Reconstructing the World
Through “playing” with concepts and observations of their environment, children internalize and come to have a deeper understanding of what they experience. Through dramatic play that involves imagined scenarios, spontaneous “scripts,” and interactions with or without partners, children explore what they see, hear and observe. Children also recreate their experiences through: storytelling and writing, block building, painting, and body movement, such as is explored in Rhythms and free play in the Block Yards.
Five IVs recently recreated a store with four checkout counters. When the fifth child, who was overseeing the work of the cashiers, wanted to be a part of the checkout process, the children approached a teacher with the dilemma. She asked if they had ever noticed a manager at work in a grocery store, and one of the children did recall a manager refilling the money in a cash register. This provided the “manager” with an integral task in the play, while also integrating the real world observations of the children. The children’s play was flexible enough to allow for changes while maintaining their “characters.”
Five IVs recently recreated a store with four checkout counters. When the fifth child, who was overseeing the work of the cashiers, wanted to be a part of the checkout process, the children approached a teacher with the dilemma. She asked if they had ever noticed a manager at work in a grocery store, and one of the children did recall a manager refilling the money in a cash register. This provided the “manager” with an integral task in the play, while also integrating the real world observations of the children. The children’s play was flexible enough to allow for changes while maintaining their “characters.”