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Scenarios
The Benefits of Sociodramatic Play
For the Young Child
Megan E. Matteoni
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Scenarios
The Benefits of Sociodramatic Play
For the Young Child
© Megan E. Matteoni 2013
California State University, Sacramento
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For Gustavo.
Thank you for sharing your world with me.
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CONTENTS
Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1
1. The Art of Play…………………………...……………………………………..4
2. Sociodramatic Play………………….…………………………………………12
3. Psychological Perspectives on Sociodramatic Play…………………………....21
4. Emotional Competence Through Sociodramatic Play………………………....31
5. Sociodramatic Play & Cognitive Development…………………………….….39
6. Supporting Sociodramatic Play in Preschool Curriculum……………………..48
7. Sociodramatic Play at Home………………………………………………..….58
A Final Note……………………………………………………………..………..65
Resources……………………………………………………………..…………..66
References………………………………………….………………………….….68
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introduction
As an early childhood educator, I have worked in several schools ranging from
project based, to play based, to academic. My experiences within these vastly different
schools have solidified my belief in the need for unstructured play in schools. Children
learn about their worlds through their play. Play provides an outlet so children can
process their experiences at their own pace.
The concept for this resource book on sociodramatic play blossomed from
observing my son develop his sense of play. Watching him transition his play from
imitating actions as a toddler to exploring symbolic representation and finally utilizing
abstract thinking as part of his imaginative world has solidified my passion for child
development. I have witnessed his cognitive and social emotional development through
observing his play.
Around the age of 2, my son became fascinated with cowboys. He developed his
concept of “cowboy” which has organically transitioned from symbolic representation
with a cowboy hat and stating the family dog is his horse to complex sociodramatic play
involving character development, theme music, and costumes. He has incorporated other
family members into his cowboy play and even developed specific scenarios in which he
dictates what each character’s role and actions should be. The complexity of his play has
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grown synonymous with his own personal development. As he learns more about his
world through experiences, he reflects on the novelty and wonder of these experiences
through this creative outlet. Witnessing this process has further spurred my interest in
promoting sociodramatic play for preschoolers.
Sociodramatic play infuses culture, language, and relationships. It is a form of
play that needs no props other than the imagination and the ability to communicate and
form interactions. To engage in a complex scenario with my son has deepened our
relationship. I have the opportunity to understand how he perceives his environment and
we can exchange ideas and solutions to problems in an unobtrusive way. I hope my son
always remembers our play because I know I will.
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1 The Art of Play
What is your favorite memory from your childhood? Did it involve running freely
through a field? Swinging as high as you possibly could on a swing, determined to touch
the tips of the trees? Or maybe it was an interaction you had with a special friend or
family member? One of my earliest memories took place in kindergarten. I was five years
old and had convinced myself that if I ran fast enough across the playground, I would be
transported back in time. I can remember running with all my might from the jungle gym
to a tree at the far end of the playground. I was determined and completely engrossed in
this fantastic challenge. Why did this particular activity make an impact on my memory?
Why did I consider this a playful activity? Is it reflective of my personality now as an
adult? These types of questions on the existence of play are answerable through the
research you will read in this book.
Play has been described by the NAEYC as an integral part of a child’s
development and provides a foundation for further learning. Learning occurs when the
child is passionate about the subject and can actively participate in the experience (Miller,
2009). Through play, children create internal working models to conceptualize or make
sense of their world (Piaget, 1951). For example, play provides preschool children with
the capabilities to cognitively comprehend many of the abstract reading and math skills
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required for school readiness as well as providing self-regulation skills to sit still and
focus attention for long periods of instruction.
This chapter begins with a general definition and look at the developmental and
historical values of play. Through play, young children have a great chance of learning
life skills in a way that is developmentally appropriate and engaging. Children often
reenact family culture and other real life scenarios that they have witnessed or personally
experienced through their play. For example, my time travel fantasy emulated from
watching the movie Somewhere In Time with my mom. Not necessarily an age
appropriate movie, but it was 1980 and it was also before seat belts were mandatory.
The Historical Value of Play
Throughout history, play has always been considered an innate activity of
childhood. The Egyptian hieroglyphic paintings depicted children interacting with dolls,
jump roping, and playing with balls. In ancient Greece, play was viewed as an essential
part of the child’s daily routine. Play is how children learn about their environments
(Hughes, 2010). “Playful behaviors resemble serious behaviors but participants are
typically more concerned with the behaviors themselves (i.e., “means”) rather than the
function (i.e., “ends”) of the behavior” (Pellegrini, Dupuis & Smith, 2007, p. 264). Play
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functions as a representation of serious behaviors or actions with more emphasis on the
actual process versus final product.
The Culture of Play
Culture encompasses the past, present, and future of a society. Culture is created
through direct and indirect experiences and interactions of individuals who make up a
group (Super & Harkness, 2009). It is integrated into the way a group thinks, speaks,
works, and plays. Culture is the foundation of the individual and influences the level of
playful behavior that exudes from each of us.
Cultural practices are influential actions that people within a culture value (Miller
& Goodnow, 1995). Cultural practices are actions that a culture routinely participates in
within a specific context. The act of playing represents the culture of its engaged
participants. While observing a group of children prepare a family meal in the dramatic
play area of the classroom, I noticed one child who was playing a parent figure sitting at
the dinner table punching away at a keyboard. He continually informed the other players
that he had work to do and would not be able to eat dinner until he was done. It was
apparent that the child had witnessed a similar act in his family culture. It was an act that
happened regularly. The style and quality of play is a reflection of how the players
perceive their world.
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No one can expect to change an individual’s cultural beliefs, but play allows for
the participants to weave in and out of each other’s culture establishing indirect
experiences and building on interpersonal relationships. It is important to address that
cultural differences should not be compared, but rather acknowledged as a way of life.
Providing various costumes and real life props for children to wear and experience allows
for exploration into different microcultures.
A culture is the interaction of the individual and the environment (Rogoff, Morelli
& Chavajay, 2010). There is no start or finish, but rather the concepts overlap one
another, creating a continuous cycle. The culture of play constitutes a window to
exchange, experience, and reflect on differences amongst its participants.
Forms of Play
In order for play to exist, the activity must incorporate the following characteristics:
o Be intrinsically motivating to the participants
o Chosen by participants rather than predetermined
o
Enjoyable to participants
o
Involve participants physically and mentally, and entail an element of make
believe or challenge reality
(Rubin, Fein, & Vandenberg, 1983)
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My time travel play consisted of all four characteristics. It was a true form of play
for me. I cannot say every kindergartener on the playground would have been as
determined to take that quantum leap like I was. In fact, I recall sharing the premise of
my game with another little girl who had asked me what I was doing. Once I told her and
began running again, she just stood there watching me with a confused look on her face
and then walked away.
Keeping sight of the characteristics listed above, play can be represented in the
context of locomotion, fantasy, object-directed, and social engagements. Play is a
creative form of personal expression. Children immerse themselves in various styles of
play rendering it tangible in all aspects, and engage in these types of actions and
interactions daily.
Locomotion play suggests gross motor movement. In
this photo children are seen using their bodies to initiate
play on a teeter- totter.
Fantasy play constitutes any sort of imaginary or pretend play. In the
picture to the left, two children engage in dialogue with turtle figurines.
Fantasy play can also exist during solitary play.
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Object-directed can be either constructive play or utilizing
manipulatives. Here a boy builds a city out of blocks.
Social play involves a group of children working together. The kinds
of skills acquired through play can aid the child throughout his or
her life and lay the foundation for academic and overall life success
(Graham, 2011; Pellegrini, 2005).
Children learn through social interactions and developing personal beliefs based
on these encounters (Miller, 2011). Observing the child as an individual with personal
interests and needs by encouraging the engagement of free play and developmentally
appropriate activities promotes brain development. Children have an innate need to
explore and expand their knowledge of the world around them through their play. In
1998, the Department of Education declared play as an important part of the learning
process. It also pointed out that play and joyful learning can stimulate cognitive
interactions, such as empathy, communication, symbolic thinking as well as collaboration
and problem-solving skills (Samuelsson & Johansson, 2006).
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2 Sociodramatic Play
In this chapter, sociodramatic play is defined and the developmental benefits of
partaking in this form of play are described. Sociodramatic play is a highly developed
fusion of make believe and social play. It requires the active participation of two or more
players (Whitington & Floyd, 2008). All players take on another persona and must
interact within their character roles to obtain the negotiated goal. Throughout the
designated scenario, the players agree upon actions that will eventually affect the
outcome. This type of play constitutes approximately 66.7% of all pretend play in
preschool (Hughes, 2010).
Sociodramatic play emerges through a progression of developmental stages.
Children’s play evolves from imitating what they see, like feeding a doll after watching
an adult feed an infant, to symbolic play, which is substituting an object for something
else, and finally sociodramatic play (Piaget, 1951).
Around the age of three, children begin expanding on their
imaginative play and incorporating it into the play of others. As
the language and motor skills of children mature, so does their
level of sociodramatic play. When my son first saw a man
wearing a cowboy hat, around the age of two, he was immediately
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intrigued. He began wearing his own hat and claimed he was a cowboy. He had no
reference as to what a cowboy was. He was simply imitating the man who we referred to
as a cowboy.
A year later, still interested in cowboys, my son began
incorporating more details into his cowboy play. Scenarios began
to form, props added, as well as requests for family members to
take on roles within his play.
As a multilayered process of social interactions, sociodramatic play encompasses
the concept of make believe, the realistic environment, and the art of organizing, planning
and negotiating (Winther-Lindqvist, 2010). Each concept overlaps and supports the
others (Schousboe, 1993, as cited in Winther-Lindqvist, 2010). Without one,
sociodramatic play could not exist. The diagram below depicts how the concepts support
and influence one another.
imagination
SDP
staging
reality
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As the imaginations of the participants evolve through the performance of make
believe actions, it is relevant to the organization and negotiation of the play scenario
which is the concept of staging. The reality of the play scenario is comprised by its
participants, the environment where the play is taking place, props, and the laws of nature
that effect how the play is conducted. Each of these concepts can exist alone, but for an
accurate depiction of sociodramatic play imagination, reality, and staging must be
present.
Sociodramatic play incorporates the use of group
planning, negotiation, problem-solving skills, as well as the
initiation and attainment of goals. These cognitive strategies are
accompanied by increased development of language and
symbolic representation of objects and actions. Sociodramatic
play positively effects the level of imagination and the creativity a child exhibits, as well
as memory recall, vocabulary, verbal interaction, and the quality and organizational skills
of verbal comprehension (Dansky, 1980). Allowing children to engross themselves in
imaginary play gives insight into their emotional and social predispositions (Dansky,
1980; Elias & Berk, 2001; Gupta, 2009; Hanline, Milton & Phelps, 2008; Thorp et al.,
1995; Vygotsky, 1978).
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By observing children’s sociodramatic play preferences, educators and caregivers
build awareness to the personal situations that are important to the children (Denham,
Basset, & Zinsser, 2012; Riojas-Cortez, 2001). The play creates a safe environment for
the children to reflect on the personal situation and adapt to its significance, allowing for
cognitive development to occur.
As a preschool teacher, I regularly observe children’s sociodramatic play to
determine the group dynamic and how I can support my students. A group of girls and
boys in one of my classes tended to engage in a lot of scenarios involving different types
of family structures. When Lila and Samantha would decide on roles, Samantha
suggested Lila be the big sister, but Lila wanted to be a mom. Samantha suggested they
both be moms. Samantha was very much a leader, but she is at ease when it comes to
sharing leadership roles with her peers. Lila was just coming into her leadership role.
Observing her interactions with peers allowed me to promote both girls’ leadership skills
on a daily basis inside the classroom without there being conflict between them.
While sociodramatic play promotes the development of cognition, language skills,
and social emotional learning in young children, educators and caregivers who recognize,
observe, and support this form of play acknowledge its saliency are able to attend to the
children’s needs better (James et al., 2004; Kemple, 1996; Michael, Meese, Keith &
Mathews, 1999; Smilansky, 1990).
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The Players
Children incorporate sociodramatic play as a way to create understanding of their
environment through action. Children need to move. They learn through tangible
experiences. Children internalize their world and experiences through action (Bredikyte,
2000). Dialogue, gestures, and interactions during play are deliberately chosen and
become manifested within the character or role the child emulates and is acknowledged
and accepted by his or her peers. The child evolves into the character and accepts the
other characters around him (Holland & Lachicotte, 2007).
The individual child participating in sociodramatic play develops social skills
through social interactions and fosters the ability to imagine scenarios and socially
engage in conceptualizing solutions for arising problems. For instance, my son noticed an
unopened exacto knife in the computer room of his grandparents’ house. He was very
intrigued with the tool and asked his grandmother what it was. She explained its function
to him and expressed how dangerous of a tool it was if used improperly. This interaction
made an impact on my son; something I would have never known if it weren’t for
sociodramatic play. Later that day, while on a walk with his grandmother and me, my
son found a small twig, which reminded him of the exacto knife. He asked his
grandmother to reenact the scenario with him.
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Boy: YaYa, Pretend this is that knife.
places twig on ground. And say, “la la la la la”
strolls nonchalantly dictating his grandmother should walk.
Grandmother: La la la la la
Boy: Tha- There’s the knife. points to the twig
Grandmother: Oh dangerous. Thank you for telling me and please don’t ever
touch them. I’ll pick it up.
Boy: No it’s really a twig.
Grandmother: Oh. Thank you for telling me.
The grandmother reiterated how thankful she was of her grandson for informing
her of his discovery. Replaying the scenario solidified the importance of being careful
around unfamiliar objects and the importance of informing an adult of these kinds of
situations.
As the child grows, social interactions developed through play can further
strengthen their ability to form relationships. Early forms of positive social interaction
can stimulate neural activity in the brain. In order for sociodramatic play to occur,
participants must be willing to explore social interactions with one another.
Children learn to interact with peers through play and the quality of these social
interactions has a direct effect on the brain’s development, linking emotionality and
cognition (Hansen & Saxe, 2009).
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During sociodramatic play experiences, children begin to evaluate emotions and make
connections between internal feelings and acting out a behavior based on the emotion.
The table below summarizes the cognitive and social emotional benefits of sociodramatic
play.
Benefits of Sociodramatic Play
Cognitive
Social Emotional
brain development
cooperative skills
linguistic skills
conflict resolution
classification ability
perspective taking
divergent thinking skills
self-regulation skills
representational thinking expression of empathy
The next few chapters will look two major psychological perspectives on
sociodramatic play, the benefits listed above in depth, and ways to promote sociodramatic
play inside the classroom and home.
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3 Psychological Perspectives on
Sociodramatic Play
[Imagination] becomes the means by which a person’s experience is broadened,
because he can imagine what he has not seen, can conceptualize something from
another person’s narration and description of what he himself has never directly
experienced. (Vygotsky, 1930)
In this chapter, two great psychological perspectives on play are introduced. Lev
Vygotsky and Jean Piaget are the fore fathers on child development. Though they were
both born in the late 1800s, their research and theories are still referenced and applicable
today. Both men found play to be a highly esteemed and salient activity of childhood.
Though they valued various forms of play, their theories are adapted to focus primarily
on the benefits of sociodramatic play. Whether you are an educator or caregiver, this
chapter will provide a solid foundation to understanding how children mentally develop
within their worlds. Children learn from observation (Paradise & Rogoff, 2009). What
they perceive is internalized and practiced through their play (Piaget, 1951; Whitington &
Floyd, 2008). By observing children’s sociodramatic play scenarios, caregivers learn
what interests their children, the friendship dynamic between peers, and how they might
interact with one another.
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Vygotsky Says
Lev Vygotsky (1978) was a Soviet psychologist and an innovative thinker who
was ahead of his time. He studied child development, education, as well as the art of
language development. He conceptualized the zone of proximal development theory that
states the individual’s level of knowledge can intellectually advance when interacting
with another individual who is higher in intellectual development. Vygotsky also
theorized how culture influences the individual. His sociocultural theory views the
dynamic interaction between the individual and society. Each having a significant impact
on one another and influencing the development of both.
Consistent with Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, active participation in
sociodramatic play allows children to internalize their external culture and become
socialized to their environment as well as develop a concept of rules. Studies confirm that
sociodramatic play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development. Children
utilize role-playing as a way to create understanding of their contextual environment
through action. For instance, a 2-year-old boy who watches his mother apply makeup in
the mirror finds a tube of lipstick and smears it around his mouth and chin. Sociodramatic
play is often used to practice social roles and specifically gender roles. Children utilize
actions to represent impressions and fantasies According to Vygotsky; children’s
imaginations develop through their cultural-historical makeup and within the social
interactions they experience.
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The child’s dialogue, gestures, and interactions during play are deliberately
chosen and become manifested within the character or role the child emulates and is
acknowledged and accepted by his or her peers. The child evolves into the character and
accepts the other characters around him. Sociodramatic play and role playing “real life”
situations allows children to cognitively understand emotions associated with specific
behaviors and gives children a reference scenario to understand how to regulate those
emotions
In sociodramatic play children can substitute objects or tools, needed to complete
the symbolic task, with imaginary objects. This is a form of abstract thinking. The ability
to engage in abstract thinking and symbolic representation during the preschool years has
been positively correlated with the development of literacy and math skills. Children
build abstract thinking skills through symbolic play, which increases their capability of
separating meanings from objects. Vygotsky stated practice and achievement of abstract
thinking skills during play is a precursor for comprehending written language. As
concepts are recognized and shared amongst the players, symbolic play becomes a form
of communication within a social interaction. The use of imagination in play is a
powerful tool that creates independent meanings onto objects. Similar to a child using a
stick as a sword within a play scenario and then imagining the same stick is a horse.
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Piaget’s View of Symbolic Play
Born in Switzerland in 1896, Jean Piaget is most acknowledged for his research
on cognitive development. Through observations conducted on his own children, he
concluded that children think differently than adults. He theorized that children’s
intellectual development and formal thought processes mature as they pass through four
different stages; the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, operational stage, and the
formal operational stage.
Piaget’s definition of symbolic play could be a subset of Vygotsky’s language
inclusive imaginative play. Piaget theorized, the child’s environment dictates the child’s
cognitive development through the quality of activities. The child graduates to the next
stage of cognitive development through the experience of more complex interactions.
Piaget referred to this as the process of assimilation and accommodation to achieve
equilibration. The child imitates to tangibly comprehend a new situation.
Piaget’s preoperational stage of development occurs between the ages of 2 to 7,
embodying the preschool years and beginning of socialization amongst peers. During the
preschool years, language and symbolic representation in play increase.
Piaget believed it is human nature to want to make sense of the world. During the
preoperational stage, the child’s level of thinking and processing is egocentric, but
socially constrained. The environment forms the child’s way of thinking and is made
apparent through play. However, the advancement of symbolic play for the young child’s
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development is dependent on the cooperation from the child’s peers. Through
sociodramatic play, the child utilizes the environment and peers to comprehend scenarios
they experience within their lives. The diagram below depicts the process a child endures
when comprehending new information.
new experience
child
environment & peers
new understanding
Do you remember learning to ride a bike? Imagine being four-years-old, you
learned how to walk, run, ride a tricycle, then a bike with training wheels. And now you
are about to partake in another life milestone, balancing and pedaling on two wheels.
Everything you have learned up to this point prepares you for the adventure, but you are
nervous as your mom helps to hold your bike steady. Your trust and adventurous
motivation keeps you trying over and over again as you relate your previous successes to
this new concept. You try to find balance between the old and new experiences as you
grip onto the handlebars and the two wheels wobble.
Equilibration occurs with the combining of previous and new knowledge, to
understand new experiences, and the acceptance of these new ideas and experiences to
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expand on preexisting concepts to make better sense of the present. Piaget believed there
is an innate need to have a balance between the environment and the person’s cognitive
reality. Sociodramatic play allows the child to assimilate to a new experience to
accommodate personal needs (Piaget, 1951). The child reenacts the experience at a pace
that is accommodating to the child’s level of comprehension. Reality is transformed to
accommodate the child’s level of cognition.
An example of a child utilizing sociodramatic play to equilibrate his world is
analyzed in the following scenario. A three-year-old boy, who will be referred to as Matt,
experienced relational aggression from the older boys in his preschool class. The group
of boys would exclude Matt in play and incorporate his name in condescending rhyming
verses. Matt, who was the youngest child in the class, had never experienced this type of
social interaction before and was unsure of how to acknowledge and adapt to it.
Disequalibrium was caused by the conflicting thoughts that (1) these boys are my friends
and (2) they are being mean to me. He felt confused and powerless. Matt must adapt to
the situation to find the balance between himself and his environment, in this case the
boys who were teasing him. Matt began taking on the role of superheroes and created
sociodramatic play scenarios with family members. When Matt wore his Spiderman
mask, he became a powerful superhero. He would ask his mother to pretend to be one of
the classroom boys.
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Matt: You pretend to be Joshua
Mother: Ok.
Matt: puts on Spiderman mask. Oh, hi Joshua.
Mother: (gasps) Who are you?
Matt: I’m Spiderman. Look, I’m a spider. I have more power than you. You know
that Joshua?
After numerous negative interactions between him and the other boys in his class, Matt
embodied the role of a superhero to exude power over the boys. The powerful superhero
scenario provided Matt with a firm perception of the emotions he was experiencing and
the ability to overcome it emotionally. According to Piaget, Matt’s ability to verbalize
his ideas afforded him the tools necessary to build on the role taking and problem-solve
the scenario.
Sociodramatic play can act as a medium for young children to model and actively
control the outcome of a proposed real life event that may overwhelm them when
originally faced with the situation. Pretend play and acting out real life situations allows
children to cognitively understand emotions and offers a tool to understand how to
regulate those emotions.
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4 Emotional Competence through
Sociodramatic Play
Social competence exists within the balance of emotional, social cognitive, and
behavioral development (Hembree, 2010). It is the ability to maintain successful peer
relationships and exhibit prosocial behavior (Cillessen & Bellmore, 2011). Possessing
social competence is having the ability to find a balance between social and individual
needs. Young children learn social competence through social play. The complexity of
these peer interactions within play correlate to the individual child’s ability to gain social
competence (Cillessen & Bellmore, 2011; Elias & Berk, 2008; Webster-Stratton & Reid,
2002).
Sociodramatic play provides a window into the temperament and emotional states
of children as it is reflective of the physical and mental environment in which children
function on a daily basis (Lindsay & Colwell, 2003;Seja & Russ, 1999). Children
comprehend emotions through experiencing them socially rather than introspectively
(Racine, Carendaal, & Turnbull, 2007). As children mature, their emotions are heavily
interdependent on social competence, but to be emotionally competent children must
recognize their emotions exist and are being experienced (Denham, Waren, Von Salisch,
Benga, Chin, & Geangu, 2011).
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Experiencing
Expressing
Understanding
Emotional
Competence
Young children need to experience feeling specific emotions and be able to
associate them with certain situations and outcomes in order to build an emotional data
bank for future reference. Imagine a tea kettle boiling on the stove. Once the water in the
tea kettle heats up to a certain temperature, it begins to boil and whistles to announce it is
ready to be poured. If the kettle is never taken off the stove and poured, it will continue
whistling until the water evaporates inside and most likely the bottom of the kettle will
burn from being left on the burner.
Like the kettle, children may become emotional due to some interaction or an
event they experience, but if they can recognize the emotion and recall a previous
resolution to a similar situation, they have the tools to understand and regulate their
emotional state. If they do not regulate emotions, they will burn out.
Developing social emotional skills like perspective taking, problem solving, selfregulation, and assertiveness can be accomplished by participating in sociodramatic play
(Gupta, 2009; Lindsay & Colwell, 2003; Michael, Meese, Keith, & Mathews, 2009;
Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2002). For example, the following play episode involved three
friends ranging in ages 4 to 6 who were incorporating the concept of fire and water into
their superhero scenario. “Jen” is 4 years old girl and lives with “Jack.” They are not
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siblings, but more like roommates. They share a house with their parents. “Jack” is 6
years old boy and “Gus” is 4 years old boy who periodically sees his two friends when
their parents get together.
Jen: fire! Super Fi!
Jen runs into sandbox and passes in front of Gus
Gus: Super Fi! Acknowledges the invitation to play, opens arms and pretends to
capture Jen.
Jen: Fire! Runs a few steps with arms in the air and looks behind her
Gus: follows girl and tries to tag her back from behind. Super Fi!
Jack is standing off to side observing the interaction
Jen: If you touch me, I Fire.
Gus: But I have water in me.
Jen: I know, but don’t make me melt…looking at Jack
I Fire
Gus: lifts arms toward girl and makes a spraying sound.
I made you melt.
Jack: water beats fire, Jen.
Jen: I know. She melts into sand.
Jack: And I am, I’m all elements so I get the Golden Idol hold up a yellow plastic
sand toy castle mold.
The three friends exhibit various social
emotional skills within this short play scenario.
They play well together and the respect for each
other is apparent through their verbal and physical
actions. Jen asserts her desire to be strong as well as her knowledge about fire by telling
Gus, “if you touch me, I fire.” The two share their knowledge of how fire and water
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counteract with one another and negotiate a conclusion to the opposing elements. Jack,
being the oldest, is looked to as the mediator. Jen looks to him for confirmation when she
is insisting Gus not to melt her. By the way she looked at Jack, it is obvious she has a
close relationship with him. Jack observes and listens to the conversation between Jen
and Gus and then offers the solution to the fire and water superhero encounter. He does
not choose a side, but rather offers a logical explanation. The two younger children offer
him their attention and value his opinion.
Sociodramatic play allows the child to
share roles and negotiate play scenarios with
others. Through these negotiations, children can
cognitively understand emotions as the roleplaying offers a tool to understand how to regulate those emotions. The role-playing and
deciphering how a character might react to a situation within a sociodramatic context
develops a child’s Theory of mind (Racine, Carpendale, & Turnbull, 2007). Theory of
mind (ToM) consists of the individual’s internal belief system and emotional
understanding as they influence behavior and reasoning. To possess ToM the child must
understand his or her emotions, as well as those of others, in addition to understanding
internal state of mind and false belief understanding (Racine et al., 2007).
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Sociodramatic play supports ToM through its social interactions. These social
interactions also aid in the development of perspective taking (Denham, Basset, Mincic,
Kalb, Way, Wyatt, & Segal, 2012). By expressing emotions and initiating problemsolving tactics during negotiated play scenarios, the child is
gaining emotional knowledge and experience dealing with peer
interactions. The role-playing experienced within the social
group provides a foundational behavior pattern and confirm
behavioral expectations for specific actions (Winther-Lindqvist,
2010). Sociodramatic play aids in the development and
understanding of appropriate social interactions.
Sociodramatic play can act as a medium for young children to model and actively
control the outcome of a proposed real life event that may overwhelm the child when
originally faced with the situation (Seja & Russ, 1999). One day, my son wanted to
wrestle. We were in the family room on the rug grappling when he pulled my hair. I
yelled, “Ow! That really hurts. If you are going to pull hair, I cannot play this game.” My
son reflected on the ultimatum and said, “OK. Let’s try that again. Pretend we are
wrestling and I am going to pull your hair.” As we got in position to reenact the previous
moment, my son declares, “ oh, I almost pulled your hair, but that is not a good wrestling
move.”
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By participating in sociodramatic play, children develop
symbolic representation, the ability to separate their thoughts from
their actions (Vygotsky, 1978). Symbolic representation skills are
not only precursors to developing literacy skills, but also develop
the individual’s emotional security and ability to self-regulate.
Through this form of play, the child’s egocentrism is
compromised for the game to continue. Here is an example of 5-year-old Susan inviting
her peers to play a sociodramatic play scenario where the children pretend to be cats.
Susan was a quiet child who chose to play alone or with her younger sister on the
playground. She began to interact more with her peers midway through the year, once she
began to feel more comfortable with them. While playing the cat game, Susan noticed
another girl observing the cats from a distance. Susan invited the girl to play. “Bea, do
you want to be a cat or a kitten in my game?” When Bea replied, “I want to be a bird.
Can I be a bird?” Susan agreed, “Um, OK. The bird can be friends with the cats.”
Negotiating roles and scenarios allows children to communicate and practice their social
skills. Having the ability to work within a group and possessing the emotional flexibility
to compromise will serve them in school settings, jobs, relationships, and throughout
their lives.
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5 Sociodramatic Play & Cognitive
Development
Cognition involves the act of thinking, reasoning, and remembering. It is the
ability to decipher relevant information from the myriad of thoughts that run through
your mind, manage thoughts and feelings, and the ability to plan for the future
accordingly (Brown, 2009).
The characteristics of cognitive development are apparent during children’s play.
Through their play, children can assimilate to real life situations by reenacting them
(Piaget & Inhelder, 1969).
Imagine a small group of children playing in the block area of their classroom. Lila has
noticed a few boys building a hollowed square shaped structure that they are peering
through. The boys discuss how it resembles a television screen. This prompts Lila to
build her own. The shape she builds is a replica of the boys’, however she drapes a silk
scarf over the top and grabs two rectangular blocks and gives one to another little girl
sitting near her. Lila suggests using the blocks as controllers. Lila has created a video
game in the middle of the block area. As she peers through her screen at the other
children in the block area, she begins to discuss how she is dictating their movements
with her controller. The teacher begins to play along with Lila and her friend and moves
around as the girls verbally dictate how their controllers are maneuvering the teacher.
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Many things are occurring simultaneously during this brief play scenario. Lila and
the other children utilize linguistic skills, classification abilities, divergent thinking skills,
and symbolic representation while engrossed in sociodramatic play. Lila’s ability to
create such an abstract and creative scenario is like looking into a window at her
developing brain. Her eyes sparkle as her imagination develops the scene and her mental
capacity deepens.
The Brain
In this chapter the brain’s anatomy is discussed as well as social play’s influence
on its development. The overall mental health of a child is determined by the kinds of
social experiences the child endures during significant periods of brain growth (Schore,
2001). The primary caregiver provides the initial social model for which the child
identifies with. However, as the child grows, social interactions developed through play
can further strengthen their ability to form relationships. Early forms of positive social
interaction can stimulate neural activity in the brain.
In order for sociodramatic play to occur, participants must be willing to explore
social interactions with one another.
Children learn to interact with peers through play and the quality of these social
interactions has a direct effect on the brain’s development, linking emotionality and
cognition (Hansen & Saxe, 2009).
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Refer back to the play scenario between
Jen, Gus, and Jack in the previous chapter. The
prosocial behavior between the three friends
provides each of them with the ability to socially
interact on a high level. Each friend has the
opportunity to share ideas and negotiate ideas. The competence among them allows for
cognitive development to occur. The brain is central to all levels of development, which
include physical, mental, psychological properties.
The four main areas or regions of the brain are the brainstem, midbrain, limbic system,
and cortical (Eliot, 1999; Perry, 2006; Siegel, 2012). The lower brain structures consist of
the brainstem, cerebellum, and midbrain.
Mind Your Brain Inc., 2012
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The brainstem matures within the womb and is responsible for regulating basic
physiological needs like body temperature and heart rate.
The cerebellum is responsible for movement. It controls motor functions and aids in
cognitive performance. The cerebellum is most active when a task is unfamiliar and a
high level of concentration is exhibited to complete.
The midbrain is responsible for regulating the appetite, sleep, and stress levels.
The central structure of the brain is the limbic system and consists of the hippocampus
and amygdala. The limbic system is responsible for emotion, memory, and motivation. It
is also responsible for levels of attachment within mammals (Alexander & O’Hara, 2009;
Siegel, 2012).
What’s Happening in There?
Neurobiological studies on play have identified several brain structures significant
to social play behavior; including the cerebellum, neocortex and prefrontal cortex, and
limbic system (Diamond, 2000; Graham, 2011; Qu, 2010). In a research study conducted
on primates, findings suggested that social play exhibits both motor and cognitive skills
(Graham, 2011). Social play is multifaceted and supports neural development (Aguilar,
2010; Graham, 2011; Lloyd & Howe, 2003). Sociodramatic play affords the development
of the brain’s various regions while players are engaged and practicing social, language,
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motor, and cognitive skills. Through sociodramatic
play, risk taking, motor development and cognitive
thinking develop the brain and body.
The social interactions within play occur
naturally and are innate. Siviy and Pankseep’s (2011)
neurological investigations discovered increased levels of dopamine when socially
deprived rats were allowed to interact with other rats signify a link between the social and
emotional aspects of behavior. Levels of play also increased when rats engaged in play
with familiar rats versus unfamiliar rats over a course of 7 days. Stimulating neural
activity through play during childhood is significant to developing high levels of
cognition as an adult (Gale, O’Callaghan, Godfrey, Law, & Martyn, 2004).
Language
Language is a personal and social human process. Through language, the needs of
the individual can be expressed and interpreted by others. Language and dialogical
interactions foster learning through social practices. Children utilize speech to afford
themselves the freedom to manipulate their environment (Vygotsky, 1978).
The onset of language affords toddlers the ability to develop representational
thinking establishing the foundation of symbolic play (Piaget, 1962; Piaget & Inhelder,
1969). Children begin to combine verbs and nouns in grammatically constructed
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sentences around the age of three (Eliot, 1999). With the onset of conversational skills, it
is around this age, sociodramatic play begins to develop (Hughes, 2010). For example,
the small group of boys building the televisions inspired Lila. Language allowed her to
decipher their idea and mold it into her own. She then utilized language to dictate the
teacher’s movements within the video game. Children with language deficiencies or
impairments are less likely to engage in complex sociodramatic play scenarios (Hughes,
2010; Stahmer, 1995)
The social interactions, like the ones occurring during sociodramatic play,
exemplify how language promotes socialization among humans (Schieffelin & Ochs,
1996). The occurrence of social interactions is interdependent on the participants (Piaget
& Inhelder, 1969). Children will interact socially as much as they believe they are being
involved in socially.
During the first 3 years of life the hippocampus, amygdala, and corpus callosum
grow rapidly. These areas of the brain are associated with emotion, memory, and
cognitive growth (Mehta et al., 2009). These areas of the brain, and their impact on
developmental growth, are embedded within play and the ability to socially interact,
which is why sociodramatic play is referred to as a complex form of play. It involves all
functionality of the brain. Players plan, reason, and improvise situations with one another.
They exhibit levels of empathy and self-control in order to accommodate peers to ensure
the play scenario’s continuity.
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6 Supporting Sociodramatic Play in
Preschool Curriculum
This chapter will examine the role of the school environment in supporting
sociodramatic play. Observation of what play is telling us as well as making room in
curriculum for play are important steps educators can make to maximize benefits of
sociodramatic play.
The Art of Observation
Observation is defined as the act of attentively noticing or perceiving. The job of
an educator is to be attentive to the children and noticed what they are doing. We are
mind developers. It is our duty to help develop and guide these young minds in a
direction that enables them to be self sufficient and critical thinkers. Sociodramatic play
acts as a window into the children's minds. By observing the sociodramatic play
scenarios, educators can find out many important pieces of information that will help in
understanding a child's behavior. Through their play, children reveal family dynamics,
cultural practices, personal feelings, social skills, and interests. As an educator, two of
your most powerful tools are your eyes and ears. Watching before interjecting and
listening to what the children are saying.
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Observing & Reflecting on Sociodramatic Play
o Take notes on what the children are doing and saying
o Photograph the process of projects
o Ask yourself questions about what you observed
o Analyze and discuss your findings with your peers
o Make a display board
o Invite children to discuss your findings
o Display for families and invite discussion
Emergent Curriculum
There is a medium between directing the child’s interest and being an observer. A
teacher can utilize Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development theory while observing
children’s play by gently insinuating options for the students play to ensure cognitive and
emotional gain. The teacher will not be directing play, but merely acting as a guide to
help children achieve the next level of functioning. What is important is to acknowledge
where the children’s interests lie and develop curriculum centered on these ideas. This
concept has been referred to emergent curriculum. Emergent curriculum is more focused
on the process rather than the product. Child directed activities can become a part of the
curriculum. Play inside the preschool makes learning exciting which will create a
foundational love of learning later in life. Teachers need to identify themselves as
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researchers who observe children and their interests in order to promote education. The
challenge is for teachers not to control the children’s play, but rather to learn from their
play and provide more opportunities to enhance it.
Nature’s Influence
Imagine yourself as a young child, outside, sun shining on your face as you chase
your friends around while intensely focused on the fact that you are a fairy with wings to
fly. You stretch your arms behind you as you flap your hands like wings. The wind
rushing past you as you soar across the playground. The air filling your lungs and you
shout at the top of your lungs, “ I can fly!” At this precious moment you are free. There is
no one to tell you to slow down or to lower your voice. The imaginative world you have
created is spacious with no limits or restrictions.
Outside play provides opportunities for sociodramatic play to thrive. Children
explore and draw their own conclusions of the environment through play. Versatility in
the types of physical play an environment provides is salient to children’s self-regulation
and self-management. Providing children with opportunities to play in natural settings
can also play a significant role in development. Children innately utilize outdoor
environments for play. Natural landscapes provide an enriched environment for children
and incorporate their surroundings into play scenarios. They seek out the affordance of
nature through its physical challenges and the natural wonderment found in its ecological
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context. Children benefit physically and cognitively through playing in natural
environments. They are more creative with their play and advance in their motor skills
than children who are limited to indoor play environments.
Natural Items to Help Promote Open Ended Play Inside
o Polished stones
o Seashells
o Acorns
o Seeds
o Wood pieces
o Silk scarves
Strategies to Observe and Promote Sociodramatic Play
Puppetry
Interacting with children requires the use of various forms of communication;
whether it is through language, movement, visual, or song. Puppets allow for various
forms of communication to exist at once. Puppets infuse the elements of language, action,
and vision for the child into a fantastical realm of reality that can be conceptualized on
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the child’s terms. Young children utilize role-playing as a way to create understanding of
their contextual environment through action.
Puppetry acts as a sociodramatic play tool to assist young children in learning to
express emotions, develop their perspective taking, and encourage positive social
interactions.
A puppet can be an extension of the child’s emotionality. Children can expose
themselves indirectly without revealing their vulnerability. Puppets assist in co-creating
social interactions between children where the children could identify with puppetinitiated storyline allowing for more social interaction, comprehension, and identification
of the scenario’s emotional outcome.
Costumes
A simple prop, like a cape or mask, invites children to
express their personal power. It affords ownership and the
sense of indestructibility, which is important for young
children who are constantly being directed and reminded by
adults to follow society’s rules.
A scarf, mittens, hat, and carrot help this boy embody his snowman character
play. Costumes allow for transformation of identity. They are tangible sources of
creativity that can inspire imagination and inclusiveness. Creating various prop boxes
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each containing items focused on a particular theme can easily
enhance children’s sociodramatic play scenarios (Myhre, 1997).
For instance, a hair salon prop box might include combs,
brushes, cordless and non-working hair appliances, rollers, and
smock. Or to create an office prop box, clipboards, calculators,
telephones, various desk accessories could be included. Simple
props afford children the means to extend their imaginative play.
Environment- everything and the kitchen sink
The majority of preschool classrooms have a kitchen set designated as their
dramatic play area. It usually includes a sink, stove, and table, plastic food and kitchen
utensils. Considering the environment, the majority of sociodramatic play associated with
the area consists of domestic scenarios, and most likely, the children found playing in the
area does not vary. Sociodramatic play affords children the possibilities of exploring
beyond what they already know. As educators, it is our responsibility to assist children in
finding the means to discover how to expand on their ideas and play.
By observing children’s play, their interests are reveled. For instance, after
watching a group of boys engage in alien from space play for several days, we set out
large cardboard boxes and astronaut inspired suits in the dramatic play area. We turned
the kitchen furniture around so that it was not the focal point of the dramatic play area.
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We introduced the new costumes to the class and the group of boys immediately
gravitated to the area. A simple rearranging of the area opened up a new play scenario
and invited children who normally did not play in the area.
The boxes became spaceships and space camps. We also set out art supplies for
the children to offer them the option of decorating their cardboard ships. The play
scenario developed into an on going project incorporating many more children than just
the original play group through fine motor art activities, sharing of knowledge about
outer space and also opened the opportunity to expand on classroom literacy by reading
more books on space. One observation made on a small group became a classroom
curricular activity for several weeks.
It’s Not Just a Box
A cardboard box provides endless possibilities
within sociodramatic play. A large box can be a house,
vehicle, cave, mountain, anything the children decide at
a particular moment. Children are natural architects
who are ready to build. They just need the tools.
Cardboard boxes and tape provide extended sessions of open ended and cooperative play,
establishing a foundation for sociodramatic play to occur.
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One year, the school I was teaching at was under heavy construction. It was
adding a new wing onto the preexisting school and the construction was occurring during
school hours. A group of children in my class were very fascinated with the construction
being done just outside their classroom. They began to embody the lives of the
construction workers to the point of changing their voices and speaking to one another in
gruff tones. The group turned the lower level of our classroom loft into a construction
zone. The children used boxes, tape, scissors, string, and fabric to renovate their
classroom. This project went on for months. The children became experts at using the
tape to intricately attach boxes together and suspended them across the pillars of the loft.
They also learned how to collaborate on building ideas and respect each other’s work. It
was a fantastic example of sociodramatic play.
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7 Sociodramatic Play at Home
The first playmate of a child is the primary caregiver. The primary caregiver
provides the initial social model for which the child identifies with. A simple game of
peekaboo establishes trust between players as well as the concept of taking turns
(Hodapp, Goldfield, & Boyatzis, 1984). For a young child to feel a part of a culture
whether it is at home, classroom or at play, the child must first feel a sense of security
through the initial relationship he or she has with the primary caregiver. A child learns to
foster an acceptance into the world through personal interactions with those close to him
or her.
When I reminisce back on the first few weeks after my son was born, I could only
imagine the stress and confusion he must have felt leaving the small, warm, and dim lit
womb he was accustomed to and being thrust into a large, bright, and loud world. I held
him close to me in hopes of soothing him and making him feel at ease as he familiarized
himself with my scent and voice. This physical closeness we shared created a strong bond
between us, which is apparent in the relationship we have and how he interacts with
others. He is secure and confident within his relationships and attachments.
Attachment’s Influences on Social Interactions
A secure attachment is key to establishing a sense of security within a child's life.
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Studies on attachment and brain development have shown that children who do not
receive adequate amounts of attention or affection have smaller heads, and brains, than
their peers who experienced secure attachment (Perry & Szalavitz, 2006; Schore, 2001;).
The overall mental health of a child is determined by the kinds of social experiences the
child endures during significant periods of brain growth (Schore, 2001). Children with
secure attachments are more inclined to participate in social play due to their ability to
confidently enter unfamiliar social settings. They also have a more positive attitude on
interacting with others (Rose-Krasnor, Rubin, Booth, & Coplan, 1996). Lacking positive
social experiences early in life negatively effect the development of the brain, which
effects psychological development (Schore, 2001).
A child who is securely attached has the tools necessary to confidently coexist
within a social group (Eisenberg, Losoya, Fabes, Guthrie, Reiser, Murphy, Shepard,
Poulin, & Padgett, 2001; Stone, Thompson, Hart, Hotchkiss, & Nasir, 2012). This
confidence allows the child to interact with peers and relate to their thoughts and ideas. It
is also related to the amount of time a child participates in building relationships. As the
child grows, social interactions developed through play can further strengthen the social
model established by the primary caregiver.
The style of parent-infant interactions influence the level of attachment the infant
will embody throughout his or her life (Keller, 2004; Perry & Szalavitz, 2006). The idea
of emotional warmth is essential to the body contact system of parenting and is necessary
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in promoting a sense of belonging. Play is a bonding activity that strengthens
relationships. Playing with a child allows an adult to understand how that child perceives
the world and gives insight as to how to best communicate with a child (Milteer,
Ginsburg, et al., 2012).
Ways to Incorporate Sociodramatic Play at Home
Through sociodramatic play, children reenact familiar experiences in order to
solidify their meaning and importance to themselves. Children learn the emotionality
involved with the experience through playing out scenarios with others further
developing cognition (Hansen & Saxe, 2009). Primary caregivers can help establish
prosocial skills within their children through sociodramatic play.
By observing and learning from parents, Sociodramatic play can aid children in
realizing their capabilities, goals, and interests. The play scenario acts as a social
interaction utilizing language to produce self-competency in the participants and
establishes identity. Below are a few ideas to incorporate more sociodramatic play into
the home environment.
• Rewind the scenario. Reenact a situation to help your child understand a better way
to deal with a problem. Sometimes my son does not make the best choices when dealing
with a problem. Rather than lecturing him on what is right and wrong, I ask him to
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reenact the situation with me. We sometimes change roles for this, but either way the
reenactment is interactive and makes more of an impact on future choices. For instance,
my son and I were picking cherries from our cherry tree when he began furiously shaking
the limb. I asked him to stop because all the fruit was going to fall and be harder to
gather. He said, “Ok. Let’s try that again. Pretend I am going to shake the tree.” I agreed
and responded, “please don’t shake the tree.” My son then replied, “I’m just holding the
tree. Look.” And he kept his hand on the tree while looking at me. Over time, this game
has served as a great way for my son to understand perspective taking. He is able to stop
his actions, think about how they influence the situation, and choose the best solution
through role-playing. The joint attention that evolves between us during these kinds of
social interactions serves as a point of reference for my son’s cognitive development and
his ability to foster his level of social competence (Mundy & Newell, 2007).
• Character Life Lessons. Take on a role in the play scenario and challenge your
child by asking how your character can be a good friend. Allow your child to explain the
best way for your character to interact with the others. Children know a lot about getting
along with others and by allowing them the opportunity to share their knowledge, socially
acceptable behaviors are solidified.
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• Utilize stuffed animals. As mentioned in the
previous chapter, puppets serve as great mediators. If
you do not have puppets, stuffed animals will work
just as well. I used a little boy puppet to help my son
feel less anxious over potty training. “J.J.” was able to
talk to my son about wearing underwear and having accidents. “Accidents happen,”
became the repeated phrase in our house thanks to J.J.
• Turn chores into an adventure. Take on character roles while cooking dinner or
cleaning. You’ll be surprised how much fun you have too. My
son is exploring superhereos right now, so when I asked him if
he would like to press the garlic for dinner, he responded, “I’ll
be Garlic Man and you be Cooker Lady.” I immediately agreed
and the adventure began.
• Read and Reenact Stories. Books and storytelling are immediate imaginative
adventures just waiting to happen. Reading stories to children can enhance their desire to
play (Oberg, 1998). By intriguing their minds with fantastical images and scenarios,
children digest the plots physically in order to understand it mentally. Books become
tangible stories where children can take on the characters and act out the plot or even add
to it.
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a final note…
For the last 2 years I have been best friends with my laptop which is kind of an
oxymoron considering I am writing a book about sociodramatic PLAY. Parents, do not
let work consume you. Enjoy those little moments with your child. Even if it is just a
simple game of catch or a 5 minute dance party before racing out the door to the next
appointment. Before you know it, they might not want to play with you anymore. I am a
single mom who tries to juggle parenting, school, work, and a minute social life. When
life seems overwhelming, my son can always bring me back to what is important. Play is
essential in everyone’s life. Spending a few minutes running around, spinning in circles,
and laughing with someone you love puts life in perspective regardless of age.
The author and her son playing superheroes.
They also like to dance, play capoeira, read
books and go on adventures around the
Christmas tree farm, where they live in
Fairplay, CA.
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Resources
Children’s Literature
Two books by the children’s book author Antoinette Portis, Not A Box and Not A
Stick, are great additions to have in your home or classroom library. They take you on
imaginative adventures with a rabbit and a box and a pig with a stick respectively.
Roxenboxen by Alice McLerran
and illustrated by Barbara Cooney tells the story of a
group of children whose sociodramatic play has
created more than just a scenario, but an entire world.
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Theoretical Literature
Vygotsky and Creativity provides a Vygotskian perspective on
symbolic play.
The Oxford Handbook of the Development of Play is a great reference of various journal
articles promoting the importance of play.
Websites Promoting Play, Early Childhood Education, and Movement
www.nifplay.org
www.projectcommotion.org
www. zellasaidpurple.blogspot.com
www.explorationsearlylearning.com
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