Young children's play and links with learning.
Kavanaugh, Robert D. (2006), "Pretend Play." In Spodek, Bernard and Olivia N. Saracho, eds., Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children, 2d ed. (Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), pp. 269-278.
This reference book has 32 chapters by various academic authors on a wide range of early childhood topics. In Chapter 15, on "Pretend Play," is a brief section about pretend play and literacy that mentions that "there is evidence that the symbolic transformations involved in early pretend play (e.g. at age 3 years) correlate positively with the later development of children's reading and writing." (p. 274). The author cites the following:
Roskos, K. and Neuman, S.B. (1998), "Play as an Opportunity for Literacy." In O.N. Saracho and B. Spodek, eds., Multiple Perspectives on Play in Early Childhood Education (Albany: SUNY Press), pp. 100-115.
What evidence shows a correlation between play and literacy development? What kind of play? What is it about play? Is there a theoretical basis to support the observed correlation? What are the implications for teaching?
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One of the 22 citing articles is:
Korat, O., E. Bahar, and M. Snapir (2002). "Sociodramatic play as opportunity for literacy development: The teacher's role," Reading Teacher 56(4), pp. 386-395.
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