Pretending is a skill that is valuable not only in childhood but also throughout life. A recent study conducted by researchers in the UK suggests that children learn the art of pretense at a very young age. By analyzing the behavior of children from birth up to 47 months, the researchers were able to identify the different stages and types of pretending that children engage in.
The study found that some children were engaging in pretend play as early as four months old, with around half of them capable of pretending by 12 months. By the age of 13 months, half of the children in the sample could recognize pretense. This early development of pretending is crucial for the advancement of cognitive and social skills in children, according to educational psychologist Elena Hoicka from the University of Bristol.
As children grow older, their pretending skills become more sophisticated. The study indicates that pretending typically starts with simple actions involving the body, such as pretending to sleep. It then progresses to gestures and actions, like using a finger to brush teeth, and eventually evolves into substituting objects, such as using a banana as a phone. By the age of two, children start incorporating more abstract thought into their pretend play, imagining scenarios they have no prior experience with, like flying a rocket ship.
By the age of three, children begin using their whole bodies to pretend to be other people, animals, or even inanimate objects. They also engage in more unusual scenarios and create imaginary friends as part of their pretend play. This stage is crucial for the development of language skills, as children are able to create elaborate storylines when engaging in pretend play. The researchers identified a total of 18 different types of pretense in the young children studied, highlighting the complexity of pretending behavior.
The use of parent reports in the study, while not always completely accurate, allowed for a larger and younger sample to be analyzed efficiently. The study’s results could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for identifying developmental differences in early childhood. Understanding the patterns of development in young children can help tailor play and learning activities to better suit the needs of individual children at different stages of development. Further research in this area could provide valuable insights into the role of pretending in early childhood development.
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