Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times. Show
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OverviewWhen imaginative/dramatic play is shared with others, this becomes sociodramatic play. It can involve the use of props, costumes, and scenery, but this isn’t a requirement. It is possible for sociodramatic play to make use of nothing but children’s imagination. Sociodramatic play is the most advanced form of play, and constantly changes (is fluid and dynamic) according to the interests and ideas of children. The benefits of sociodramatic playSociodramatic play allows children to explore and create new worlds. The possibilities of children’s sociodramatic play are endless. This teaching practice can be a powerful tool for learning language, as children take on roles/characters, act out various scenarios and stories, and solve problems using language and movement. Features of sociodramatic playSociodramatic play usually involves children:
(Dinham & Chalk, 2018) Children use play to practice important language and social skills, including:
(Dinham & Chalk, 2018) The educator’s role in sociodramatic playEducators can take on many different roles during sociodramatic play. How involved educators are will depend on what the learning intention of the experience is, and how children are interacting. Continuum of adult involvementOnlooker:
Store manager:
Co-player:
Play leader:
Adapted from Enz (1995). Educators can be more or less involved in sociodramatic play, depending on the learning intentions. Also see Jones and Reynolds (2011). The framework above links to the VEYLDF (2016) Practice Principle: Integrated Teaching and Learning Approaches, which draws distinctions between:
The VEYLDF emphasises that: Integrated teaching and learning approaches involve adults drawing on and moving between the three approaches in an interweaving way. Note: In the performing arts section, the use of drama for interacting with others is explored further. Embedding language in sociodramatic playGeneral principles:
When using play as a teaching practice for interacting with others, there are a range of learning foci that educators can embed. See the experience plans for more information. Some brief examples include:Concept development and vocabulary
Conversation and social skills
Stories and narratives
Explanations and sharing information
Higher order language
Theory to practiceSociodramatic play is a way for children to develop social and language skills, by creating imaginary worlds, characters, and scenarios, which relate to the real world (Smilansky, 1968). Children use play to re-create [the] world and model the social behaviour they see in it. In this way they can experience the world without risking the consequences. - Toye & Prendiville (2013, p. 11) Like oral language, sociodramatic play is learnt through social interaction and modelling of play in context (Toye & Prendiville, 2013). In line with Vygotsky’s (1967) socio-cultural learning, play allows children to be supported by a more capable “player”. For sociodramatic play, this means that older peers and educators can model more advanced play using elements of drama teaching. This will then allow children to learn collaboratively, and eventually be able to engage in more advanced sociodramatic play by themselves. It is important for educators to model and extend upon children’s play (Smilansky, 1968; Fleer, 2016), so that children are challenged to continue building upon their own independent play experiences. Evidence baseBecause play can take many forms as a teaching practice, it is difficult to measure its impact on language learning. Some reviews of research indicate that play (in general) is associated with the development of language and literacy skills, but it is not always possible to say that play itself has caused these changes in development (Lillard et al., 2013). In one study (Nicolopoulou, Cortina, Ilgaz, Cates, & de Sá, 2015), the researchers found that children who participated in a storytelling and sociodramatic play program had improved language, emergent literacy, play, and self-regulation abilities. Myck-Wayne’s (2010) study of dramatic play areas provided evidence that setting up these areas allows children to practise functional uses of language and literacy in context. Also, in a review by Weisberg, Zosh and Hirsh-Pasek (2013) the following conclusions are made about the links between language and play:
Links to VEYLDF
Outcome 1: identityChildren feel safe, secure and supported
Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities
Outcome 2: communityChildren develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation
Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
Outcome 4: learningChildren develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity
Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another
Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials
Outcome 5: communicationChildren interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes
Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media
Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking
Experience plans and videos
For age groups: early communicators (birth - 18 months); early language users (12 - 36 months).
For age groups: language and emergent literacy learners (30 - 60 months). Links to learning foci and teaching practices
ReferencesDinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2018). It’s arts play: Young children belonging, being and becoming through the arts. Sydney, Australia: Oxford University Press. Enz, B. J. (1995) Adult roles in supporting children's literacy. In C. A. Kempers & A. L. Trefsger Miles (Eds.), Linking literacy and play (pp.18-22). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Fleer, M. (2013). Play in the early years. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. Fleer, M. (2016). Play in the early years (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Jones, E., & Reynolds, G. (2011). The play's the thing: Teachers' roles in children's play (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1–34. Myck-Wayne, J. (2010). In defence of play: Beginning the dialogue about the power of play. Young Exceptional Children, 13(4), 14–23. Nicolopoulou, A., Cortina, K. S., Ilgaz, H., Cates, C. B., & de Sá, A. B. (2015). Using a narrative- and play-based activity to promote low-income preschoolers’ oral language, emergent literacy, and social competence. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 31, 147–162. Smilansky, S. (1968). The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Toye, N., & Prendiville, F. (2013). Drama and traditional story for the early years. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer. Victorian State Government Department of Education and Training (2016) Victorian early years learning and development framework (VEYLDF). Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016) Illustrative Maps from the VEYLDF to the Victorian Curriculum F–10. Vygotsky, Lev S. (1967). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6–18. Weisberg, D. S., Zosh, J. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2013). Talking it up: Play, language development, and the role of adult support. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 39–54. Further reading:Cremin, T., Flewitt, R., Mardell, B., & Swann, J. (2016). Storytelling in early childhood: enriching language, literacy and classroom culture. London and New York: Routledge. Storytelling in Early Childhood is a captivating book which explores the multiple dimensions of storytelling and story acting and shows how they enrich language and literacy learning in the early years. What is dramatic play in child development?What is dramatic play? It's the kind of play where kids take on roles and act them out as a way of exploring themselves and their surroundings. By pretending to be someone—or something—else, children can learn new ways to express themselves, share thoughts and ideas, and even get in touch with their feelings.
How is play defined in early childhood education?Play is meaningful. Children play to make sense of the world around them, and to find meaning in an experience by connecting it to something already known. Through play, children express and expand their understanding of their experiences.
What is Sociodramatic play in early childhood?Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times.
How do you describe play based learning?PLAY -BASED LEARNING PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM THROUGH INQUIRY, EXPLORATION, INTERACTION AND PROBLEM SOLVING. their thoughts and emoons, explore their environment, and connect what they already know with new knowledge, skills and atudes.
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