1. How dramatic play enhances
cognitive development.
Jessica Bowen
Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendall College
2. Overview
I chose dramatic play and how it enhances a child’s cognitive development. Now a days I see too
many kids playing on ipads and phones and not out there being kids. I have a little boy in my class
that brings his ipad to school and mom says if he starts to act up to give him the ipad. I’ve noticed
that he doesn’t really interact with others as well as the other kids do. I want to show the
importance of play and what it helps a child develop cognitive skills, social/emotional, and psychical
skills.
3. Credible Source #1
My first source is an article form the Early childhood news that talks about how dramatic play enhances child
development in four major area.
The first is social/emotional- when children come together they are recreating some life experiences they might face.
They learn how to cope with any fears and worries that may go along with those experiences. They develop skills they
need to cooperate with peers, learn to control impulses, and tend to be less aggressive.
The second is physical- dramatic play helps children develop both gross and fine motor skills. They practice hand eye
coordination and visual discrimination.
The third is cognitive- they make use of pictures they have created in their minds to recreate past experiences, which is
a form of abstract thinking. Pretending their a cashier and counting out change or dialing a telephone promotes math
skills. Playing with magazines, sorting books or drawing with crayons and paper develop literacy skills.
The fourth is language They learn to ask and answer questions and the words they use fit whatever role they are
playing. Personal vocabularies grow as they begin to use new words appropriately, and the importance of reading and
writing skills in everyday life becomes apparent by their use of literacy materials that fill the area.
4. Credible Source #2
Dramatic play is instrumental in helping children develop and awareness of their identity, culture, and
community. Phillip Rowell (2010)
Dramatic play is a process in which a child can engage with and explore their actual world by creating an
imaginary one where there are a range of possibilities, stories to tell or scenarios to act out which reflect
their family day to day life, interests or life challenges.
Dramatic play contributes to children’s cognitive, intellectual and emotional development. It fosters the
growth of language and literacy skills.
It can help children develop skills such as empathy, conflict resolution, problem solving and
understanding the nature of relationships. It can provide an outlet for children t deal with emotions and
express how they feel about issues that are worrying them.
Other skills that dramatic play experiences can strengthen include fine and gross motor, initiative,
motivation, and independence, sensory, stimulation, perseverance, concentration, reflection, sensitivity
and creativity. (Dau,2005).
5. Credible Source #3
Through dramatic play children learn about themselves and the world. They experiment with role playing
and work to make sense out of what they’ve observed.
Children work out confusing, scary, or new life issues. This a child’s way of exploring and experience that
is common and sometimes confusing and scary.
Children develop important complex social and high order thinking skills. Children learn to do things like
negotiate, consider other’s perspectives, transfer knowledge from one situation to another, delay
gratification, balance their own ideas with others, develop a plan and act on it, explore symbolism,
express and listen to thoughts and ideas, assign tasks and roles, and synthesize different information and
ideas.
Children cultivate social and emotional intelligence. Children learn how to read social cues, recognize and
regulate emotions, negotiate and take turns
Children synthesize knowledge and skills. Learning and child development doesn’t happen in discrete
pockets of time or during isolated activities. Children need opportunities to blend their skills and
knowledge together.
6. Analysis
With all three of my sources they all seemed to have the same idea. Dramatic play plays a crucial
role in the development of a child. It teaches children skills that for one are going to help them in
school such as writing, language and math. It also helps them with social skills and how to solve
and handle certain situations. It also lets them be creative and use their imagination.
7. Connection
Dramatic play is important to me because at the daycare I work at we are helping kids develop their
skills. Whether it’s singing the alphabet, or going on a number hunt we are helping them develop
certain skills. Dramatic play helps enhance social emotional skills. So when a child is playing with
something and another kid takes it from them I want them to know how to properly handle that
situation. I want children to use their imagination and act out what they think the world is like. It
goes hand in hand with Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. The four stages and how
each stage has certain skills that a child should be hitting such as the preoperational stage in which
young children are able to think about things symbolically. This is the ability to make one thing - a
word or an object - stand for something other than itself.
8. Conclusion
After all my search I have more valid reasons as to why dramatic play is important. No only for the
social skills they develop but for the physical, cognitive, how their able to express themselves, deal
with emotional stresses etc. without dramatic play children won’t fully understand how to deal with
emotions, problem solving, or to socialize with others.
9. Communication with families
If I had a parent or family ask me how dramatic play enhances cognitive development I would
simply say “ Dramatic play isn’t just a fun activity to do. While children are at play they are learning
how to work with other. They are learning to solve problems, deal with issues that arise like a friend
taking their toy or won’t share. It let’s them act out what they think the world is. It allows them to
express themselves. It shows them that they can do what ever they set their minds to.”
10. References
Marie. E Cecchini (2008) How Dramatic Play Can Enhance Learning. Exceligen Learning Corporation.
Retrieved: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=751
Phillip Rowell (2010) The World is a Child’s Stage- Dramatic Play and Children’s Development.
Putting Children First (issue 36) (December 2010) (Page 16-18) Retrieved:
http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/educator-resources/pcf-articles/WorldisChildsStageDec2010.pdf
Bright Horizons (2016) THE IMPORTANCE OF PRETEND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT RETRIEVED:
HTTP://WWW.BRIGHTHORIZONS.COM/FAMILY-RESOURCES/E-FAMILY-NEWS/2013-IMPORTANCE-OF-
PRETEND-PLAY-IN-CHILD-DEVELOPMENT/
