Dramatic Play

1. Dramatic Play A means children can use to understand or interpret a story or book by acting out the action, either with each other or with toys and props.

2. Learner Objectives • Participants will identify the purpose for dramatic play and why it is important. • Participants will describe the four stages of play: solitary, parallel, cooperative, and socio-dramatic. • Participants will identify the benefits of play. • Participants will describe the teacher’s role in dramatic play. • Participants will discuss how to plan for dramatic play. • Participants will practice writing a dramatic play lesson plan.

3. Dramatic Play • What did you like to do during pretend play when you were a child? • Why was it fun? • Why was it important?

4. Stages of Play • Solitary Play • Playing by your self, exploring nature and gathering information

5. Stages of Play • Parallel Play • Typical of two year olds • Children play beside each other, but not with other

6. Stages of Play • Cooperative play • Play between 2 or more children • Play with peers for short periods of time • Children learn to respect others property • Children learn that permission is needed to use others materials • Children learn to share

7. Stages of Play • Socio-dramatic play • As children take part in cooperative play they become more interested in social relationships. • They learn how to develop and maintain peer relationships • From this grows socio-dramatic play

8. Benefits of Dramatic Play • Social and Emotional Development • Math Development • Language and Literacy Development • Social Studies and Science Development

9. Teachers’ Role in Dramatic Play • Resource person and planner • Provide interesting, real materials and planned space that reinforce your learning objectives • Change materials often to maintain interest • Model • Show children how to talk, act out ideas, play, and appropriate behavior to use • Coach • Provide children with new ideas and problems to act out and dialogue to use • Reinforcement • Provide verbal guidance and reinforce children’s positive behaviors

10. Early Learning Standards Social Emotional Self Awareness and control Recognition & expression of feelings Social interactions with others Approaches to learning Social Studies Rights, responsibilities & roles of citizenship Family identity/human systems Language and Literacy Oral language development Vocabulary development Comprehending stories Academic Kindergarten Standards Reading Vocabulary Comprehension strategies Elements of literature Writing Functional Literary response Language Art Listening and speaking Viewing and presenting Social Studies Rights, responsibilities & roles of citizenship Human systems Arts Beginning theatre Collaboration Acting Dramatic Play and Standards

11. How Do You Plan for Dramatic Play? • Review your teaching objectives and Early Learning Standards/Arizona Academic Kindergarten Standards for the week? • What vocabulary do you want children to use? • What is the theme of the week? • What books are you reading? • What are children especially interested in? • What field trips will you take soon?

12. How Do You Plan for Dramatic Play? • Make space in the dramatic play area • Change out furniture and print from last theme • Set up in both indoor and outdoor play spaces • Collect your props and put them in a box labeled with the theme. • Include books that reinforce the play ideas • Recruit materials from families and the community • Set the stage for the WOW factor • Children will notice it right away when they come into the classroom

13. Components of the Dramatic Play Area Plan

14. Dramatic Play Area Plan Practice • Work with your team • Create a plan for one dramatic play area • Be creative • Have fun!

15. Dramatic Play Theme Choices • Pet store • Grocery store • Camp ground • Community helpers • Farm yard • Transportation • Spring • Starbucks

16. Presentations and Questions

17. Resource Info • www.ade.az.gov/earlychildhood