Chapter 12: Using Technology for Documentation of Dramatic Play  

Fact: Reflection: 
12-1 (Using Technology for Documentation)  Up until 5th grade, we used regular 
❖ Using technical or electronic media is  whiteboards and in fifth grade we switched to 
not an innovation in classrooms  smart boards. It made learning more 
❖ 92% of almost 1500 early childhood  interactive and exciting personally. We also 
educators reported having access to  know live in an age where there is no escaping 
digital cameras  using technology, and some career fields will 
❖ Technology: t​ ool used to perform a  be purely based on that. It would be a 
task  disservice to take it out completely. 
➢ Not just for learning but also 
for documentation and 
communicating with families is 
responsibility of early childhood 
educators 
➢ Tools can be used to document, 
archive, and share 
developmental information with 
families, electronically, or face 
to face 

12-1a (Types of Technological Media for  A parent from my mom’s class last year is a 
Observing and Recording)  professional photographer and scrapbooked 
❖ Each device has its usefulness, along  photos of the school year. It was a very sweet 
with disadvantages  gift not only for my mom but for the whole 
❖ Photography  class as well.  
➢ Become easier and less 
expensive 
➢ Capture children’s expressions 
to show responses 
➢ Moments in time are captured 
to reflect on later 
➢ Can be used during the year as 
vehicles to help the child 
remember and talk about 
specific incidents 
■ Used as mementos at 
the end of the year 
❖ Audio Recording 
➢ Especially useful to gather 
speech and language samples 
➢ Can be used as dramatic play 
props or on project work 
➢ Some regard recording without 
the subject’s approval or 
knowledge as an invasion of 
privacy 
 ❖ Video 
➢ Affordable, easy to use, 
efficient in almost any kind of 
light and setting 
➢ Recorded images and sounds 
are downloaded and stored on a 
computer 
➢ Useful for teacher to analyze 
children’s own or one’s own 
actions for further study 

12-1b (Ethical Use of Technology  So long as all ethical and legalistic factors are 
Documentation)  properly taken into consideration, technology 
❖ At school, children and adults alike  of any kind can and should be conducive to the 
should feel comfortable  learning environment 
❖ Legal and ethical considerations  
➢ Do we have a right to unlimited 
access to a human being?  
➢ What damage might it cause in 
relationships between children 
and “trusted” adults in their 
lives 
➢ Obtain informed consent, 
maintain confidentiality, and 
obtain prior permission 

12-1c (Media as Documentation for Other  Technology is a now inevitable part of society, 
Areas of Development)  not using it would allow kids to lose out on 
❖ Technology has changed the way we  valuable knowledge.  
work and live 
❖ Social interactions can be preserved 
with photos or recorded conversations 
❖ Creative moments, whether art media 
manipulation or dramatic play, are 
meaningfully captured on video or 
audio 

12-1d (How to Find the Time)  Teaching kids how to use technology at a 
❖ Can take a while to learn to use new  young age will only make it easier for them to 
equipment  use newer models or tools that come out. 
➢ More you use it, easier it will  Essentially setting them up for success. 
become   
❖ What to Do With It   
➢ Audio recordings kept in 
portfolio 
➢ Photos can be added to child’s 
portfolio to illustrate comments 
 about areas of development 
■ They add visual info to 
A.R. 

12-2 (Looking at Dramatic Play)  I feel that kinship play is one that should be 
❖ In early childhood classrooms, there is  monitored a little more closely only because 
more emphasis on accountability and  there are times when children can easily be 
academic prep over research on the  bullied. I know that I experienced being 
importance and role of play  isolated from hanging out during recess and it 
❖ Even with less time for pretend play,  left me dreading that time everyday. In 
children were still participating in it  elementary, not so much, but as the children 
❖ 4 major types:   get older, being aware of who is sitting out and 
➢ Mastery Play: repetitive  why is important.  
actions, child explores physical 
properties of an object using all 
senses 
■ Repeated, refining 
physical skills while the 
brain stores info from 
exploring 
➢ Innovative Play: child takes 
what they learned through 
exploring and then experiments 
■ walking followed by 
running, climbing, 
skipping 
➢ Kinship Play: sharing an 
experience, with or without 
verbal communication, that 
creates a bond 
■ No need for intro or 
awareness of cultural 
status, they just play 
➢ Therapeutic Play: using play as 
a way of dealing with stress 
■ Peek-a-boo 
❖ Easy to see how dramatic play 
enhances learning 

12-2a (Dramatic Play at Various Ages)  Children are soaking up all this information 
❖ Children play in different ways at  from the youngest of ages and simply crave an 
different ages and stages  outlet to try and copy what they’ve seen. It’s 
❖ Vygotsky  innate, natural, and complex. As teachers and 
➢ Infancy: infant and adult are  observers, we are able to give the children the 
gazing at each other intently  best chance at fulfilling this desire.  
■ Repetition of adult-child 
interactions is building 
 the foundation for later 
plots of sociodramatic 
play with peers 
➢ Young Toddlers (6-18 
months): child is exploring 
physical world by playing with 
objects 
■ Repetition with and 
without objects 
■ Substitution: other 
objects become 
stand-ins 
➢ Older Toddlers: Dramatic play 
occurs just at the time when 
social rules are being enforced 
by adults 
■ Child substitutes 
imaginary situations to 
control the rules and 
work them through to 
delay immediate 
gratification 
■ Child is making the 
rules 
➢ Preschoolers: each player has a 
role related to the theme, but 
acts independently 
➢ 4 types 
■ Functional 
● Feeding baby, 
driving car 
■ Relational 
● Representing 
family member, 
friend, or pet 
■ Stereotypic 
● Based on 
occupation such 
as cop or 
construction 
worker 
■ Fictional 
● Taken from a 
story or media 
superheros 
➢ Young School Agers: Dramatic 
play declines in the early school 
 years 
■ Games with rules are 
outlets for these skills 
and attitudes 
■ They are 
concrete-operational 
thinkers, ready for 
group play 
❖ Taking roles helps children understand 
and feel powerful 
➢ Only able to do this because of 
expanded vocab, experiences 
with models, and objects that 
they can mentally transform 
into props 

12-2b (Types of Dramatic Play)  Play can be fostered at home, school, 

❖ Dramatic Play can occur anywhere  anywhere really. The children are already 
that children are  hopefully getting some exposure to language 
➢ Spontaneous, child-initiated,  before they walk through the school doors and 
part of normal development  from there, the teacher is able to take what 
➢ Most common area is  they know and help them achieve 
housekeeping area  developmental levels beyond their belief.  
➢ Children take on role of 
parents, child, and pets using 
props, voices, and dialogues 
❖ Play areas can be infused with literacy 
materials for writing notes and books 
associated with the theme 
➢ Sociodramatic play: interaction 
of two or more children in a 
play theme with each holding 
separate roles 
❖ Bringing dramatic arts into the 
classroom is a opportunity to express a 
story, music, or cultural event 
creatively 

12-2c (Play Stages in Dramatic Play)  Knowing which types of play to look at when 
❖ Onlooker Stage  observing, their unique characteristics and 
➢ Child watches dramatic play of  what we as observers can do is key. That’s 
others  why our prep work is so important.  
➢ Adult can give assistance in 
pay entry techniques if it is 
warranted 
❖ Solitary Dramatic Play 
➢ Child selects the props for play 
 and may internally or audibly 
carry on a dialogue.  
➢ The adult can assess and 
scaffold (support and expand) 
the plan, the roles, the props, 
the time frame, the language, 
and the scenario, taking the 
play to new heights. 
❖ Parallel Dramatic Play 
➢ The observer assesses the 
child’s social level and choice of 
parallel play partners 
❖ Associative Dramatic Play 
➢ Children are talking, smiling, 
and offering objects-all 
corresponding to associative 
play 
➢ Stage in which children are 
playing near each other, in the 
same theme, but not together 
❖ Cooperative Dramatic Play 
➢ Children are working together 
towards a common goal, 
contributing parts to the whole 
➢ Plan and act out make believe 
stories 

12-3 (Dramatic Play and Development)  Until I began being able to observe, I never 
❖ When children play grown-up, they are  really understood all the processes that are 
involving every domain of development  happening within and around the child. It is 
and offering us a glimpse of the child  amazing to be able to get a glimpse into their 
within  world and make them better through proper 
❖ During dramatic play, observers see  assessment and supportive tools.  
scenarios unfold 
❖ Child’s actions may merely be cute to 
an untrained observer, but meaningful 
to those who know what each incident 
reveals about the child’s development 

12-3a (Developmental Domains Observed in   

Dramatic Play) 
❖ Sociodramatic play: fantasy play 
episode with others involved 
➢ Important for teachers of young 
children in defending the time, 
space, and intentional planning 
for this kind of play 
❖ Creative 
➢ As children interact in dramatic 
play, they learn to be more 
flexible in their thinking 
❖ Intellectual 
➢ Make-believe play involves and 
promotes development in every 
domain, integrating them to 
become more complex and 
refined 
➢ Progressive step toward 
abstract thinking 
➢ They are making connections 
between the real world they 
have experienced and a fantasy 
world that they recreate 
➢ Children between 2.5-5 yrs 
who participate in this play are 
more advanced in general 
intellectual ability, have better 
memory, and display higher 
reasoning ability 
❖ Emotional 
➢ Beyond the enjoyment factor 
they are practicing emotional 
skills that are important for 
school success, such as the 
ability to delay gratification, 
consider the perspectives and 
needs of others, regulate their 
behavior, and act in a deliberate 
and intentional way  
➢ Beginning of self-identity 
■ Children engaged in 
creative play express a 
wider range of emotions 
than in the other areas 
of play 
➢ Emotional disturbances can 
also be observed  
❖ Social 
➢ Group play allows children to 
solve problems, and interact 
socially 
■ Children seek out 
familiar same-sex, same 
age playmates 
 ➢ Some children do not 
participate 
■ This emphasizes 
importance of 
facilitating dramatic 
play in the early 
childhood classroom 
➢ Strong relationship between 
high television and video 
viewing and aggressive 
behavior 
■ Effects can be reduced 
if adults are mediators 
of child’s television and 
video viewing 

12-3b (The Role of the Teacher in Dramatic  Understanding the correct ways and 
Play)  techniques in which we can scaffold will help 
❖ Teachers role beings with setting the  us leaps and bounds.  
environment   
❖ By adding reading and writing  We need to know what to do in order to 
materials, the area take on a literacy  properly facilitate, observe, and assess. And 
component  another important factor is being ethical. 
➢ Cultures of children should be 
considered as well, ensuring 
materials are representative of 
all 
❖ Teacher acts as mediator and may 
facilitate the play by introducing the 
theme, and modifying it accordingly 
❖ Whatever type of dramatic play is 
occurring, the teacher’s role of 
observation, support, and thoughtful 
involvement can enhance children’s 
ability to reflect, take roles, practice 
empathy, altruism, emotional 
understanding, and self-regulation 

12-3c (Other Methods for Observing Dramatic  I love the way the book makes it easier for the 
Play)  reader to understand and also tie all the 
❖ Dramatic play can be captured through  concepts together.  
the use of A.R 
❖ Class list log can be used for a quick 
check on who does and does not 
participate in fantasy play 
❖ Time samples will indicate if play is 
occuring in the dramatic play area 
 ❖ When teachers reflect on the intentions 
underlying children’s behavior, it 
contributes to their own responses to 
children 

12-4 (Helping All Children with Dramatic  I completely agree. NO ONE deserves to be 
Play)  left behind and teaching everyone to respect all 
❖ Children approach dramatic play when  people regardless of your situation is vital.  
they come from diverse backgrounds, 
cultures, and experiences 

12-4a (Cultural Differences in Dramatic Play)  Be intentional with each play center/area.  
❖ Widely held that play is universal 
❖ Certain cultures do not value fantasy 
❖ Dramatic play areas should include 
items from the children’s culture and 
everyday life  

12-4b (Socioeconomic Differences in Dramatic  This is incredibly heartbreaking but I am glad 

Play)  that this knowledge is available so that 
❖ Smilansky and Shefatya discovered  intervention can take place. The fact that a 
trhough their observation that play  child’s natural inclination to play can be 
was:  tainted so early on only makes my desire to do 
➢ More object-centered  all that I can for a child as a future observer 
➢ Used in a more rigid way  and therapist all that much stronger.  
➢ Possessed with determination 
➢ Verbal interactions were more 
functional 
➢ Less humor, more criticism 

12-4c (Differing Abilities and Dramatic Play)  Acceptance of others is a lifelong skill. We are 
❖ The teacher supports a higher level of  all so different and can learn new perspectives 
activity through modifications to the  with each interaction. I am firm believer that 
environment  hate is taught and everyone comes into this 
❖ Teacher looks for ways that the child  world with the natural desire to love. As 
can participate AND for ways to make  teachers, we can foster acceptance and love in 
such accommodations familiar and  the way we treat ourselves and others. 
accepted by the other children in the  Ensuring that every child’s strength and 
group  personality is shown in the best light is of the 
❖ Dramatic play invites social interaction  utmost importance.  
and communication, does not need to 
be limited by physical disabilities when 
there are environmental 
accommodations and provides a vehicle 
for success 
Tool