Children's Views on Play in Peer Cultures: Status, Rules, and Educator's Role

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Supporting Young Children's Learning and Development

Abstract

This paper reports on a multiple-case study drawing on an ethnographic approach. The study was built on Corsaro’s sociology of childhood construct. Video-stimulated recordings were used, with children aged 3-6, to gain a better understanding of how they experience rules in their play and the role of educator’s in their play. The children’s status in their peer culture influenced both how they dealt with adult initiated rules in play and how they saw the educator’s role. The children who were leaders in play sometimes used different strategies to include/exclude other children and did not see how the educators could be involved. This study contributes to ECE research where children’s perspectives are critical for supporting their play and learning.

Authors

• Sara Margret Olafsdottir, University of Iceland

• Johanna Einarsdottir, University of Iceland