Dramatic Play in the
Kindergarten
Program
This edition of Dramatic Play is based on a document of the same name from the Early
Childhood Department, Toronto Board of Education.
Project Leader: Joan Littleford
Developers: Sheila Spanos, Linda Widenmaier
Photos: Al Weinberg, Media Services
Appreciation is expressed to the staff of the former Public School Boards of Metropolitan
Toronto who participated in the development of the original resource document.
© 2002 Toronto District School Board
Reproduction of this document for use by schools within the Toronto District
School Board is encouraged.
For anyone other than Toronto District School Board staff, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Toronto District School
Board. This permission must be requested and obtained in writing from:
Toronto District School Board
Library and Learning Resources
3 Tippett Road
Toronto, ON M3H 2V1
Tel: (416) 397-2595
Fax: (416) 395–8357
E-mail: <[email protected]>
Every reasonable precaution has been taken to trace the owners of copyrighted
material and to make due acknowledgement. Any omission will gladly be rectified
in future printings.
This document has been reviewed for equity.
Table of Contents
Early Learning Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Why Dramatic Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
The Role of the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Organizing the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
Literacy through Dramatic Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Assessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Appendices
Stages of Play/Appendix 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
Planning Model 1/Appendix 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
Planning Model 2/Appendix 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
Planning Model 3/Appendix 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Additional Materials/Appendix 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Dramatic Play Centres/Appendix 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Extending Children’s Experiences/Appendix 7 . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
How Children Use Language/Appendix 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Ways to Support Literacy/Appendix 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
Ways to Support Mathematical Learning/Appendix 10. . . . . .
36
Reflecting and Celebrating Suggestions/Appendix 11 . . . . . . .
37
Focused Observations/Appendix 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
Kindergarten Program Expectations/Appendix 13 . . . . . . . . .
40
Bibliography/Appendix 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Early Learning Experiences
Children’s early learning experiences have a profound effect on their development. In
Kindergarten, children’s receptivity to new influences and capacity to learn are at
their peak. During this period, they acquire a variety of important skills, knowledge,
and attitudes that will affect their ability to learn, their personal development, their
relationship with others, and their future participation in society.1
It has long been acknowledged that there is a link between play and learning for
young children, especially in the areas of problem solving, literacy, and social skills.
Play, therefore, has a legitimate and important role to play in Kindergarten and
can be used to further children’s learning in all areas of the Kindergarten program.2
Since young children learn best by doing, it is especially important to provide
hands-on activities. Teachers should plan learning experiences that promote
integrated learning and that allow children to handle, explore, and experiment
with materials that are familiar to them from their environment or that they can
relate to everyday life. Learning experiences should include class, small group,
and individual activities. Teachers should also ensure a balance between teacherinitiated and child-initiated activities – times when the teacher guides the
children’s learning and times when children select activities based on their
interests and abilities. It is also the teacher’s responsibility to provide guidance to
individual children who show an interest in developing fundamental skills at the
Kindergarten level. 3
Children enjoy using props
to retell a story.
1
2
3
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program, 1998, p. 3.
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program, 1998, p. 6.
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program, 1998, p. 8.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
To maximize intellectual, social, and personal development,
children need opportunities to:
• learn in a safe, organized, and stimulating environment
• participate in appropriate, planned experiences that
encourage risk taking, build confidence, and ensure
success
• interact with interested adults
• explore, investigate, discover, and repeat experiences
• engage in an activity for an extended period of time
• develop responsibility and independence
• use quality materials that promote inquiry, discovery, and
problem solving
• work with others in a variety of learning situations
• participate in decisions related to the learning environment
• initiate activities and make their
own decisions
Children role-play different
jobs using a variety of ‘real’
tools.
2
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Children enjoy creating the
scene for the drama (a picnic
at the beach) using familiar
props.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
The Kindergarten Program outlines key features of an appropriate learning environment,
and the use of time, space, and resources to meet the needs of all children.
The following document describes these key features in relation to dramatic play. It
explains the rationale for incorporating dramatic play into the program; describes
potential learning experiences; and provides teachers with guidelines for the design and
development of dynamic Dramatic Play Centres.
The document serves to clarify the link between developmentally appropriate practice and
the intent of The Kindergarten Program.
Note: For the purposes of this document, the term, dramatic play refers to
all classroom activities that invite children to engage in imaginative play. As
well as in child-initiated situations in self-selected activity periods, children will
have opportunities to engage in dramatic play during large- and small-group
teacher-directed situations. A Dramatic Play Centre refers to any area in
the classroom that may be set up specifically for imaginative play, for example,
a home, restaurant, or doctor’s office.
The props may determine the direction of the play, e.g., going on a trip.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
In a developmentally appropriate program,
young children will engage in dramatic play
at many times during the day, in many areas of the classroom.
- at the Puppet Theatre
as they retell the story of
Billy Goats Gruff.
- at the Dress-Up
Centre as, in hats
and sunglasses, they
role-play a scene at
the beach.
- in the Water Centre
as, using plastic props,
they role-play fishing for
sharks or whales.
- in the Book Corner,
role-playing the teacher
reading a big book to
the group.
- in the Home Centre as they
take on family roles and play
out personal experiences
(I am going to make invitations
for the party and then we can
decide what we’ll cook).
- in the classroom Vet Clinic,
reading a magazine in the
waiting room; examining a
“patient;” writing a
prescription for their sick cat.
Where might
children engage in
dramatic play?
- with Construction
Materials as they build
houses and use models
of people to re-enact
familiar experiences.
- at the Sand Table
as they use plastic
animal models to
recount their recent
trip to the zoo.
- at the Work Bench as
they repair the Toy Shop’s
broken toys with screwdriver and hammer.
- in the Block Centre
as they race off to an
imaginary fire in the
fire engine they have
constructed.
Outdoors as they ride
their bicycles, pretending
to be police officers,
stopping another vehicle
to write a ticket.
- in the Gymnasium as
they crawl like a snake,
stomp like a marching
band, fly like a butterfly.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
With careful
planning, teachers
can create a rich
literacy environment
which engages
children in authentic
learning experiences.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Why Dramatic Play?
Dramatic play consists of children taking on a role in which they pretend to
be someone else. They imitate the person’s actions and speech patterns using
real or imagined “props” and drawing on their own first-hand or secondhand experience of the imitated individual in various familiar situations.
When such activity involves the co-operation of at least two children and the
play proceeds on the basis of interaction between the players acting out their
roles, both verbally and in terms of acts performed, the dramatic play is
considered “sociodramatic play.” 4
Through play, children make sense of their world. They explore many ideas and
perspectives as they move in and out of play. In role-playing storekeepers, firefighters,
mommies, or daddies, children explore and make sense of reality. When they role-play
monsters or super-heroes, they make sense of the imaginary.
Through play, children are able to manipulate:
• Time
Children establish their own time, and may move forward or backward in time.
• Space
Children transform the space to represent the setting of the drama.
• People
Children adopt roles and identities, exploring the thoughts, feelings, and actions of
a variety of characters.
• Objects
Children assign symbolic meaning to objects, using materials to create or represent
specific props used in the dramatic play.
• Subject Matter
Children retell, adapt, and invent stories that they play out in drama. They make
personal connections to the subject matter, exploring a variety of perspectives, and
learn to develop empathetic responses.
Dramatic play allows young children to create and adopt new roles and new rules. It
allows them to practise persuasion, negotiation, co-operation, and, sometimes, to practise
defense and assertion. It is, therefore, seen as a means by which children learn to
communicate, negotiate, create, problem-solve, and understand social roles, rules, and
perspectives. (Bergan 1987)
4
Simlansky, Sara. Sociodramatic Play: Its Relevance to Behavior and Achievement in School. 1990, p. 19.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Dramatic play is characterized by the mental transformation of objects,
actions, and situations.” 5
Children mentally transform the carpeted area into the sandy beach, and the tiled
floor into the lake. The shoebox becomes a portable radio as children pretend to dance
and sing along to the tunes. This ability to transform helps children to develop the
understanding of a range of abstract ideas that will eventually include alphabetic and
numeric symbols. Children need opportunities to interpret concrete objects (a shoebox)
in abstract ways (to represent a portable radio). This knowledge will help them to extend
their thinking. It will eventually help them to develop the concept that the letters of the
alphabet, the concrete symbols of our language, carry meaning. They begin to understand
that the letters are to be interpreted in a set way; that they can both read the ideas of others
and use these symbols to write their own ideas for others to read.
Vygotsky theorized that play has a direct role in cognitive development. His work
revealed that very young children are not capable of abstract thought because, for them,
meaning and objects are fused together as one. Toddlers, then, cannot think about a
telephone without seeing a real phone or orally use language that is taken out of context.
In a Kindergarten classroom, five-year-old children can be seen engaged in symbolic play,
where an object may be substituted for another or a child may act like another person or
object. As children progress in their ability to engage in more complex symbolic play, a
replication of reality is performed in a social context. For example, children might be seen
in role, using blocks to build a new house (following a walk past a construction site near
the school) or cooking dinner in the Home Centre. When they engage in play, and use
an object to represent another object (a block for a brick; a can for a telephone), meanings
become separated from the objects they represent. When children engage in dramatic
play, they use their imagination to work in a concrete way. They are living the “then and
there” in the “here and now.”
“Symbolic play therefore has a crucial role in the development of abstract
thought.” 6
Because the process of learning to read and write requires children to understand
abstract thought, it is critical that children experience activities involving symbolic play.
Since some children, prior to school attendance, may have had little opportunity to
engage in such play, it is important to provide many opportunities in the Kindergarten
program. For example, after the reading or retelling of a story, children might be
encouraged to use props to retell the story independently. The process of using props
provides a bridge between listening to someone else’s version of the story and independent
oral retelling. The props help children to picture the story and to recreate the situations
and the sequence of events. When they participate in a dramatic retelling, they are able to
take their understanding and interpretation of one system (oral language) and transform
5
Owocki, Gretchen. Literacy Through Play. 1999, p. 11.
6
Johnson, James E. et al. Play and Early Childhood. 1999, p. 10.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
it into another system (drama). They must organize, rethink, and reproduce the story in
a different way.
Dramatic play allows children to use their own knowledge and experience to develop
their own version of a story – it teaches them how to build a narrative.
Drama is the act of crossing into the world of story. In sharing drama, we
agree to live as if the story we are enacting is true. We imagine the story, engage
with it, struggle with its unfamiliar concepts, associate our own experience
with it and fill in its shape with our particular interpretation. We process
the key events, images and themes of a story by living them out in drama.7
As children engage in dramatic play, they have opportunities to:
•
learn through a natural mode
•
move from concrete to abstract thought
•
make sense of reality
•
express imaginative thoughts and ideas
•
adopt the attitudes, gestures, and language of different characters, both real and
imaginary
•
develop their own sense of story
•
explore a range of emotions
•
develop and extend vocabulary and
oral language structures through
communications with others
•
develop and use language for many
purposes (to question, to direct, to
organize, etc.)
•
assume different group positions
(leader, group member, recorder, etc.)
•
learn co-operative skills (share props,
adapt or develop ideas in relation to
ideas of others, etc.)
•
develop personal spatial awareness and appreciation of other’s spatial needs
•
play with oral language (through experiences with chants, rhymes, story refrains,
songs, etc.)
•
develop an understanding of the functions of print (writing a list in the Home
Centre) and the features of print (using what they know abut print to write a
“prescription” in the Doctor’s Office)
7
Adding literacy props to all centres
ensures that children have opportunities
to role-play literacy experiences.
Booth, David. Story Drama. 1994, p. 40.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
When the teacher purposefully organizes the environment,
selects appropriate materials, and interacts with children
in dramatic play activities, children may also have
opportunities to develop the following skills and concepts.
-
Mathematics
patterning
measuring
linear, volume, mass, area
sorting
classifying
ordering
estimating
counting
symmetry
balance
comparison
number
spatial
problem solving
using mathematical
language
Personal and Social
Development
- risk taking
- negotiating and sharing
- problem solving
- confidence
- independence
- responsibility
- understanding of roles
The Arts
- creative expression
- aesthetic appreciation
- interpretation of songs,
music, poems
- role-playing
- recognizing and naming
performance elements
Science and Technology
- observing
- predicting
- planning
- drawing conclusions
- hypothesizing
- rehearsing/repetition
- using technology in familiar
settings
Dramatic
Play
Physical Development
- fine motor skills
- eye–hand coordination
- gross motor skills
- visual discrimination
- auditory discrimination
Language
Oral Communication
- listening and speaking with others
- retelling
- questioning
- describing
- explaining
- creating stories
- rehearsing perceptions and reactions
to the world around
Reading
- character names/labels
- related texts
- environmental print
- retelling
- connecting texts to own experiences
Writing
- communicating ideas/information
- writing simple messages
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
The Role of the Teacher
The teacher’s responsibilities in program planning and delivery include
providing appropriate learning experiences; organizing a stimulating
learning environment; and assessing, evaluating and reporting on children’s
progress towards achievement of the learning expectations.8
The teacher’s role is one of supporting, guiding, and facilitating development
and learning, as opposed to the traditional view of teaching and
transmission of knowledge.9
Planning
Providing a stimulating environment is key to successful dramatic play. Children’s natural
inclinations to “play at” must be encouraged through perceptive program planning and
the physical set-up of the classroom.
Providing multiple opportunities for children to learn through dramatic play, creating
an organized space, providing materials to facilitate imaginative interaction and discovery,
scheduling sufficient time, establishing clear routines around the use and maintenance of
materials, and recognizing appropriate times to interact with children as they play, will
impact on the scope and quality of the learning experiences.
Opportunities for children to engage in dramatic play will be based first on identified
needs and interests, and as children develop and progress, the level and scope will change.
It is important to begin with setting up situations and providing materials with which
children are very familiar, such as those they have experienced in their homes. (For sample
plans, see Appendices 2–4.) The teacher needs to consider research, theory, and practice
about how children develop and learn (including the developmental stages of play,
described in Appendix 1). Planning by the teacher does not negate children’s spontaneity.
Rather, it encourages the children to incorporate new ideas and learning into their play.
Children should be encouraged to use the dramatic arts as a way of expressing their
unique understandings of a situation or a story. For example, some new props introduced
into a Home Centre may encourage the focus to change to a café, a store, or a doctor’s
office (see Appendix 5). A variety of dress-up materials will allow children to develop their
own dramas, but by adding, for example, masks, some wood, straw, and bricks, children
may be encouraged to dramatize the story of The Three Pigs.
8
9
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program, 1998, p. 8.
Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment
for Young Children. Vol. 1, 1998, p. 15.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Some learning opportunities may need to be more directly planned, perhaps based on
a tale recently read, for example, The Gingerbread Man. The teacher might, in a large
group situation, demonstrate parts of the drama, inviting input and participation from
the children. Materials would then be made available for children to use the ideas and
their own interpretation to play out the drama independently. Other opportunities for
dramatic play might be initiated as a result of an experience (a trip to the store; a movie
viewed together; a visit to the fire station or airport.). The current centre might then
become, for example, the classroom store or the airport, where children can take on some
different roles.
Appendix 6 provides suggestions for “beyond the classroom” experiences that will
extend children’s views and understandings of drama in a variety of forms.
Considerations
•
Is the centre invitational to all children?
•
Does the organization promote dialogue and interaction with others?
•
How can children who need to, be encouraged to converse in their first language?
•
What kinds of dress-up clothes will be acceptable to both boys and girls?
•
How can children be encouraged to explore a variety of roles, and to transcend
stereotypical gender boundaries?
•
How can the focus of the centre be changed to meet a wide range of children’s needs
and create new interests?
•
Do materials reflect the variety of cultures in the class (pictures displayed, eating
and cooking utensils, clothing, etc.)?
Organizing the Environment
Materials should be accessible to promote independence and a sense of
responsibility as children select, use, and return resources.10
The organization of a specific Dramatic Play Centre, for example, a Home Centre, is
critical, as the potential for learning at the centre is determined by the physical set-up.
Organizing the centre will include decisions about the amount of material to make
available at one time; how to store material logically and graphically so that all children
know where it belongs; how and where to store material that is not being used, but can
be accessed if children want to use it. The ways in which materials are stored can provide
learning experiences for the children—opportunities to sort, match, and classify, as the
centre is reorganized at the end of an activity period for future use by others.
10
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. Kindergarten Years: Learning through Play. 2000, p. 39.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Placement of Dramatic Play Centre
The most appropriate area for a Dramatic Play Centre is in a carpeted area, at a
reasonable distance from those classroom areas where quiet play may occur. Placing the
centre in close proximity to the Block Centre will facilitate play from one centre to the
other; allow materials to be shared; enhance the possibilities for co-operative play; and
facilitate children working co-operatively. It can enrich the play because it increases the
range and type of materials available. Such modification of the space may also help change
children’s gender-type play behaviours. When the block area and the Home Centre are
linked, the areas can be used together. This leads to more social interaction with oppositegender peers.
If space can accommodate, other centres that encourage dramatic play could be
permanently included, for example, a Puppet Centre, a Dress-Up Centre, a Dollhouse.
Props and materials could change with interest and the current classroom focus.
Note: Use of shelving units or low dividers will help to define these areas.
The size of the designated area will determine how many children can effectively play
at the centre. There needs to be sufficient space for children to move easily around the
centre and access the materials comfortably. The centre needs to be positioned so that all
children working there are easily observed by the teacher.
Materials
The variety and scope of materials provided will determine how creative children can be,
and will extend learning possibilities. It may be necessary, initially, to place a limited
number of materials at the centre, until children are able to use the material appropriately
and replace easily. If materials are introduced gradually, children have a chance to become
familiar with the possibilities, and will not be overwhelmed by too many choices. As
children demonstrate independence at the centre, additional materials may be added.
Considerations
Do the materials:
•
meet a range of children’s needs and interests?
•
encourage children to experiment, discover, and reflect?
•
promote social interaction?
•
promote cognitive and language development?
•
reflect the diversity of the classroom population?
Materials need to be changed regularly to reflect increased ability and changing
interests. Some pieces of equipment are permanent items, flexible in their usage, and
appealing to children at any time. These may be made available throughout the year.
Through observation and interaction with children at play, the teacher will be aware of
the learning needs, and make choices about materials that can best extend the play.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
At times the teacher may choose to place specific materials at the centre to encourage
experimentation related to a particular classroom focus, for example:
-As part of, or following, a cooking experience, a Kindergarten café may be set up.
Suggested Materials: table, chairs, placemats, dishes, cutlery, menus, cash register,
money, chef ’s hats, aprons, writing materials, materials for
cooking
-After visiting a store, a Food Store may emerge.
Suggested Materials: table, chairs, shelves, cash register, money, empty food
containers, plastic fruits and vegetables, balance scales, grocery
bags (with store logos), price tags
-Following read-aloud sessions of several versions of The Three Bears, the Home Centre
might become a bears’ house.
Suggested Materials: chairs, bowls and spoons, beds (or material for beds) in three
different sizes, empty packages of oatmeal, cooking utensils
-Following reading experiences with The Three Little Pigs, materials to encourage
dramatic retellings could be placed at the Sand Centre or at the Block Centre.
Suggested Materials for Sand:
plastic models of three pigs and a wolf; building
materials for various kinds of houses
Suggested Materials for Blocks: plastic models of animals (or stuffed animals);
appropriate materials for house building (straw,
cardboard, wooden planks, wooden blocks, and
cardboard bricks). Children might also use large
boxes and paint to give the appearance of the three
different kinds of houses.
The provision of open-ended materials will encourage children to create spontaneous
dramas and self-direct the play. Large pieces of cloth of different textures and designs,
shoes, and props such as telephones, crowns, jewellery, and recycled materials, can lead
children to develop their own stories and characters.
Note: These materials might be stored in a suitcase, trunk, or large box.
(Appendix 5 includes suggestions for additional materials for some specifically focused
centres.)
Note: Children need time to manipulate and explore materials before specific
activities are initiated by the teacher.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
The provision of materials alone does not ensure learning through dramatic play.
The teacher needs to:
•
support learning through use of appropriate affirming comments
•
extend learning by introducing new vocabulary and ideas
•
encourage spontaneous actions by having children share their dramas
Note: In choosing props or visuals to use in dramatic-play areas, ensure that
genders and cultures are represented in a variety of roles, and not limited by
age, socio-economic status, family structures, and abilities. When using puppets
or dolls from a range of racial, ethnic, or cultural identities, ensure that examples
are not stereotypical, such as, a Japanese doll wearing a kimono, a plastic
model of an Inuit in a fur snowsuit.
Time
Children need extended periods of time to engage in play in dramatic play.
Considerations
•
Has time been scheduled daily for children to engage in dramatic activities in both
child- and teacher-directed situations?
•
Has sufficient time been allocated for children to engage in large projects or
complex role-play interactions (building a large castle to use in the dramatization of
Jack and the Beanstalk)?
•
Has sufficient time been allocated for children to replace materials?
•
Has time been planned for reflecting, sharing, and celebrating?
(See Appendix 11 for suggestions on ways to reflect, share, and celebrate.)
•
Will all children have the opportunity to play in the Home Centre, and/or other
interactive drama centres, over the course of a week?
Note: It is effective management to include a five-minute reminder that tidy-up
time is approaching (through use of chimes, musical phrase, guitar riff). This
prepares the children for closure and avoids frustration.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Children can use props
to retell familiar songs or
stories—individually or in
a group.
Expectations
To promote independence, and ensure safety at the Dramatic Play Centre, clear
expectations need to be established.
Considerations:
•
What are the expectations regarding safety, noise, use of materials, and tidy-up?
•
How will the expectations be communicated to the children?
•
How will the children know where the materials belong and how they should be
sorted for storage?
•
How will routines be introduced to the children?
•
How will routines be monitored and reinforced in a variety of ways?
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Literacy through Dramatic Play
Oral Language
Since most dramatic-play experiences in the classroom will occur in social situations, there
are many opportunities for children to use and expand oral language. Although the play
will essentially be child-directed, the teacher has an important role to play—to listen in,
to observe, interact, and even participate in the play at appropriate moments.
With sensitivity and imagination, teachers may enter the children’s play.11
The teacher’s questions and comments to children need to promote thinking, help
them construct knowledge, encourage new language, and expand their language use,
rather than elicit minimal responses.
With comments, such as those in the following examples, the teacher can interact
with children at play to:
•
acknowledge what the child is doing to help sustain interest (especially supportive
for active young children)
I can tell you are a waiter/waitress. You have written down what these customers have
ordered.
•
support students as they work through the process
I noticed you are working well together to tell the story with the puppets—everyone is
getting a turn.
•
reaffirm vocabulary the child has used
Do you plan to use another cone for the top of your tower?
•
introduce new vocabulary informally
We have a new chef in the restaurant today. What a good cook! Look at all the different
ingredients he is using in his batter.
•
ask for clarification, elaboration, or justification
Why do you think Goldilocks said that?
You have set the table for dinner. Tell me how you did it.
•
challenge children’s thinking
How will the customers know how much their bill is?
What was the trickiest part of building that tall tower? If I wanted to build one, what
would you tell me to remember?
•
prompt ways to retell (identify, label, describe, summarize)
Tell me what happened first in the story.
Where were the billy goats at the beginning of the story? Where were they going?
11
Hill, Dorothy, M. Mud, Sand, and Water. 1990, p. 12.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
•
guide children to connect (compare, contrast, apply)
I see you’ve changed the story. What makes yours different from the one we read?
Why did you decide to change the ending?
•
lead children to reflect on an experience, helping them to question, wonder, and
infer
I remember… , I wonder… , I wish…
What helped you to remember all the events in this story?
You don’t have any customers at your store. I wonder why. What could you do to get
them to come to shop?
See Appendix 8 for information on how children use language.
Additional Language Support
By age three to five years, children understand the purpose of language. The foundations
of linguistic skills are usually established in a child’s first language.
Observation of second-language learners has identified the following developmental
sequence.
1. Learners may continue to use first language in second-language situations. In the
Home Centre, for example, the teacher will frequently hear children use their first
language as they explore roles and develop an oral narrative.
2. In a listening or non-verbal situation, second-language learners are spectators, but are
listening and learning to “crack the code.” During this time, children will depend on
adults to meet their needs. (Peers may ignore the second-language learner.) Learners
may be rehearsing vocabulary, but not for communication purposes. They may echo
phrases to practise. Although, at this phase, they will be involved in dramatic
activities and will hear models of language, they may (and should be encouraged to)
engage in non-verbal communication and participation until they are comfortable.
3. Learners begin using telegraphic communication—they will utter a few words to
represent a complete thought, but these may be out of context. Understanding of
English syntax will gradually become evident. (It should be noted that the desire to
communicate with peers is crucial for acquiring the new language.)
4. Learners begin to develop a productive use of English.
An effective second-language learning environment for Kindergarten children includes:
•
a supportive and encouraging environment that promotes the use of first language
as part of the transition to second-language acquisition
•
a routine and consistent organizational structure in which activities happen at
regular intervals and in predictable ways
18
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
•
a language-rich environment in which the teacher uses language that encourages
both comprehension and production skills
•
discussions with, or perhaps training of, English-speaking children in the classroom,
to help provide socially appropriate language partners
•
groupings that encourage second-language learners to interact naturally with those
whose first language is English
By providing an environment that includes these opportunities and by
encouraging children to take advantage of them, preschool teachers can help
individual second language learning children progress through the
developmental learning sequence at the rate and in the way that best fits
their social capabilities and cognitive strengths.12
Reading and Writing
Through dramatic play, children can expand their knowledge of the world. The children
of today live in an environment rich in print. It will therefore be a natural extension for
them to incorporate reading and writing into their play. Classroom dramatic-play
situations should include opportunities to expand knowledge about written language.
Play is a gold mine in its potential for facilitating literacy.13
Dramatic play:
•
provides many opportunities for children to sort out the various functions of
written language, for example, the child may figure out how a list works, or the
purpose of road signs. Typically, play provides a meaningful context for children to
construct new knowledge and for teachers to scaffold and facilitate this.
•
provides a safe environment for risk taking. Children can try out new ideas without
concern about the consequences. They are free to experiment with sound/symbol
relationships as they write menus, price lists, etc., to use in their play. Similarly, they
have freedom to become familiar with a range of genres as they engage in role-play
activities.
Through planned and spontaneous classroom activities, children should have many
opportunities to retell or dramatize stories they have had read to them, or enjoyed reading
by themselves.
Dramatizing literature in the classroom provides students with an effective
and pleasurable way of exploring both the world and themselves. Through
drama, children are required to examine a story more closely, improving
12
Genese, Fred, Editor. Educating Second Language Children. 1994, p. 123.
13
Owocki, Gretchen. Literacy Through Play. 1999, p. 3.
19
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
their comprehension and understanding. They are encouraged to think
creatively and pretend to be their favourite characters, examining life from
various viewpoints. When literature from other cultures and times is
introduced, children gain global and historical perspectives. And, because
drama is a group art, children learn to engage in productive social
interaction, cooperative learning, and group problem solving. 14
For other ideas on ways to support literacy through dramatic play, see Appendix 9.
When writing materials are accessible,
children will incorporate them into their
play.
14
Heinig, Ruth Beall. Improvisation with Favourite Tales. 1992, p. vii.
20
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
The teacher needs to recognize possibilities where children might spontaneously
include reading and writing in their play, and provide the necessary materials to
encourage this “playing at literacy.” Open-ended materials need to be available (paper,
markers, etc.), as well as those with a particular focus (eye chart in Doctor’s Office,
printed menus from restaurants, commercially made road signs, etc.)
-
Store
paper (for making signs)
signs (for labelling shelves)
grocery items in labelled
cans or boxes (full or empty)
money
cash register
paper for bills and receipts
cash register tapes
posters of food and food
products
shopping bags with food
store logos
-
Veterinarian’s Office
- magazines, books (for
waiting room)
- receptionist’s writing
materials
- writing pad (for doctor)
- checklist for doctor
-
Home Centre
message pad
fridge notes,
magnetic letters
books, magazines,
catalogues
telephone book
recipes
clock
calendar
telephones
photo album
cookbook
Post Office
notepads
envelopes
stamp pads (possibly with
school or classroom name)
labelled mailboxes (made
from liquor store boxes)
paper for making signs
(Open/Closed)
labelled mail bag and/or hat
money
posters (of stamps, etc.)
cash register receipts
used stamps
Literacy materials to
encourage language
experimentation and
development
-
Doctor’s Office
magazines, books
(for waiting room)
receptionist’s writing
materials
prescription pad
eye chart
checklist for doctor
-
Restaurant
menu
cardboard (for signs)
order pads
paper for bills
money
Pizza Parlour
- menus
- pizza boxes
- bills
- food ads
- money
-
Airport
paper for signs
maps
money
used tickets
luggage tags
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Interacting with Children
If adults interact with children in a sensitive, responsive, and supportive
manner, play can be enhanced. On the other hand, if adults take over the
control of play, provide too much structure, or interrupt play for academic
purposes, play will usually suffer.15
Advocates of teacher involvement in children’s play cite the following reasons:
•
Approval
When the teacher participates in the play, children are given the message that play is
a valuable and worthwhile activity.
•
Attachment
Children show stronger attachment to adults who participate with them in play
activities.
•
Cognitive Complexity
Children engage in more cognitively complex forms of play.
•
Attention Span
Children’s attention span increases when the teacher is present.
•
Peer Interaction
The teacher can suggest positive strategies for getting along with others and can
encourage peer interaction.
•
Enrichment
The teacher can provide materials, introduce ideas, and teach skills to raise the level
of the play and increase learning possibilities.
•
Scaffolding
The teacher’s presence can encourage children to engage in activities that they could
not/would not attempt independently.
The teacher can act outside the play to encourage play behaviours, for example:
15
Teacher:
Firefighter, I see you have a big fire truck ready to take to the fire.
How are you going to let the fire dispatcher at the station know
where you are?
Firefighter:
I don’t have a phone.
Teacher:
What could you use for a phone? I wonder who would like to be the
fire dispatcher?
Johnson, James E., James F. Christie, and Thomas D. Yawkey. Play and Early Childhood Development.
1999, p. 190.
22
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
The teacher can take on a role and join in the play to model desired play behaviour, for
example:
Teacher:
(Picking up a small block to serve as a telephone)
Firefighter, are you at the fire yet? You need to tell me what happens
so I know you are safe.
Firefighter:
I am at the house now. It’s on fire!
Teacher:
If you go in the house, remember to crawl on the floor to stay away
from some of the smoke! Tell me just what you are doing so I can
help you get back to the station safely.
In order to maximize the positive impact of play on the children’s learning
and development, adults need to take an active role in enriching children’s
home and classroom play experiences. 16
By moving into role, for example, as a customer in a café or store, the teacher would
have opportunities to introduce new vocabulary, incorporate opportunities for literacy
(May I see the menu please?) or mathematics (I would like to order half a cup of coffee please.).
Out of role, at the Sand Centre, the teacher might suggest that the children could make
labels to add to their story map.
Studies have shown that teachers generally spend more time with children who engage
in female gender-type activity, such as arts and crafts, and doll and kitchen play. Typical
male gender-type behaviour, such as truck play, tends not to attract much teacher
attention or reinforcement. Since teacher involvement benefits all children, the teacher
needs to ensure equity in teacher time and intervention for both kinds of activities.
Dramatic Play Centres need to change to accommodate children’s
interests and needs.
16
Johnson, James E., et al. Play and Early Childhood Development. 1999, p. 204.
23
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Assessing
Assessment relies primarily on procedures that reflect the ongoing life of the
classroom and typical activities of the children. Assessment avoids approaches
that place children in artificial situations, impede the usual learning and the
development experiences in the classroom, or divert children from their
natural learning experiences.17
While children are involved in dramatic play, the teacher has the opportunity to observe
their social interaction, development of self-awareness, independence, language levels, and
problem-solving strategies. Observation will be the teacher’s chief tool for gathering
assessment data on oral language development and social skills.
Dramatic play provides a forum for practising current skills. It also provides
motivation for stretching development in each of these areas, i.e., physical,
social, cognitive, and language development. 18
Observation involves:
•
watching what children do
•
listening to what children say
•
recording what is seen or heard
•
observing how children use the available materials
•
analyzing information
•
reflecting on information to plan future programming
Observation allows the teacher to:
•
see growth over time
•
identify patterns of behavior
•
determine the scaffolding required to extend each child’s learning
•
make necessary changes to materials and equipment
•
plan developmentally appropriate activities based on curriculum expectations
•
provide opportunities for students to explore diverse activities
17
Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment
for Young Children. Vol. 1. 1998, p. 15.
18
Davidson, Jane. Emergent Literacy and Dramatic Play in Early Education. 1996, p. 39.
24
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Because children in their first year of school are going through the process of
adjusting to the school setting, they should be given ample time to
demonstrate their abilities. It should be remembered that the period of
adjustment is longer for some children than for others.
Young children will demonstrate their abilities in many different ways.
Their abilities to demonstrate what they know or are able to do will vary,
depending on factors such as the time of day, the situation, the type of
questions asked, familiarity with the content, and facility with the language
of instruction. 19
Observations need to focus on:
•
interest and engagement in selected experiences
•
interaction with peers
•
use of materials
•
development of responsibility and independence
•
development of oral language and vocabulary
•
ability to problem solve
•
development of knowledge and skills
Observations need to be planned
While daily informal observations are ongoing, at the point of occurrence, specific
observations need to be planned. Teacher time needs to be set aside to observe selected
children for a previously identified purpose, and, over a specific time period, observe all
children. These purposes will vary according to the time of year, the number of
opportunities in the dramatic play area, and children’s identified needs.
The teacher needs to plan:
•
when to observe (short frequent observations may be more effective)
•
which children and how many
•
how often
•
how to record (using sticky notes; on a page divided into learning areas, with one
page for each child; on file cards, etc.)
•
what should be recorded (date and time, materials used, observation of specific
behaviours, language used)
•
what to include in assessment portfolios (photographs, videos of children engaged in
activities, audio tapes of children’s conversations, retelling, etc.)
(For further details on focused observation, see Appendices 12 and 13.)
19
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program. 1998, p. 10.
25
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Using Observation Information
The interpretation of data collected through observation helps the teacher plan a program
that meets children’s identified needs and interests in relation to curriculum expectations.
When we assess, observe, and get to know the strengths, interest, needs, and
passions of the children we teach, then we can design and negotiate useful
and challenging learning experiences that both help the child move along the
learning continuum related to the objectives of the curriculum and identify
and carry out activities that are important to the child. 20
Through dramatic play, children use new
and familiar vocabulary as they revisit
an experience, create a new story or
retell a known one.
20
Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment
for Young Children. Vol. 1. 1998, p. 157.
26
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Stages of Play
Appendix 1
21
Solitary Play
• Children play alone, generally to satisfy own immediate needs.
• There is little or no interaction with others.
Exploratory Play
• Children play alone or watch others.
• They may begin to play alongside others without interaction.
Associative Play
• The children may imitate others and attempt to exchange ideas or
materials.
• Children are not working toward a common goal.
Co-operative Play
• Children become members of a group and have a role in the group.
They assume the roles of leaders and followers, with leadership
qualities beginning to emerge.
• Children work toward common goals.
When children are engaged in play, the teacher will observe levels of social development.
It is important to recognize that children in the same age group will be at different stages
of play. Development may depend on the children’s experiences, languages, background
and temperament. These stages are not necessarily sequential.
21
Adapted from Weininger, Otto. Play and Education. 1979.
27
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Planning Model 1
Appendix 2
Plan for Dramatic Play in Home Centre
Fall Term
Overall Expectations
• communicate effectively by listening and speaking
• show willingness to persevere in solving problems
• seek further information, assistance, or materials when necessary
• demonstrate an awareness of the characteristic and functions of
some common materials
• demonstrate understanding of strategies for planning and organizing
• demonstrate a positive attitude towards themselves and others
• identify and use social skills
• communicate their responses to music, art, drama, and dance
Materials
• child-sized furniture and appliances
• two dolls, doll bed, bedding
• dress-up clothes, including large-sized fabric pieces, men’s and
women’s shoes, hats, purses
• dishes, cutlery, cookware, plastic food, placemats
• two telephones
Observation Points
• stage of play/interaction with others
• use of English language
• use of first language (if ESL)
• understanding of routines
• ability to solve problems
• engagement in dramatic play
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Planning Model 2
Home Centre
Appendix 3
Winter Term
Overall Expectations
• communicate effectively by listening and speaking
• show willingness to persevere in solving problems
• seek further information, assistance, or materials when necessary
• demonstrate an awareness of the characteristics and functions of
some common materials
• demonstrate understanding of strategies for planning and organizing
• demonstrate a positive attitude towards themselves and others
• demonstrate awareness of patterns in their daily lives
• identify and use social skills
Materials and Resources
• child-sized furniture and appliances
• television (cardboard box)
• dolls, doll bed, bedding
• stroller, stuffed animals
• dress-up clothes, including fabric pieces, men’s and women’s winter
boots, hats, mittens, scarves, briefcase, purses
• dishes, cookware, plastic food, shopping bags
• placemats, tablecloth, towels
• two or more telephones, phone directory, catalogue, notepads,
pencils, cards, envelopes
• keyboard or typewriter
• small chalkboard or white board
Observation Points
• stages of play
• social interactions—oral communication, co-operative skills, group role
• use of English language
• use of first language (if ESL)
• use of materials and engagement with them
• attempts to read and write in play situations (read magazine while
waiting, make a shopping list, etc.)
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Planning Model 3
Home Centre
(Set-up for dramatization of The Three Bears)
Appendix 4
Spring Term
Overall Expectations
• communicate their responses to music, art, drama, and dance (The Arts)
Expectations in Specific Areas
• ask questions, express feelings, and share ideas (Oral communication)
• identify favourite books and retell stories in their own words (Reading)
• make connections between their own experiences and those of
storybook characters (Reading)
• match objects by one-to-one correspondence (one bowl, one chair to
one bear) (Math)
• use familiar technology appropriately (cassette recorder to listen to
When Goldilocks Went to the House of the Bears) (Technology)
• play the parts of characters from folk tales and legends of various
countries (The Arts)
• enact stories from their own or other cultures (The Arts)
Assessment
Does the child:
• take part in recreating the story?
• use language from the text?
• use mathematical terms such as big, middle-sized, little, one, two,
three, first, second, third?
• use materials and props in imaginative ways?
• speak expressively, changing voice tone and pitch to match character?
• add gestures?
• demonstrate understanding of story?
Specific Materials
• text for Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• audio version of When Goldilocks Went to the House of the Bears
• collection of different-sized bowls, chairs, and material for beds
• empty cereal boxes
• cooking utensils
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Additional Materials
Appendix 5
The following are suggestions for materials to be added to some
identified centres to increase the potential for cross-curricular learning.
Restaurant
Roles: chef, server, customer,
cashier
Props may include:
• aprons, chef’s hat, oven mitts
• tables and chairs
• dress-up clothes (hats, jackets,
ties, etc.)
• paper plates, tray
• play food
• empty food boxes (of different
three-dimensional shapes—to
encourage sorting)
• calculator
• money
• menus
• pens, pencils, markers
Toy Store/Workshop
Roles: toy maker, salesperson,
wrapper, customer
Props may include:
• empty boxes (various sizes)
• used wrapping paper
• tape, ribbon, bows
• used cards, tags
• class list
• mailbox
• blank paper, envelopes, stamps
• pens, pencils, markers
• scissors
• variety of toys
• toy hammers
Store
Roles: shopper, cashier, stock taker
Props may include:
• empty food containers
• scales
• shopping cart, basket, plastic
bags
• cash register
• money
• plastic food
• signs (specials of the day)
• newspaper food ads; coupons
• pens, pencils, markers
Doctors Office/Clinic
Roles: doctor, nurse, patient, family
member
Props may include:
• stethoscope, lab coat (old
white shirt), doctor’s masks,
rubber gloves
• furniture (desk, examining table,
chairs, etc.)
• eye chart
• appointment book
• telephone
• first-aid kit
• white cotton strips for bandages
• scales
• dolls
• extra chairs (for waiting room)
• health posters
• magazines, books
• empty pill containers
• pens, pencils, markers
• blank paper
31
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Dramatic Play Centres
Appendix 6
32
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Extending Children’s Experiences
Appendix 7
To expand children’s drama horizons and provide them with a variety of models, the
teacher might consider arranging for them to:
•
view dramatic performances in other classrooms
•
join with another class (perhaps upper grade) to practise and present (Reader’s
Theatre, a choral reading, or to “produce” a simple play of a familiar story)
•
view a variety of dramas on video (puppetry, cartoons, dance, etc.)
•
experience performances by travelling players and theatre groups, and hear the
actors talk about their work
•
go out to local productions (puppet shows, live theatre, ballet, etc.)
•
hear from invited community visitors about their roles and workplaces in the
community
•
visit places in the community to experience a variety of workplaces, and to view
community members carrying out their roles (local police station, library, bakery,
clinic, construction site, etc.)
Note: Visitors to the classroom should reflect the diversity of gender, class,
work, cultural, racial, and family composition of the children’s community.
Children enjoy dramatizing familiar stories
such as Jump Frog Jump.
33
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
How Children Use Language22
Appendix 8
Children can be observed using language to:
•
self-maintain - includes children communicating needs and wants, being protective
of self, criticizing or threatening others
I want to set the table. Move over.
•
direct - children direct the actions of self and others
I am going to put bandages on all the dolls. Give me yours.
•
report on past and present experiences - includes labelling, relating and
comparing, analyzing the process, reflecting on an experience
I put all the food in the white bag.
The food fell out.
I’ll put some in this bigger bag.
•
reason - includes explaining the process, for example, in building, identifying
problems and solutions, justifying, judgments, and drawing conclusions
First I tried little pieces of tape to make the paper join, but it didn’t work.
Then I tried longer pieces. They stayed together. The long tape made it stick.
•
predict - children anticipate what might happen, identify potential problems and
possible solutions, predict the consequences of actions
If I put the dishes on a tray, I can carry lots more.
•
project - children project into feeling and reactions of others—into past experiences
or those new to them
Tuan’s mad because Christina didn’t help him tidy up the blocks. She never helps.
•
imagine - children create imaginary situations that may have a basis in real life or
may be purely fantasy
I’m the police officer on my bike. You can be in the car—and you’re speeding. I’ll give
you a ticket.
22
Toronto Observation Project. Observing Children Through Their Formative Years. 1980, p. 1.
34
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Ways to Support Literacy
Appendix 9
•
Introduce literacy materials and demonstrate their use to children, before adding them
to centres. This will help children to see ways they can incorporate them into their play.
•
With some materials, enter into the play itself, to demonstrate use, and informally
introduce specific related vocabulary.
•
Communicate routines to the children through visual clues and symbols, for
example, provide “maps” that guide the children to return materials to their assigned
place, by matching shape, size, outlines, pictures and/or words.
•
Add equipment to encourage social interaction, for example, have two telephones in
dramatic play areas; several chairs in the “clinic’s waiting room.”
•
Provide materials that encourage talk and drama, for example, a puppet theatre and
a number of puppets, a collection of dress-up clothes and various props.
•
Introduce fiction and non-fiction books related to the dramatic play focus, for
example,
– Three Billy Goats - add books on bridges
– The Three Pigs - add books on houses, building
– a class zoo trip - add books on animals, zoos
•
Provide materials that encourage functional reading, such as
– print with supportive visuals (to help with replacement of materials)
– visuals related to the focus of a centre (Canada Food Guide in Doctor’s Office;
Today’s Special in Restaurant, etc.)
– displays of children’s recordings (story map of a familiar tale, picture lists of
characters, stores visited on neighbourhood walk, etc.)
– display of signs made by children (Don’t Touch, Danger, Stop, etc.)
– related charts that children have generated and used (recipes, surveys, etc.)
•
Add photographs to centres (people in various community roles at the Block
Centre, food and advertisements to the Home Centre or Store, etc.).
•
Provide materials that will encourage writing (for making signs, labels, directions,
recording information).
Note: Ensure that visuals represent a variety of genders, ages, family
structures, abilities, cultural and racial groups in different roles.
•
Provide props and materials that encourage children to retell a story (models of goats
for the story Three Billy Goats Gruff, set of clothing items for Jacob’s Little Overcoat).
•
Add props that support children recounting experiences (baking utensils and recipe
used in a class cooking activity; plastic animal models and other props as aids in
recalling the sequence of a visit to a farm, etc.).
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Ways to Support Mathematical Learning
Appendix 10
•
Add illustrated placemats for children to match, one to one, with the indicated
cutlery and dishes.
•
Use organizational systems that require children to sort and classify when they
replace materials after use.
•
Provide dolls and clothes of different sizes—children can learn about size as they
dress the dolls.
•
Include money and a cash register in the cafe or store—to give children experience
with handling and noticing differences in coins and notes.
•
Post recipes used in a class experience; display utensils used (measuring cups,
spoons, bowls, aprons)—children can replay the experience.
•
Provide props to help children retell familiar number rhymes and poems (Five Little
Ducks). In addition, provide opportunities for children to dramatize or add actions
to number songs and rhymes (Five Little Pumpkins, One, Two Buckle my Shoe, etc.).
•
Add clocks and timers to the Home Centre.
•
Include a calendar in the Home Centre.
•
Add larger grocery boxes to the Store materials and ensure that there are many
different sizes of smaller boxes on the shelves (for children to pack the “customer’s”
purchased smaller boxes into). This kind of activity helps the development of spatial
awareness.
•
Include scales in the Doctor’s Office or balance scales in the Store—to encourage
weighing experiences.
•
Add measuring tapes to the Block Centre—children can explore linear measurement.
•
Add writing materials for children to incorporate into their play, e.g., rewriting
findings, writing bills, etc.
The addition of props can also support mathematical learning,
e.g., using standard measuring devices.
36
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Reflecting and Celebrating Suggestions
Appendix 11
•
Invite small groups or the whole class to gather around, for example, the Puppet
Theatre/Home Centre, to have children describe, demonstrate, or re-enact what
they did, and explain what they learned.
•
Take photographs of children at dramatic play in the various centres. Compile into
a book with accompanying captions. Place in the Reading Corner for children to
revisit. Include in the collections of books to be borrowed for home reading.
•
In the classroom or halls, display photographs of children at work—for others to
view.
•
During sharing time, invite children to talk about dramatic-play activities, describe
problems they may have encountered, and recount how they were solved. Plan time
for peers to ask questions.
•
Videotape children engaged in dramatic play at the centres. Show it to the children
and have them talk about what they were doing. On information evenings, show
the video to family members—as a vehicle for explaining the value of play.
•
Tape-record children as they retell stories or recount experiences—for inclusion in
portfolio collections, and to share with family members.
The addition of puppets promotes social interaction and the
development of language skills.
37
© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Focused Observations
Interaction
Appendix 12
Does the child share?
Does the child negotiate?
Does the child work alone? with a partner? in a group?
What group role does the child take—leader? follower?
How does the child cope with group problems?
How does the child react to conflict?
What strategies does the child use to resolve conflicts?
Does the child relate easily to adults?
Use of Materials
Does the child use the materials appropriately?
Does the child use the materials in original ways?
Does the child engage in symbolic play?
Can the child sort/organize materials at end of work period?
Can the child identify materials needed? successfully find resources
—to find a magic wand, a steering wheel for the fire engine, etc.?
Interest and
Does the child enjoy participating in dramatic activities?
Engagement
Does the child choose these centres often?
Does the child sustain interest for short/long periods of time?
Does the child have a plan for using the materials?
Knowledge/Skills
Development
Does the child communicate in dramatic play, in a variety of ways
—verbally? in picture form? in writing?
Does the child use literacy materials at Dramatic Play Centres? How?
Does the child use own background knowledge and experiences in
dramatic play?
Does the child indicate a sense of story? sense of audience?
Does the child suggest ideas for props and, where needed, create own?
Does the child understand and identify a sequence of events in a story?
Is the child developing mathematical concepts/using skills in dramatic
play—matching? sorting? classifying? ordering? counting?
What science and technology knowledge/understandings does the child
demonstrate—name tools and actions? use tools effectively?
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
Focused Observation …continued
Appendix 12
Oral Language
Can the child sustain a conversation with other children/with adults?
Development
Can the child be easily understood?
How does the child use language—to: self-maintain? direct?
report? reason? predict? project? imagine?
Does the child ask questions? express feelings? share ideas?
What kind of questions does the child ask—permission? curiosity?
negotiation?
Can the child respond to experiences through drama?
Can the child use a range of vocabulary to describe materials,
actions, learning?
Does the child use book language?
Does the child use time-related vocabulary in retelling?
How does the child present ideas—vary pace, tone of voice?
use gestures? use facial expression? speak in character?
Problem-Solving
Skills
Does the child have strategies for problem solving?
- seek help?
- independently suggest alternatives?
- listen to and accept others’ ideas or solutions?
Development of
Independence &
Does the child take responsibility for tidy-up by participating in
the storage and organization of materials?
Responsibility
Does the child initiate dramatic-play ideas?
Does the child invite and include others in the play?
Does the child understand and follow the routines?
Children engage in oral discussions or conversations
when involved in dramatic play, taking on different roles.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations
Appendix 13
The following are some examples of what the teacher may see a child doing, or hear a
child saying, in relation to the curriculum expectations.
LANGUAGE
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Oral Communication
- use language to connect new
experiences with what they already know
- say to the doll, Time to sleep, little baby.
- say, I’ll huff and I’ll puff, as plastic
models of three pigs characters are
manipulated.
- ask questions, express feelings, and
share ideas
- say, Who’ll be storekeeper today?
Who wants to drive the boat?
- say, I’m mad—you didn’t let me be Jack.
- follow simple directions and respond
appropriately to familiar questions
- replace dishes onto the labelled mat on a
Home Centre shelf.
- reply, My favourite part is when the troll
comes out from under the bridge.
Reading
- identify favourite books and retell the
stories in their own words
- use models and props to initiate own
retelling of a chosen story, for example,
Rosie’s Walk.
- make connections between their own
experiences and those of storybook
characters
- say, My grandma makes porridge
sometimes—just like the three bears did.
- say, Once I got lost in the store—like
Corduroy.
- demonstrate awareness of some
conventions of written materials
- point to a sign in store and run finger
under words from left to right.
- check list of story characters in book to see
which characters are needed for the play.
- identify most of the letters of the alphabet,
and demonstrate understanding that
letters represent sounds and that written
words convey meaning
- read letters on the eye chart in the
Doctor’s Office.
- print the letters S P for a Stop sign in the
Block Centre.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations …continued
Appendix 13
LANGUAGE
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Writing
- write using a variety of tools and media
- paint the PIZZA sign for the classroom
restaurant.
- use Paint, Write & Play on the computer
to write
Puppet Show at 2 o’clock.
- write simple messages using a
combination of pictures, symbols, letters,
phonetic spellings, and familiar words
- incorporate writing into dramatic play—
to write a list of children’s names, bills,
a sign, a shopping list.
- print most of the letters of the alphabet,
their own name and names of family
members, and some short words
- write names of friends on envelopes—to
send through the class Post Office.
Understanding of Media Materials
- use a variety of materials to communicate
information
- paint a Don’t Touch sign for building in
Block Centre.
- use crayons/markers to make labels,
write directions for the play, create a
menu.
- begin to distinguish between the
imaginary and the real
- say, The troll in Three Billy Goats was
just pretend.
- say, Real bears don’t live in a house.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations …continued
Appendix 13
MATHEMATICS
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Number Sense and Numeration
- sort and classify objects into sets
according to specific characteristics, and
describe those characteristics
- in the Home Centre, sort the clothes and
place in labelled drawers.
- sort cans and boxes in the classroom store.
- match objects by one-to-one
correspondence
- match one cup to one saucer when
setting the table.
- match dishes and utensils to children at
centre.
- demonstrate awareness of addition and
subtraction in everyday activities
- attempt to give change in the classroom
store.
- say, I need one more.
Measurement
- use simple measurement terms correctly
- say, This doll is too big for the bed.
- say, I want to make a taller tower.
- order two or more objects according to
size or mass
- in the Sand Centre, line up models of
zoo animals according to size.
- use some standard measuring devices
appropriately
- use a tape measure in Block Centre to
measure the blocks or planks.
- using scales in classroom Doctor’s Office;
say, Just the right weight!
- identify the values of some coins
- count out a dime and five pennies to pay
for stamps in the post office; say, That’s
ten and a five.
Spatial Sense and Geometry
- use language accurately to describe
basic spatial relationships
- say, Put the dirty dishes in the sink.
- say, We need a big block on the bottom.
- identify and sort three-dimensional
shapes
- sort food containers on store shelves
according to shape; say, I put all the
round ones here.
Data Management and Probability
- compare information on objects, using
two attributes
- say, Put the small orange plates on the
table and the big green ones on the shelf.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations …continued
Appendix 13
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Exploration and Experimentation
- describe the functions of common objects
found at home and at school
- say, Where are the coat hangers to hang
up these shirts?
- say, You have to keep all the money in
the cash register.
- experiment with simple machines
- use wheel toys (constructed with Mobilo,
Lego, etc.) to deliver imaginary goods.
- build ramps with construction materials
as part of building.
- make a specific plan, describe the steps,
and carry out the plan
- say, Let’s make a boat. First,we need to
make the bottom. Let’s get the big blocks.
This one can be the ramp to get in the
boat.
Use of Technology
- identify familiar technological items and
describe their use in daily life
- use the keyboard in the class Doctor’s
Office; say, I’ll type the prescription with
this.
- make things using a variety of tools and
techniques
- use scissors and a stapler to make a mask
to be the troll in Three Billy Goats Gruff.
- work with others in using technology
- help a friend to use the water wheel in
the Water Centre.
Children can revisit a previous classroom experience
when the materials are added to the centre.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations …continued
Appendix 13
THE ARTS
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Creative Activity
- use familiar materials in new ways
- use juice cans as telephones.
- solve problems creatively
- in absence of costumes, make masks or
hats.
- make preparations for performances
- use a box and paint to use as a puppet
theatre.
- use blocks to make the animal pens seen
on the zoo trip, and describe which
animals were seen.
- decide who will take each role in
classroom drama activities
- “sign up” on the class chart, for a role in
the Reader’s Theatre presentation of Five
Little Pumpkins.
- negotiate roles with others: say, You were
Jack yesterday, I want to be Jack today.
- enact stories from their own and other
cultures
- participate in dramatizations of different
versions of The Little Red Hen.
- initiate the dramatization, using props
found in the classroom.
- play the part of characters from folk tales
and legends of various countries
- mime the actions of the various animal
characters in The Mitten, as the teacher
reads the text.
Knowledge of Elements and Forms
- name different elements in performances
- say, I‘ll start first. You can be in the
audience and don’t talk.
- say, I want to be the narrator.
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Kindergarten Program Expectations …continued
Appendix 13
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Expectations in Specific Areas
The child may
Self-Awareness and Self-Reliance
- identify and talk about their own interests
and preferences
- cook a “stir fry” in a wok in the Home
Centre.
- say, I like this dinner. My mom makes it.
- express their own thoughts and share
experiences
- say, I would be afraid of that troll.
- say, Once we had a dog. He looked a
bit like Spot.
- demonstrate self-reliance
- dress the doll, using clothes in right order.
- say, I can put the clothes on the baby.
Health and Physical Activity
- identify nutritious foods
- take pretend food from fridge, say to peer
(acting as the child), I will give you some
apple for snack. It’s good for your teeth.
- identify safe and unsafe situations,
materials, and equipment
- say, The tower is getting too tall. It’s
going to fall over.
Social Relationships
- share responsibility for planning
classroom events and activities
- help to find chairs, bowls, and spoons of
different sizes to prepare a house for the
three bears.
- identify feelings and emotions and
express them in acceptable ways
- talk about a conflict situation in the
classroom, and participate in a role play
to solve it appropriately.
- recognize, in situations involving others,
advances or suggestions that threaten
their safety or well-being
- participate in discussion around safety
issues in fairy tales (Goldilocks entering a
strange house; Red Riding Hood stopping
to speak to a stranger).
Awareness of Surroundings
- talk about time in relation to certain
events or activities
- identify people who help others in the
community, and describe what they do
- in retelling, say, First, the Little Billy Goat
went over the bridge…, Then… Last of
all….
- say (playing with trucks in the sand),
Quick—get out of the way—I am the
ambulance—there’s a big crash down
the road. I have to help.
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© Toronto District School Board, 2002
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Appendix 14
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Christie, James F., editor. Play and Early Literacy Development. Albany, NY: State
University of New York Press, 1991.
Davidson, Jane. Emergent Literacy and Dramatic Play in Early Education. Scarborough,
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Genese, Fred, Editor. Educating Second Language Children. Cambridge: University Press,
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Dorothy M. Hill. Mud, Sand, and Water. Washington DC: National Association for the
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Johnson, James E., James F. Christie, Thomas D. Yawkey. Play and Early Childhood
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Ministry of Education and Training. The Kindergarten Program. Toronto, ON: Queen’s
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Norris, Doreen, and Boucher, Joyce. Observing Children. Toronto Observation Project.
Toronto Board of Education, 1981.
Owocki, Gretchen. Literacy Through Play. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.
Simlansky, Sara. “Sociodramatic Play: Its Relevance to Behavior and Achievement in
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Van Hoorn, J.P. Nourot, B. Scales, and K. Alward. Play at the Centre of the Curriculum,
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