A Pleasurable And Educational Preschool Observation

Sara Smilansky is a Developmental Theorist who has identified four types of play: Functional play, Constructive play, Dramatic play, and games with rules. Smilansky says that Dramatic play is the most mature type of play because this is the time where children start to understand their surroundings and imitate what they see others doing. The research on play focused on sociodramatic play and the impact it has on children’s learning. In Smilansky’s book ‘The Effects of Sociodramatic play on Disadvantaged Preschool Children’, she says that “…a form of voluntary social play activity in which preschool children participate”.

This paper contains observations of a preschool classroom in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The observation was conducted in a Pre-K classroom with approximately ten students present. Observations are presented with regard to dramatic play, the presence of gender roles, and themes that emerge during preschool play. Peer relationships and levels of friendship between students will also be discussed. Relationships with adults in the classroom with in terms of attachment styles and general interactions involving teachers and parents will be reviewed. Observations are also described in relation to self-control, self-regulation, aggression,

I observed the children in outside play, so many of the play behaviors stayed the same. Most of the children played in groups, but a few played parallel to other students, as well as solitary. I observed constructive

Making relationships: children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.”

“Play is developmentally appropriate for primary-age children and can provide them with opportunities that enrich the learning experience” (Copple & Bredekamp 2009). Early childhood education holds two main focuses; a child-based focus and a family-based focus. Early childhood education has positive outcomes on the child through their learning experiences, and their growth and development. Based on the family, the results of early education happen through the communication that the family has with the educators and by the encouragement they get from within themselves, and also from the educators.

In the early 1970’s little was known regarding children’s friendships. Bigalow and La Gaipa (1975) assessed developmental differences by having grade school children write 480 essays on what they expected of their best friend that was not expected from other

In order for a child to develop productive social skills, it is important to choose toys to enhance active, imaginative play, and discourage time at the computer or television. A game in which a child is encouraged to think for themselves rather than sit motionless staring at an electronic screen, is better for the development of the child’s social skills (Moore, 2). Time spent with other children, rather the child’s own age or older, will help develop necessary social skills that will stick with the child through adulthood (Roode, 1). From the day they are born, infants and children begin to form relationships, these relationships eventually deepen and enable them to handle future relationships with others outside their initial circle (Roode, 1). The ability for a person to build and further relationships, make moral judgments, etc. can be enhanced with games played with a group of children, stuffed animals, puppets or instruments (Roode, 1).

Through play, children are also able to form relationships with their peers, therefore developing socially. They are able to “learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills” all of which are important skills in a child’s world as well as the adult world (Ginsberg 183). This is especially prevalent in young school age children, who have had relatively few social encounters without the presence of their parents before entering school. These young children will often make life time friends by sharing a popular treat at snack time or borrowing a color crayon to another child who has broken theirs.

Youngblade, L. M.. & Dunn, J. (1995). Individual differences in young children's pretend play with mother and sibling: Links to relationships and understanding of other people's feelings and beliefs. Child Devel- opment, 66, 1472-1492.

Early childhood educators are well aware of how important a role play is to a child's learning and development. Teachers intuitively know that play is an integral part of a young child's life. Being able to play, both with others and alone is a crucial aspect of a child's healthy development. Much research has been conducted on the subject of play and children's development. It has been documented that play enhances a child's physical, emotional, social, and creative

Within my ten hours of observation, I witnessed an Early Childhood, Childhood, and Middle Childhood classroom. Through the duration of these hours, I visited School 17 and School 30. My seven hours at School 17 consisted of experiences within an Early Childhood and a Childhood setting. The Early Childhood hours occurred in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom setting with Ms. Mitrakos. The Childhood observations occurred in a first-grade classroom with Ms. Hordan. My three hours at School 30 involved experiences within a Middle Childhood setting. These observation hours occurred in a 6th-grade math class. My observations within both schools inspired me to continue my passion for Early Childhood Education.

Before starting preschool, my subject, who has two older brothers, had been accustomed to acting aggressively in order to get what he wanted; therefore, he was unaware of how to interact and play with other children without becoming aggressive. His aggressive acts lessened as his time at preschool lengthened. He began to ask to play with other children’s toys, instead of taking them by force, he began to share, and he was no longer seeking to be alone, as he slowly found his place playing next to the other children. My subject’s new interactions with other children could be defined as his first friendships, as he found it enjoyable to spend time playing with others and sharing toys (Berk, 2012). The forming of friendships during my subject’s transition from home to preschool was integral in his development because of the social skills of cooperation he was developing, as well as the formation of friendships for future social support

Playing in the in the dramatic play center will give the children the opportunity to play and interact with their peers. As the child pretends to be the mom and hold a baby and feed the baby a bottle. The child is acting out what they have seen at home when her mother feeds her baby brother. Then another child is pretending to play restaurant and taking your order of what you want to eat. They make marks on a piece of paper and then goes to the

Children of all ages are constantly learning and observing their world in unique ways. One specific way children do this is through their play. During this they are able to develop different areas such as cognition, physical development, and social skills. There are many different theories that have been established that help explain development as they go through life. Through my knowledge of these different theories and how they correlate with children’s play I was able to determine the development of a preschool child.

Children of preschool age can be unruly and out of control, but dramatic play confines them to a role which they believe they need to stick to, and this engenders coordination and the ability to control their impulses and work as a team with other