A Journey Through Dialogue

Let’s explore the complexities of the scenario from above. The first aspect of this dialogue happens when S initiates play with A. The second aspect arises when S and A assume animal roles, such as S playing the role of a cat and A playing the role of a dog. S takes on an extra role, being a cat mother with kittens, while A takes on the role of a cook, making food for the momma cat and her kittens.

As both S and A figure out how to create this story together while staying in character, they each carve out the specific responsibilities they want to take on for their story. S wants to be a mother cat with kittens, and A wants to cook for the cat. While figuring out these separate yet interwoven roles, there is a bit of confusion on feeding and when, but with continued communication between meowing and barking sounds, S and A figure it out.

An interesting second aspect is that S asks A if she is a nice doggy. This is a good question to establish at the beginning of this dramatic story, because it determines the proceeding storyline. Asking this question also clarifies each child’s role a bit more at the start.

The dialogue shows their thinking in progress! While S and A are engaged in developing this dramatic story together, they are still maintaining some form of control and separate responsibilities. S is responsible for being a mother cat and taking care of her babies, while A is responsible for cooking food for them to eat. These separate responsibilities enable both S and A to divert their attention from one another to focus on interests they choose while still keeping their storyline in the background. When A discusses how she thinks I have made the toys non-breakable with glue, she is clearly taking some time to voice a divergence from the main story. (I have not glued any of the toys A is using.) When S starts meowing and not talking, she is clearly taking a break from communicating and acting out her joy of being a cat. These are moments that are brief but allow for each child to continue processing ideas for their co-storyline. When they returned their attention to the story, some confusion came into play, and I chose to assist.

A’s mind once again takes a divergence when she recalls a family dog memory and relates it to both her and S finding an ant crawling on the floor. Like all people, young children see things that spark memories, and they voice them. A was still focused on the dramatic story, yet she wanted to share her memory, and it related to both the ant she was watching and the dog role she was acting out.

Is this a form of complex play, and does this prove meta-cognition? Yes, the above dramatic play story is a form of complex play, specifically cooperative play. Both A and S have equal roles and equal responsibilities as they contribute to the storyline.

I would say, yes, this is an example of metacognition happening in the early years, at age four to be precise. The reason I say this is that both children actively engage in communication while acting like animals and taking on extra roles within that framework. S is a cat, yet she is a momma cat with lots of kittens to take care of. She is actively seeking a place for them to be safe, and what and how to feed them. A is in the role of a dog, yet she is also a chef making food. The extra responsibility she took on as a chef is making food for the momma cat and her kittens. Through the communication and role play process, both A and S have listened, compromised, negotiated, come up with solutions, and most importantly, modified their communication technique and accommodated the other child. Both A and S were aware of what they were communicating and only had trouble one time with listening to each other. When both were actively listening and expressing their ideas and opinions, they demonstrated their ability to rethink and reexplain their intentions for the dramatic story many times. The children were aware of their own thinking and modified how they interacted with each other, not just based on what the other child wanted, but how they believed they could best achieve their goals for the story. A and S also gravitate towards what they enjoy best and what they know how to do. Being aware of the things they each do well is part of metacognition, understanding their weaknesses and strengths. In this case, both children rely on their strengths, and that makes this cooperative venture so successful.

Now,is this a perfect example of metacognition? No, it is not, but preschool children are capable of cognitive abilities normally only given credit to children seven and up. Please keep in mind that I am their teacher, and I also know my students well, and may see things that someone reading about this encounter for the first time, and knowing nothing of the children, may not agree with my perspective. I am at an advantage, yet I hope I am conveying how complex and important young children’s play is to their learning and development. And that “play” is not just a word; it is a term that encompasses many aspects of complex learning.

When to assist? This is not always an easy decision. Yet, while observing, listening to S and A, and asking questions to understand their dramatic story, I was able to determine when my assistance, and the key word here is ‘may,’ help with some minor misunderstandings. After clarifying by repeating what A said, S was able to move forward in the story, feeling as though her story idea was being respected.

Should I interrupt their story to prevent a conflict? Preventing a conflict also interrupts social and emotional learning. In this scenario, my preventing a misunderstanding from turning into a conflict was simply to keep their story moving. If both S and A persisted with more dialogue similar to arguing, it would mean that both children have strong opinions, want to be heard, and equally want to figure out how to accommodate each other. This is complex learning, which I have no right to interrupt. Yet, I am there to make sure both S and A are being respectful to each other through not just words, but physically. In no way do I want to allow this deeper learning to turn violent and defeat the purpose of all they have accomplished together.

Is this cooperative or group play? Can these two forms of play exist for two children? And what are the similarities and differences between the two forms?

Before I answer the first part of this question, I want to address the third part: the similarities and differences between cooperative and group play. Cooperative play is when young children work together by discussing, listening, sharing diverse ideas, working through disagreements, problem-solving, negotiating, and finally compromising. This type of socialization promotes deeper learning, respects each child’s autonomy, their right to learn, and recognizes the complexity in working with others.

Moving on to Group play. Group play is where children are working on the same project or dramatic story, yet they are not necessarily contributing equally. There can be a chosen leader of the group, and all other members have varying degrees of ownership and responsibilities in the group. This form of play is important for children just as cooperative play, yet it focuses on the differing roles children will take, with there being, normally, a chosen and agreed-upon leader of the group directing play. And each child’s participation in the group ranges from minor to major contributions.

To answer the second and then first part of the question above, yes, these two forms of social play can happen with just two children present in class, or two children who have separated themselves from the larger group. The essence of group play happens frequently with A and S. It will start out with S and A playing near each other, yet separately. Both children are interested in what the other is engaged in, so they keep their ears perked to what each is doing. Then S and A will quickly move to group play, where S or A interacts with each other on the same storyline, yet with different roles and responsibilities. Generally, the one with the dramatic play idea will take the lead, but not always. If this form of play is cooperative play, both children will have equal say in each aspect of their dramatic story. If this is group play, each child will have a different role and level of responsibility in contributing to the dramatic story.

Stay tuned for more blog posts that take a closer look at children’s dialogue and the meaning behind it. Please let me know your thoughts. And, thank you for stopping by! :) Ms. Heidi