts and an implicit pedagogical agenda towards active citizenship enriched play-based pedagogy with social justice objectives.

Challenges Students with Special Education in the Implementation of Teaching and Facilitation of Mathematics

Students with special needs often associated with learning difficulties in subject of mathematics. Hence, this study aims to identify the challenges that arise in the implementation of teaching and facilitation of Mathematics for students with special educational needs in the Integrated Special Education Program. This concept paper is based on research in the library, which is through the collection of related information and materials to identify challenges that affect the implementation and facilitation in Mathematics as to increase the interest and performance of students with special needs towards Mathematics subjects. This concept paper is expected to help special education teachers in their efforts to diversify teaching methods that are capable of overcoming the challenges that arise in the implementation and facilitation in Mathematics subjects .The challenges which arise are regards to the special education teacher's delivery techniques, special need students factor itself which limits the learning of Mathematics to only take place in schools, the less attractive approaches and teaching method factor, and the limited use of teaching aids. Suggested implementation to increase special need students interest and performance in Mathematics subjects are the implementation of simulation, the implementation of pretend play, the implementation of student-centered teaching method, and the implementation of 21st Century Learning (PAK21).

Pretend play-based training improves some socio-emotional competences in 5–6-year-old children: A large-scale study assessing implementation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a pretend play-based training in 5–6-year-old children in a large scale school context on emotion comprehension, emotion regulation, prosocial behaviour and on their pretend play competences. The analysis of implementation variables was carried out in order to ensure program implementation quality in the experimental group. Results show an improvement in emotion comprehension and a decrease in aggressive behavioural responses in children in the experimental group (n = 101) compared to those in the control group (n = 79). Findings are discussed in regard to implementation outcomes and the influence of this form of play on the improvement of these variables.

"The Red Spots Are Now Lava, We Shouldn't Step on Them"-The Joint Creation of Novel Arbitrary Social Contexts in Pretend Play.

Pretend play has been extensively studied in developmental science, nevertheless important questions remain about how children engage in and navigate between pretend episodes. In this proposal, we scrutinize childhood pretense from a social cognitive developmental point of view. First, we review previous theories of pretend play structured around important questions that pinpoint some attributes of pretend episodes, such as their transient and socially defined nature. In these sections, evidence is also reviewed about children's understanding of these attributes. Following this, we describe a novel proposal of pretend play which extends recent accounts of (pretend) play (Wyman & Rakoczy, 2011; Chu & Schulz, 2020a) by exploiting the importance of social interactions in pretense. We contend that engaging in shared pretending can be considered a manifestation of and support for children's ability to participate in and set up arbitrary contextual boundaries with others. These claims are discussed with regards to how pretend play may figure into social development, its potential implications for intra- as well as intercultural variation, as well as future research.

Examining the relation between adult scaffolding of make-believe play and children’s executive functions: an observational study conducted in a natural educational setting

ABSTRACT This study aims to bridge a gap between Vygotsky’s seminal framework on the importance of make-believe play and adult scaffolding in children’s cognitive development (e.g. executive function [EFs]) and research in cognitive neuroscience. Kindergarten children (N = 160) and teachers (N = 12) took part in the study. EFs skills and make-believe play (Child and Teacher dimensions; e.g. adult’ level of scaffolding) were assessed through observation with the Executive Functions Observation Tool and the Mature Play Observation Tool. Results from stepwise polynomial regressions and mediation analysis showed a significant mediating effect of the context on the curvilinear relationship between teacher scaffolding of play and the child’s level of EFs. These results show the importance of observing each child and the context in which they learn and play to understand their EFs. Observation of EFs manifestations could allow for better planning of intentional interventions to support the child’s skills in accordance with their developmental needs.

Can a theme-based joint block play program promote preschoolers’ cooperative skills: evidence from Shanghai/China

ABSTRACT The present study examined the effectiveness of a cooperative skill intervention program using theme-based joint block play for young children. Thirty-two 4–5 years old preschoolers from Shanghai, China, were assigned to the experimental group while thirty-two children comprised the comparison group. The experimental group was engaged in an 8-week theme-based joint block play program, whereas the comparison group received no intervention but engaged in free block play during school time. Baseline, post-intervention and 2-month follow-up measures included the Deutsch & Krauss Trucking game and observations of children’s cooperative skills in pretend activities that occurred in the preschool classroom. Results indicated that the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores in the trucking game, and was observed to endorse significantly less mandatory strategy and more prosocial strategy in pretend play activities than the comparison group. The findings suggest that theme-based block play activities can enhance children’s cooperative awareness and skills effectively.

“My Little Influencer”

“My Little Influencer”

Four-year-old children's pretend play complexity during free play and story stem play and associations with maternal sensitivity.

Theory and research have linked pretend play in early childhood with the development of language and theory of mind. In 102 mother-child dyads at 4.5 years, we examined whether (1) introducing a story stem (a play narrative with socioemotional dilemmas) in a mother-child play context increases pretend play complexity compared with mother-child free play; and (2) maternal sensitivity is associated with pretend play complexity. Further, we explored whether the story stem increased child pretend play complexity more in dyads with mothers with low sensitivity compared with highly sensitive mothers. Sensitivity was coded using Coding Interactive Behavior and pretend play complexity with a global, integrated measure of the developmental level and quantity of play. Using generalized estimating equations, we found that pretend play complexity was positively associated with introducing a story stem and maternal sensitivity. Mixed methods ancova showed no significant interaction between play situation and maternal sensitivity. The findings stress the importance of maternal sensitivity and participation for play and how introducing a story stem may help promote child pretend play complexity.

A plausible role of imagination in pretend play, counterfactual reasoning, and executive functions.

A notable observation is the similarities in the cognitive processes of pretend play (PP) and counterfactual reasoning (CFR) as both involve thinking about alternatives to reality. It is argued by Weisberg and Gopnik (Cogn. Sci., 37, 2013, 1368) that alternative thinking in PP and CFR is underpinned by an imaginary representational capacity but few studies have empirically investigated this link. We use a variable latent modelling approach to test a hypothetical model of the structural relationship of PP and CFR predicting that if PP and CFR are cognitively similar; they should have similar patterns of associations with Executive Functions (EFs). Data were collected on PP, CFR, EFs and Language from 189 children (M=4.8 years, males=101, females=88). Confirmatory factor analyses showed that measures of PP and CFR loaded onto single latent constructs and were significantly correlated (r=.51, p=.001) with each other. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that EF accounted for unique significant variance in both PP (β=21) and CFR (β=22). The results of the structural equation modelling revealed that the data were a good fit for the hypothetical model. We discuss the plausible role of a general underlying imaginative representational capacity to explain similarities in the cognitive mechanisms of different states of alternative thinking like PP and CFR.

Triadic relationship among the frequency of role-play, self-regulatory behaviour in role-play, and self-regulation in preschool classrooms

ABSTRACT Studies have found a relationship between pretend play and self-regulation both during and outside pretend play; however, very few have investigated these three variables simultaneously. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between the frequency of role-play (a type of pretend play), self-regulatory behaviour during role-play, and self-regulation in a classroom with 55 Japanese children aged 4–6. Teachers rated the frequency of role-play and self-regulation in classrooms, based on which we conducted observations to evaluate self-regulatory behaviour during role-play. Frequency of role-play and self-regulatory behaviour during role-play were associated with self-regulation in classrooms. However, the frequency of role-play was not associated with self-regulatory behaviour during role-play. The results suggest that children who frequently engage in pretend play do not necessarily demonstrate self-regulatory behaviours during pretend play.