The Effect of Play on Early Literacy - Essay Example

?The Effect of Play on Early Literacy Introduction “Play in the preschool years has the potential to provide young children with a highly engaging and meaninful context for learning essential literacy concepts and skills” (Christie & Roskos, 2009, p.1). Play in young children is invaluable in literacy learning because theoretically, dramatic play and literacy share higher order, cognitive processes such as imaging, categorizing and problem solving. The developmental psychologists Vygotsky’s (1967, 1978) and Piaget’s (1962, 1970) theories of the relationship between play and early literacy are important frameworks in examining the relationship between play and children’s early acquisition of literacy skills. Research on the relationship between play and literacy emerged as early as 1974, and increased with new insights into the foundations of literacy in the preschool years. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of play in preschool children on early literacy. Further, the theoretical framework provided by Vygotsky and Piaget, and the importance of symbolic play, free play and guided play reinforced by reading from resources rich in vocabulary will be examined. Theoretical Framework for the Play-Literacy Relationship The classic theories of developmental psychologists Piaget and Vygotsky provide strong theoretical frameworks for examining the relationship between play and literacy in early childhood. Piaget’s perspective emphasizes on the value of repeated social pretend play for the acquisition of broad cognitive skills such as symbolic representations and the initiation of literacy skills such as print awareness. Pellegrini and Van Ryzin (2007) state that this approach is based on interactions between individuals and the objects in the physical environment; and has led to the establishment of literacy-enriched play centers as an interventional strategy. Vygotsian theory is based on the role of adults and peers in the acquisition of social literacy practices through play activities. This theory argues that children form literacy concepts and skills through everyday experiences with others including pretend play and bedtime storybook reading. Thus, the young child’s acquisition of literacy is a social, constructive process that begins from early childhood. These classic theories identify behavioral categories apparently shared by play and literacy, including “pretend transformations, narrative thinking, meta-play talk, and social interaction” (Christie & Roskos, 2009, p.1). On the other hand, they do not explain the dynamics between play and literacy, or the means by which play activity impacts the development of literacy. Learning Through Engagement in Play Activities From birth, children love to learn through play and exploration, which form their primary teachers. In early childhood, mental and physical actions support each other, and learning is a process which engages both the mind and body. It is essential for children to experience life kinesthetically, thereby learning through experiences that utilize all the senses (Dickinson & Tabors, 2001). According to Leong, Bodrova, Hensen & Henninger (1999), play promotes four major skills that are vital for the development of literacy. They include increased ability to learn deliberately with enhancement in cognitive skills, development of symbolic representation, improved oral language, and the introduction of content related literacy skills for play to prepare the way. A valuable aspect of early literacy development is pretend play, which provides extensive opportunities to develop language skills. The amount of time spent by children in pretend play corresponds to their performance on language and literacy assessments. Their conversations in the preschool classroom are based on several skills using oral language and print; and the development of these skills is evident by the end of kindergarten (Dickinson & Tabors, 2001). It is clear that play has a great potential for practicing and experimenting with literacy. Thus, in the primary and early childhood classroom, the provision of play centers prove to be highly beneficial in promoting early childhood literacy. Towards enhanced acquisition of vocabulary, spoken and written skills, the play centers need to be equipped adequately with props for dramatic play such as playing house, restaurant, transportation, post office or office. Moreover, provision of age-appropriate and engaging coloring books and picture books using familiar vocabulary help to initiate reading in young children. Further, activities such as finger painting and clay modelling provide opportunities for language acquisition among young children in the process of learning through play. “Activities in this area also promote hand/ eye coordination and small muscle development” (Koza & Smith, 2009, p.55). Symbolic Play in Relation to Acquisition of Language and Literacy The seminal theories of Vygotsky and Piaget underscore the relationship between preschool children’s symbolic play and certain aspects of language and literacy through cognitive and linguistic development. In symbolic play, “preschoolers develop the semiotic or representational function” (Pellegrini & Galda, 1991, p.47), by practising the representation of objects, roles and events with signifiers. With age, preschool children’s signifiers change to more abstract ones. By the age of three to four years, children are capable of ideational play transformations, which are symbolic play activities that do not require props. These structural theories put forth that the competence to represent that is acquired through this type of play, can be generalized to other representational spheres such as language comprehension, language production, metalinguistic awareness, and the development of reading and writing. A research study conducted by Pellegrini, Galda, Dresden and Cox (1991) investigated the predictive relations among dimensions of symbolic play, in relation to object and ideanational transformations, linguistic verbs and measures of early literacy including Concepts of Print, Emergent Reading and Writing. The study was conducted, observing a sample of 12 preschool children, three and-a-half years of age, for two years during free play and in a variety of literacy events. In symbolic play, children between two to four years of age, mentally represent objects, events and persons with other signifiers, and also begin to use the highest signifier: language. The evidence revealed that the use of linguistic verbs predicted Concepts of Print scores. Further, symbolic play predicted emergent writing, and linguistic verbs predicted reading. The Importance of Free Play and Guided Play For children’s acquisition of literacy and success at school, early language development in both vocabulary and syntax is of crucial significance. The new focus on language and vocabulary pertains to the significant implications of early language development on communication skills and literacy outcomes throughout a child’s school years. When children’s involvement and interest is high, their motivation to learn new words which will be retained by them, rises to a great extent. This is true of free play between peers as when children discuss or argue about the roles each of them would be playing in sociodramatic play. Free play activities are “fun, voluntary, flexible and with no extrinsic goals, involving active engagement of the child, and often contain an element of make-believe” (Neuman & Dickinson, 2010, p.59). Constituting a wide range of activities, free play includes object play, pretend and socio-dramatic play, rough-and-tumble play and other similar play activities. Another example of natural motivation for children’s acquisition of language skills is in guided play, such as through an adult’s introduction of literacy terms such as sentence and word during children’s play with literacy tools. Neuman and Dickinson (2010, p.60) reiterate that “embedding new words in activities that children want to do recreates the conditions by which vocabulary learning takes place in the crib”. An example of guided play is the provision of materials in the classroom by teachers to promote children’s engagement and discovery, and commenting or questioning the children about their play, thus providing the vocabulary suitable for the situation. Hence, there is no un-connected memorization of vocabulary words in the guided play. Further, play that is supported by adults gives rise to more conversation. When this is combined with reading from books, the children’s attention can be directed to specific, essential words to reinforce their learning in context. Starting from the learning of vocabulary in the crib, playful interaction using children’s interests and natural inclinations continues to the next stages, when children’s literacy grows with the help of more playful and conversational contexts for learning (Neuman & Dickinson, 2010). Play and Supported Reading Mutually Enhance Early Literacy A study conducted by Wasik and Bond (2001) revealed that integrating vocabulary-rich story reading with subsequent play, helped to subtly emphasize the learning of particular vocabulary by the children in the sample. The reseachers considered the positive outcomes of this vocabulary intervention to the meanings the children understood as used in the play context they created. Similarly, after children engage in a play activity with rich opportunities for learning new vocabulary and the use of spoken language, the meanings and contexts of the words can be reinforced by following it up with a session of reading where the same vocabulary is again used. Significantly, engaging in play underscores the six principles of vocabulary learning which are as follows: the greater frequency of use of particular words, learning in a play context, using interactive and responsive contexts, providing clear meaning, and facilitation of grammatical development as a reciprocal process of vocabulary learning. There are common characteristics between spoken language and reading. A child develops language and literacy skills long before being able to speak or read. Reading from written text depends on oral language abilities and requires the comprehension of word meanings. It is therefore vital that a young child’s environment is rich in language and vocabulary. Play activities, stories and explanations provide interest and enjoyment in the literacy and learning environment (Barone & Morrow, 2002). Thus, meaningful experiences through play and spoken language form the basis for children’s early acquisition of vocabulary and language, as well as reading and writing skills. Conclusion This paper has highlighted the effect of play in preschool children on their acquisition of early literacy. Very young children develop language and literacy skills through enjoyable engagement in play activities. The developmental pschologists Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s theories of the relationship between symbolic play and early literacy, formed the theoretical framework for the play and early-literacy relationship investigated. The use of symbolic, free and guided play was found to have enhanced effects on literacy and language outcomes, particularly when supported mutually by reading from resources rich in similar vocabulary. The implications of this paper for parents and early childhood educators would be to ensure that very young children should be provided with an environment promoting language and literacy acquisition through various types of play activities that involve the use of cognitive skills and spoken language. Further, it is important to provide opportunities for reading, incorporated mutually with play, for reinforcing the use of vocabulary. Both reading and writing can be guided to make these learning activities enjoyable experiences that the child looks forward to. For optimal preschool literacy outcomes, Roskos & Christie (2007) recommend that teachers should directly connect literacy-enriched play centers and the academic parts of the curriculum. Future research should focus on multidisciplinary, dynamic perspectives of cognitive science, to further enhance early literacy through play activities. References Barone, D.M. & Morrow, L.M. (2002). Literacy and young children: Research-based practices. New York: Guilford Press. Christie, J.F. & Roskos, K.A. (2009). Play’s potential in early literacy development. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. Retrieved on 6th April, 2011 from: http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/documents/Christie-RoskosANGxp.pdf Dickinson, D.K. & Tabors, P.O. (2001). Beginning literacy with language: Young children learning at home and school. New York: P.H. Brookes Publishing Co. Koza, W. & Smith, J. (2009). Managing an early childhood classroom: Literacy, language, and learning. California: Shell Education. Leong, D., Bodrova, E., Ilensen, R. & Ilenninger, M. (1999). Scaffolding early literacy through play: How to strengthen play, increase oral language, encourage more symbolic thinking, and support the development of concepts of print and writing. New Orleans, NAITC 1999 Annual Conference. Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved on 6th April, 2011 from: http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/EarlyChildhoodEducation/4006TG_Scaffolding_Literacy_Through_Play.pdf Neuman, S.B. & Dickinson, D.K. (2010). Handbook of early literacy research: Volume 3. New York: Guilford Press. Pellegrini, A.D. & Van Ryzin, M. (2007). Commentary: Cognition, play and early literacy. In Roskos, K. & Christie, J. (Eds.). Play and literacy in early childhood: Research from multiple perspectives. 2d Edition. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers: pp.65-80. Pellegrini, A.D., Galda, L., Dresden, J. & Cox, S. (1991). A longitudinal study of the predictive relations among symbolic play, linguistic verbs, and early literacy. Research in the Teaching of English, 25(2): pp.219-235. Pellegrini, A.D. & Galda, L. (1991). Longitudinal relations among preschoolers’ symbolic play, metalinguistic verbs and emergent literacy. In Christie, J.F. (Ed.). Play and early literacy development. New York: SUNY Press: pp.47-68. Roskos, K. & Christie, J. (2007). Play in the context of the new preschool basics. In Roskos, K. & Christie, J. (Eds.). Play and literacy in early childhood: Research in multiple perspectives. 2nd Edition. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers: pp.83-100. Wasik, B.A. & Bond, M.A. (2001). Beyond the pages of a book: Interactive book reading and language development in preschool classrooms. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93: pp.243-250. Read More