ERIC Number: EJ1180925
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jun
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1476-718X
EISSN: N/A
Pie, Fry, Why: Language Play in 3- to 5-Year-Old Children
Read, Kirsten; James, Sarah; Weaver, Andrew
Journal of Early Childhood Research, v16 n2 p121-135 Jun 2018
This study examined the relationship between four common types of language play and their correlations with the verbal and social abilities of 3- to 5-year-old children. While observation has shown that children this age produce a range of play, research has not yet examined whether play is a measurable skill connected to preschoolers' language development. In this study, we designed four language play elicitation games involving creating rhymes, word switching, word creation, and hyperbolic play. Children's ability to produce novel play for each game was measured, and classroom teachers filled out assessments of children's verbal and peer interaction skills. Results indicated that while children's peer interaction scores were not related to their play scores, verbal skills scores were highly correlated with language play scores, highlighting that for preschoolers the ability to produce common types of language play may be a distinctly verbal skill.
Descriptors: Interpersonal Competence, Play, Preschool Education, Educational Games, Verbal Ability, Interaction, Correlation, Language Acquisition, Observation, Teacher Surveys, Likert Scales, Acoustics, Phonological Awareness, Word Order, Teaching Methods, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A