1-146 - Make-Believe Play and Socio-Emotional Competence in Preschoolers

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

The symposium focusses on how preschoolers’ quality of make-believe play can be assessed and enhanced, in order to support the development of their socio-emotional competencies. The four presentations which this research comprises, deal with slightly different concepts of intervention, which makes a comparison and discussion particularly effective for an integration of intervention strategies and for their impact on different aspects of play and socio-emotional competencies.
The first presentation examines the reliability and validity of a new observation tool for measuring children’s make-believe play. The Mature Play Observation Tool (MPOT) enables an assessment of children’s mature play, in order to improve levels of play in preschool classrooms.
The second presentation reports on an evaluation of a fairytale-based intervention for enhancing preschoolers’ make-believe play, and their awareness and regulation of emotions. Children listened to fairytales and re-enacted their dramatic emotion episodes in small, guided play groups. Pre-post comparisons revealed an increase in their understanding of socio-emotional situations, as well as in their socio-emotional competencies.
In the third presentation, an evaluation of a creative drama intervention is reported, that is based on applying theatre arts skills, so as to enhance preschoolers’ make-believe play. Pre-post comparisons with the Preschool Theatre Arts Rubric (PTAR) revealed significant increases in children’s theatre arts skills.
The fourth presentation added an evaluation of a third intervention concept that focusses on a guided make-believe play intervention in small play groups with everyday playworlds such as firefighters. The interventions fostered children’s quality of make-believe play and their theory of mind skills.

Sub Unit

• Social, Emotional, Personality

Chair

• Manfred Holodynski, University of Münster

Individual Presentations

• Play it High, Play it Low: Examining the Reliability and Validity of a New Observation Tool to Assess Children’s Make-Believe Play - Presenting Author: Carrie Germeroth, University of Denver; Julie Sarama, University of Denver; Douglas H Clements, University of Denver; Crystal Day-Hess, University of Denver; Carolyn Layzer, Abt Associates; Elena Bodrova, Tools of the Mind

• ‘All’s Well that Ends Well?’ Evaluating a Fairytale-Based Play Intervention to Foster Socio-Emotional Competences in Preschoolers - Presenting Author: Sophia Hermann, University of Münster; Dorothee Seeger, University of Münster; Manfred Holodynski, University of Münster

• Who Benefits From Preschool Theatre Arts Programming? Measuring Change Over Time - Presenting Author: Michelle M. Englund, University of Minnesota; Amy Susman-Stillman, Center for Early Education and Development, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota; Chloe Webb, University of Minnesota

• The Impact of Play Tutoring on Preschoolers’ Social Pretend Play Level: Differential Effects of Social and Social-cognitive Skills - Presenting Author: Sonja Perren, University of Konstanz and Thurgau University of Teacher Education, Switzeerland; Fabio Sticca, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Carine Burkhardt Bossi, Thurgau University of Teacher Education, Switzerland