This paper examines aspects of role playing in young children focusing specifically on the importance of role playing, the components of role playing and how to use role playing. The importance of role playing is discussed and several reasons for believing that role playing is related to intellectual and social development and to learning language…

Role-playing in nutrition has many advantages as an educational technique, including building thoughts, facilitating flexible thinking, promoting awareness, and providing opportunities for practicing food-related behavior. The Curry and Arnaud model for role play is presented in terms of its components and how each component relates to nutrition…

The Curry and Arnaud model for role playing is described and discussed as it relates to nutrition education for young children. The components of the model are: (1) developing the role, (2) using thematic content, (3) displaying feelings (in socially acceptable ways), (4) distinguishing between reality and fantasy, and (5) forming interpersonal…

It is the responsibility of the early childhood educator to ensure that creative thinking is part of the preschool curriculum because of its beneficial effects on academic and social learning in the young child. There are basically seven strategies that can be used to facilitate creative thinking in young children. These strategies are: (1)…

Research findings indicate that role play can contribute to children's language growth through furthering: (a) growth in imaging, (b) increased recall, (c) discriminative listening, (d) development of novel forms of communication, (e) learning of socially appropriate communication, and (f) motoric actions. Teachers can facilitate role-playing by…

This paper reviews theoretical writings on the importance and function of imaginative play in the development of young children, and describes measurement instruments and instructional aids used for imaginative play in home and school settings. A historical summary of the function of play in the young child's life is presented. Early theories saw…

This paper discusses the value of role play in facilitating children's language development and suggests strategies for using role play effectively in early childhood and intermediate classrooms. Role play requires the child (1) to listen and observe peer talk and action and to use language memory, attention and concentration behaviors; (2) to…

This study investigates the effects of social relationships curricula and sex differences on reading readiness and imaginativeness. The subjects were ninety-six 5-year-olds from four kindergarten classrooms. In the pre- and post-assessment phase of the study the children were administered the Gates MacGinitie Reading Readiness Skills Test and the…

Reports the results of a study of five-year-olds, which indicate that social relationships are a facilitator of cognitive learning of reading readiness concepts and imaginativeness. Girls in the experimental treatments significantly outperformed the boys. (JD)

Evaluative intervention research studies in pretend play are investigations that examine the potential of imaginative play in young children to demonstrate a relationship between play and cognitive, social, and emotional growth. A review of the research indicates that children who engage in imaginative play yield higher test scores than those in…

Examining the effects of sociodramatic play and sex differences on mathematical learning and adult-observed playfulness in young children, several preliminary analyses were run of pre-test scores. Tests used were the Kindergarten Keys Mathematics Test and the Lieberman Playfulness Scale. The results of three 2(treatment) x 2(sex) analyses of…