8.3 Play and Social Competence
If you have ever been around a preschooler for a length of time, you know that they take play very seriously. Why is the drive to play so strong? Is play simply a recreational activity or something more? Jack Schonkoff, the director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, states that play “is not taking a break from learning. Play is one of the most important ways in which children learn” (DeRuy, 2016). Research supports the idea that play is something hardwired in children across all cultures and time periods. We know that play helps the brain develop and contributes to lifelong health and resilience (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.).
Cognitive shifts and expansive imaginations allow children to engage in more advanced levels of play during the preschool years. They may continue to engage in solitary or constructive play, but thinking up complex scenarios or playing games with others commonly occupy children’s time. Preschoolers become more interested in connecting with other children than before (Urban Child Institute, n.d.). They may develop their first true friendships during this stage, and these friendships become very important to them (APA, 2017). Play is the perfect tool for creating and maintaining friendships.
Preschool-aged children are becoming more aware of the social world around them. This increasing knowledge about the world helps them build social competence and understanding. Social competence refers to a person’s ability to get along with others. This process is rather complex and involves many skills and abilities. For example, preschool children must be able to understand social expectations, rules, and norms and follow them in an age appropriate way. They should also understand the perspectives and needs of others (empathy) and be able to use social skills effectively, such as maintaining eye contact or a conversation.
Children must be able to regulate their own emotions in social interactions, which involves balancing their own wants and needs in relation to others. Social understanding begins early in infancy when infants can “read” their caregiver’s facial cues (social referencing). Preschoolers are more keenly aware of how people’s emotions, words, and behaviors connect (Thompson, 2023). They carefully interpret what they see and hear within their social environment and learn how to interact with peers and adults.
It is important to consider how health issues or disabilities may impact a child’s ability to engage in play activities or build social competence in the preschool years. Health issues like asthma may make it difficult for a child to participate in active sports like basketball or soccer. A lack of inclusive tools, toys, or play spaces may prevent a child with a physical disability from playing and interacting with their peers (Besio, 2022). Lack of access to caregivers or support staff may impede a child with a social or emotional disability from interacting meaningfully with their peers (Besio, 2022). Adults can ensure that all children have access to play and peer interactions in whatever forms work best for the child.
Case Study: Anthony
How might health issues and disabilities impact a child’s social and emotional development?
Anthony is now 4 years old. He continues to struggle with issues related to his premature birth, including asthma, but he is growing steadily. He regularly sees his pediatrician and enjoys visits to the dentist. He is currently enrolled in a local preschool and loves his teachers and classmates. Anthony’s parents make too much money to qualify for low-cost preschool but they were able to find a private school which fit their goals for Anthony’s learning.
Anthony loves his school and enjoys playing outside on the playground. Unfortunately, his asthma can make it difficult for him to keep up with the other kids. He longs to play soccer with some of the boys in class, but asthma attacks sometimes force him out of the game, which makes him sad. Anthony often plays with blocks or LEGOs by himself, or he visits the book area. One of his favorite things to do is read. He is starting to read some simple words and makes up his own stories. His parents read to him daily, and he has his own mini-library in his room. Anthony spends a lot of time with his parents. He is an only child and therefore has limited peer interactions at home.
Play Theories and Frameworks
Preschoolers will continue to build up on the play skills learned in infancy and toddlerhood. They can move through various types of play, but their increased cognitive, language, and social skills often lead to them spending more time in symbolic, constructive, or cooperative play.
Parten’s Classification of Play
We are revisiting Mildred Parten’s classification of play from Chapter 6 in the preschool years because each of the categories still applies to the way 3-to 6-year-olds interact with their environments and peers. In figure 8.1, you will see the classification of play and some typical behaviors associated with each category.
|
Category |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Unoccupied play |
This type of play is typically not seen in the preschool years. |
|
Solitary play |
Children play alone without interacting with others. The goal of this play is to explore objects and the environment. For example, a child may explore a basket of blocks or books. |
|
Onlooker play |
Children watch others play. They may simply observe, or they may briefly engage with the other children playing, but they do not directly join the play or game. This type of play helps them learn from others. |
|
Parallel play |
Children play alongside others. The children will be in the same activity area or use the same toys but do not directly play with each other. They may mimic each other’s actions or words. This type of play allows children to practice and learn skills. |
|
Associative play |
Children will interact with others but are still focused on their own interests and goals. They may share materials and converse with others. For example, two children play in the sandbox and share sand toys. They talk to each other about what they are doing, but they build their own sand structures. |
|
Cooperative play |
This type of play is the most complex and collaborative. Children will work together toward a common goal. This type of play requires many social and communication skills. For example, a group of children may work together to build a structure with blocks. Some children stack the blocks, while others collect and organize the blocks. |
Piaget’s Stages of Play
While Piaget believed that children progress through the stages of play as they gain cognitive skills, he also recognized that the different stages of play can be enjoyed by children throughout their childhood, not just at specific ages (Lumen Learning [Website], n.d.). Figure 8.4 revisits Piaget’s stages of play from Chapter 6.
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Type of Play |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Functional play |
In this type of play, children use their bodies and senses and focus on motor movements. They may play with objects or games without rules. Examples include climbing or running. |
|
Constructive play |
This type of play involves children using objects purposefully and with a goal. They may build a house with LEGOs or use markers to draw figures. |
|
Symbolic or fantasy play |
This type of play involves symbolic thought, imagination, and pretending. Children will use objects to represent other things. Play can include role-playing or fantasy scenarios. Examples include using a stick as a sword or pretending to be a flying dragon. |
|
Games with rules play |
This level of play involves children playing games with rules that guide the activity. Rules can be part of an established game, or children can make rules up. This type of play requires children to use logic and memory. Examples include tag, board games, or the floor is lava. |
Play as Sensory Learning
Maria Montessori, an Italian educationist during the early 1900s, postulated that “play is the child’s work.” According to the Montessori method, which is still employed today in private schools, children are best served spending their playtime learning or imagining. Montessori play is sensory, using a hands-on approach to everyday items, such as leaves or rice. The child sets their own pace, and the teacher is collaborative in helping the child play to learn.
Play in the Reggio Emilia Approach
The Reggio Emilia approach does not separate the ideas of learning and play. Rather, it sees them as integral in the growth and development of young children. Reggio Emilia believes that children have a hundred different ways of thinking, learning, and discovering, and play is the perfect vehicle for exploring their environment and gaining knowledge. Whether through dance, painting, singing, pretend play, or jumping around outside, kids are learning. If you have ever watched preschoolers play, you know that they are incredibly creative and imaginative.They can turn sticks, rocks, paper, or really anything into a toy or game. It is important to let kids play, because that is how they learn.
Licenses and Attributions for Play and Social Competence
“Play and Social Competence” by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Figure 8.3. Parten’s Classification of Play by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Figure 8.4. Piaget’s Stages of Play by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
a process by which children gain understanding of themselves, their emotions, and the connections between themselves and others.
