When a Child Pretends
Increasing pressures to begin formal academic work in the preschool years and a misunderstanding of the nature of play are diminishing the time and attention given to creative play in the classroom and at home — an alarming development, according to many child development professionals. When a Child Pretends demonstrates that pretend play is not an idle activity, but an essential arena for the child’s intellectual, social, emotional and imaginative development.
The program observes young children in play sequences that require planning negotiating collaborating, taking roles and developing narratives. In these sequences, children explore language and the imaginative “as if” thinking that leads to advanced intellectual functioning. The learning that takes place during play is seen in the child’s increasing ability to think hypothetically, to reason and to function effectively as a social being in a complex world.
For its lasting benefit to children, “pretend play“ goes well beyond the fun involved. By imaginatively creating scenes and stories, children naturally engage in activities that are critical to their creative, cognitive and social development.
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