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Dramatic Play has a Positive Correlation with Child Language and Cognitive Development
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Dramatic Play Has a Positive Correlation with Child Language and Cognitive Development
By Julia Grudsky, MS. Ed---Sunshine State Academy Curriculum Coordinator
The principle proposed by Curtis and Carter (2017), “draw on children’s deep fascination with drama and magical thinking” (p.200) is a great way to motivate young learners. Dramatic play in the early childhood classroom is considered by many to be one of the most important kinds of play young children can engage in because this area allows children to practice their language development skills with their peers while learning social cues from one another. This area also allows children to experiment and shadow what is seen done by adults in their everyday lives. Dramatic play allows children to become autonomous and creative in the way they pair objects and bring meaning to their use.
“Teachers can create dramatic play opportunities that specifically reflect children’s interests and encourage them to represent and deepen their understanding “(Curtis & Carter, 2017, p.200). Children learn cooperation and being flexible through dramatic play via social cues given by their peers. In order to play house, children must understand specific roles set as the mother, father, and child roles and flexibility comes in sharing the roles in a responsible and caring manner. Children learn to coexist by seeing differences in each other’s character and speech patterns.
As shown by Reutzel (2013), “healthy children are born into the world as engaged learners-naturally curious, persist, resilient, and intrinsically motivated to master their environment” (p.194). Allowing children to explore the world through magic and dramatic play lays a framework that the world of learning can be creatively manipulated by each learner. Playing dress up, being a chef, building a tower, watching birds, and engaging with animals within the class allows for children to freely and enthusiastically be motivated intrinsically to learn.
▸Beaty, J.J. (2009). Preschool appropriate practices. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ▸ Curtis, C. D. M. (2017). Learning Together with Young Children (text only) by M.
Carter D. Curtis. Redleaf Press. ▸ Reutzel, R. (Ed.) (2013). Handbook of research-based practice in early education.
New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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