Sociodramatic Play Engagement in Classrooms With Multiple Home Languages Represented: English Expressive Narrative Skill Matters

• In Event: Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners and Immigrants

Abstract

A substantial body of research has demonstrated social and academic benefits of sociodramatic play (SDP) for young children. However, substantially less research has explored the individual factors that predict the amount of SDP occurring during free play. This concurrent correlational study investigated SDP engagement in diverse Head Start classrooms where English was the linguistic medium of peer play. Hierarchical blockwise regression analyses tested relations between various individual factors and the amount of children’s SDP. The finding that expressive narrative ability predicted SDP engagement is particularly notable given the high numbers of students with home languages other than English in these urban Head Start classrooms, and has important implications for preschool teaching practices and training.

Author

• Caitlin T. Malloy, University of Massachusetts - Boston