Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional
Development of Preschoolers
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Submitted by: www.Aask24.com
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Content
1. Introduction ……………………………...........................
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2. What is preschool education………………………………
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3. What is play………………………………………………..
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4. Types of play……………………………………………….
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5. What is dramatic play……………………………………….
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6. An example of dramatic play………………………………..
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7. Level of play…………………………………………………
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8. Types of dramatic play……………………………………….
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9. Activities of socio dramatic play…………………………….
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10. Activities of creative dramatic play………………………..
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11.Effect of dramatic play on development…………………….
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12.Rational of the study………………………………………..
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13.Statement of the problem……………………………………
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14.Objectives of the study………………………………………
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15.Sinificance of the study………………………………………
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16.Research questions…………………………………………...
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17.Delimitations of the study…………………………………….
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18.Research design………………………………………………. 13
19.Population…………………………………………………….. 13
20.Sample size……………………………………………………. 13
21.Instrument……………………………………………………… 13
22.Procedure of data collection……………………………………. 14
23.data analysis…………………………………………………….. 14
24.Refrences……………………………………………………… 15
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Introduction
Early childhood is a critical period in children’s lives when they are developing the skills needed
to set a solid foundation for their lives. The first five years of life is a time when children’s
learning experiences and interactions with adults and their peers shape their understanding of the
world around them. Preschool education offers different kinds of activities to make learning
easy, interesting and effective for children .It is the duty of preschool teacher to select variety of
teaching methods and techniques for child social, emotional development and learning .Play is a
most common and favorite teaching technique for preschoolers .Teacher can select any type of
play to teach them lesson, dramatic play is one of them. Dramatic play allows children to
participate actively in a wide range of activities Dramatic play usually involves every day
realistic activities and events which enhance children social and emotional development.
Preschool education
An early childhood program that provides academic and social learning opportunities for three
and five years old children in an educational environment.(Singh,1997)
Pre-school education term has been used to refer to group setting for children between
approximately three and five years old which are deliberately designed to stimulate and support
their mental, physical, emotional, language and social development (Morrison,Georage,1984)
Play
Children play result in learning. Therefore, play is the process through which children learn. So
play is a tool for learning. (Morrison ,1995)
“Through play children learn what no one can teach them. (Hendrik ,1991)
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Types of play
a. Dramatic play
b. Constructive play
c. Functional play
d. Games with rules
e. Social play
f. Motor/physical play
Dramatic Play
In dramatic play, the child through language or over behavior, deals with materials or situations
as if they had attributes other than those they actually have.( Morrison, 1995).
Dramatic play usually begin between the ages of 2 years and reach their peak at about 6 years.
An example of dramatic play
Theme
Seafood Restaurant
Materials: Menus (you can get some from a local seafood restaurant or
create your own) small notes pads, pens, fish
French fries paper or plastic
plates, small pots and pans, bowls, serving trays,
plastic cups, money, , , small table, chairs, tablecloth,
chart paper and markers.
Before beginning this activity; set the stage for the seafood restaurant.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Place fish in a box. Pick a place for the menus to be displayed. Place the
tablecloth on the table.
Directions:
1.
Introduce this activity by asking children the name of their family’s
favorite restaurant. Record, by putting tick on board the children’s responses.
2.
Count the results for each restaurant. Which restaurant did the most children choose as their
favorite? Did an equal number of children choose the same restaurant?
3.
Explain to children that in this activity they will be pretending to work
at and visit a seafood restaurant. Remind children that seafood is a
healthy food choice. Explain to children that people who visit (eat at)
restaurants are called customers. The person who takes you to your
table is called a host (male) or hostess (female). The person who takes
your order is either a waiter (male) or a waitress (female). The person
who cooks the food is called a chef or a cook.
4.
Inform children that in this activity they can choose to be a customer,
a host/hostess, a waiter/waitress or a chef/cook.
5.
Facilitate this activity by helping children to understand and perform
their roles.
For example: Explain that the hostess would need to stand
at the door of the restaurant and have menus ready to give to the
customers after they have directed them to their tables.
The waiter/waitress will write down the customer’s order. The cook will
need to wait until the waitress takes the customer’s order so he/she
will know what to cook etc.
6.
Allow children to change roles as they choose.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Levels of Dramatic Play
Dramatic Play Skills
Role-Play
Role Chosen
How Child Plays Role
Use of Props
Type of Prop Needed
How Child Uses Prop
Make-Believe
Length of time
Interaction
Beginning Level
Role relates to child’s attempts
to understand the familiar world
(e.g., mommy, daddy, baby,
animals)
Child imitates one or two
aspects of role (e.g., child
announces, “I’m the
mommy,” the baby, and holds a
bottle)
Child uses real object or replica
of object (e.g., real or toy
phone)
Child enjoys physically playing
with objects (e.g., banging
receiver of phone, dialing)
Child imitates simple actions of
adult (e.g., moves iron back and
fornt on ironing table, holds
phone receiver to ear)
Involvement in play is fleeting
(e.g., child enters area, plays
with doll, put on hat, and leaves
area)
Solitary play (e.g., child
pretends to be a mommy
holding a baby, paying no
attention to what others are
doing)
Kinds of dramatic play
Dramatic play is generally of two kinds.
1.
Socio dramatic
2. Creative Dramatics
Socio dramatic
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Advanced Level
Child selects roles related to the
outside world (e.g., firefighter, police
officer, doctor)
Child expands concepts of role (e.g.,
child says, “I’m the mommy, ” I’m
cooking
, goes to a meeting, prepares
dinner, reads the newspaper, goes to
work, talks on the phone, etc.)
Child uses any object as prop (e.g.,
block for phone) or holds hand to ear
and pretends it’s a telephone
Prop is used as part of play episode
(e.g., child calls a doctor on phone
because baby is sick)
Child’s actions are part of a play
episode of make-believe (e.g., “I’m
ironing this dress now so I can wear it
for the party tonight”)
Child is engaged in dramatic play for
more than 10 minutes (e.g., child
dresses up as a doctor, examines a
“patient,” writes a prescription, and
asks,“ Who’s next?” )
Cooperative effort (e.g., child agrees
to be a passenger on a bus, gives the
driver a ticket, and asks for change)
Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Socio-dramatic play is dramatic play with the additional component of social interaction
with either a peer or teacher (Mayesky, 1988)
Socio dramatic play usually involves everyday realistic activities and events, An area of
the room is set up with desired materials. The children need not be told what to do, since the
material will suggest possibilities to them. Their all experiences and imagination will be all they
need. Dramatic play is specially enjoyed by 3 to 7 years old because they like pretending. It is
easy for them to become a police officer, farmer, mother, or whatever role the materials suggest.
Activities for dramatic play
Following are some activities for the dramatic play area to be used during social plays

Housekeeping

Barbershop and beauty shop

Camping

Picnic

Carpentering

Plumbing

Restaurant

Grocery store

Hospitals

Office

Post office

Baker

Gas stations
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Creative Dramatics
Creative dramatics involves spontaneous, creative play. It is structured and incorporates the
problem solving skills of planning and evaluation. Children frequently reenact a scene or a
story. Planning and evaluating occurs in creative dramatics (Chambers, 1970)
Creative dramatics are more sophisticated than socio dramatic play. They are planned by the
teacher but acted and play out by the children. A great benefit of creative dramatics is the full
participation and involvement of all children. As children try out various roles, they learn about
others and about themselves. Ideas from all aspects of the curriculum can be used to stimulate
creative dramatics.
Activities for creative dramatic play
Some activities for creative dramatizations include the following activities

Stories

Poems

Musical story dramatizations

Situations

Events

Puppet shows
Effects of Dramatic play on development
Pretend play is fun, but it's also an important part of child development. There are five areas in
which dramatic play enhances development:
Physical development
Dramatic play enhances physical development and eye-hand coordination as children try out
different roles. Both fine and gross motor skills are engaged as well as eye-hand coordination.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Social/Emotional development
When children come together in a dramatic play experience, they have to agree on a topic
(basically what “show” they will perform), negotiate roles, and cooperate to bring it all together.
And by recreating some of the life experiences they actually face, they learn how to cope with
any fears and worries. Children who participate in dramatic play experiences are better able to
show empathy for others because they have “tried out” being that someone else for a while. They
also develop the skills they need to cooperate with their peers, learn to control their impulses,
and tend to be less aggressive than children who do not engage in this type of play. Dramatic
play or pretend play may be enjoyed by the child alone, or with other kids. When preschoolers
pretend play together, their social skills are enhanced. Participating in dramatic play involves
cooperation, sharing, problem solving, impulse control and appreciation of one another's efforts.
Cognitive development
When children are involved in make-believe play, they make use of pictures they have created in
their minds to recreate past experiences, which is a form of abstract thinking. Children use their
cognitive skills in pretend play, when acting out stories and songs.
Language development
In order to work together in a dramatic play situation, children learn to use language to explain
what they are doing. They learn to ask and answer questions and the words they use fit whatever
role they are playing. Personal vocabularies grow as they begin to use new words appropriately.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Dramatic play and Academic
For all of its social, emotional and cognitive benefits, dramatic play also helps children
academically. Dramatic play enables children to explore academic concepts in a playful context.
For example, children who are playing store are working on math skills like addition and
subtraction. They may be using play money or another form of currency. They are learning about
supply and demand when they decide whether desired items are available in the store or not. By
adding such things as magazines, road signs, food boxes and paper and pencils to the materials
included in the area, we help children develop literacy skills. Setting a table for a meal, counting
out change as a cashier, dialing a telephone, and setting the clock promote the use of math skills.
Rational of the study
In all developed countries, dramatic play is in practice for exploring and enhancing student’s
social, emotional development and learning but due to lack of awareness and knowledge of
dramatic play in Pakistani educational system, it is not very common. Although It is in practice
in some private institutions but not in real meanings. It is totally neglected in public schools.
Thousands of studies are done on dramatic play by foreign researchers but there might be not
proper research study done in our cultural context. This research might be helpful to fill this
gap...
Statement of the problem
This study will investigate the effects of dramatic play on the social, emotional development of
preschoolers.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:

To identify the effects of dramatic play on the social, emotional development of
preschoolers.

To compare the difference of social, emotional development of those children who
participate in dramatic play and those who do not participate.
Significance of the study
This study might be helpful to the:

Practitioners to implement different teaching methods and techniques of dramatic play to
make their teaching affective and interesting.

It may inform policy makers and curriculum designers to add dramatic play activities in
their curriculum.

It might be useful to develop or modify the theory.

It may be a window for new researchers.
Research Question
The following questions will be investigated.

What are the effects of dramatic play on the social, emotional learning of preschoolers?

What is the difference of social, emotional development of those children who participate
in dramatic play and those who do not participate
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Delimitations of the study
In view of the limited time and resources at the disposal of the researcher the study will be
delimited to the Preschool of Beacon house school system Lahore city and Dar-e-Arqam
preschool Lahore city.
Methodology
Research design
The design of research study will be mix method.
Population
The population of research study will be 20 Preschool Beacon house school system and 20
preschools of Dar-e-Arqam Lahore city .100(50+50) preschool teachers,200(100+100) children
age 5-6 years of these schools will be considered as population of study.
Sample size
04+04 Preschools (Beacon house, Dar-e-Arqam) and their 20, 20 preschool teachers,
80(40+40)10children from each school will be randomly selected from decided population as a
sample of study.
Instruments
A structured questionnaire comprising 30 statements will be developed.
Observations: will be made randomly on student at school.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
Procedure of Data Collection
Prior to conducting the study, approval from the Beacon house school system ,Dare arqam,
Program Directors of (4+4) Preschool centers would be obtained. After developing a
questionnaire and getting validity and reliability of the instruments, the researcher will
personally visit these preschools to collect the data from the teachers.
Observations will be made by the researcher on students at random intervals at school.
Data Analysis
For questionnaire, and observations, thematic analysis will be used.
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Effects of Dramatic Play on the Social, Emotional Development of Preschoolers
References
Elizabeth Wood, Jane Attfield(2005)Play, learning and the early childhood curriculum, Second
edition, Great Britain, Gateshed.
Karyn Wellhousen, Judith Kieff(2001)A constructivist approach to block play in early child
hood, Canada.
Morrison, George S(1995)Early child hood education today, New Jersey, Prentice Hall Inc.
www.teachingstratgies.com, 10 January 2013
Baghi, A., & Vacca, J. (2005). Supporting early childhood social-emotional well-being: The
building blocks for early learning and school success. Early Childhood Education Journal.
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