![]() The right-hand column suggests that where his effort is very high he might be described as “oversocial”, whereas if he rarely employs this behaviour he might be rated as “undersocial”.ĮYFS Developmental Milestones – Download Free eBook For instance, a child’s ‘expressed inclusion’ measures the extent to which he personally tries to engage and interact with others. This creates a sociometric tool for interpreting the actions of group members and making a quantitative assessment of the degree to which a child exhibits the social behaviours listed in the left-hand column. Social relationships within the groupĬonsidering the elements of inclusion, control and affection in more detail, Schutz developed a more sophisticated model – his Matrix of Relevant Interpersonal Data – to define the different roles adopted by group members (see Figure 1.3 below).įigure 1.3 William Schutz’s Matrix of Relevant Interpersonal Data (Inspired by Schutz, 1958) For those facilitating group activities, this can be a helpful way of viewing some of the difficulties children experience in a group context. And finally, they will then want to feel valued in some way to set the seal on their group membership. Once that is achieved, they will need to know which group members are the ones who make and/or enforces the rules. This model suggests a hierarchy of needs which face a young child as they begin the process of ‘fitting in’: Above all, Schutz believes, the child needs to be recognised as one of the group. ![]() Figure 1.2 below depicts Schutz’s conceptualisation of interpersonal relations which casts the task of becoming a member of a group as a three-step process involving inclusion, control and affection:įigure 1.2 A developmental model of interpersonal relationships (Inspired by Schutz, 1958) Joining a group can be a challenge for anyone, least of all a young child with under-developed social skills. Nevertheless, the important point is that any seemingly homogeneous preschool group engaging in group play together will almost certainly contain children whose play will be at different phases. It should be observed that, as with all elements of child development, these play phases can appear earlier or later, and as the above graphic also notes, some types of play may persist and recur at any age. By the age of four children are usually ready to begin ‘cooperative play’ which can involve acting together as a team, showing deeper interest in their peers, striving towards a common goal, and many more joyous social and group initiatives which define late-stage early years children. At this stage children engage, communicate, and begin the process of learning how to negotiate and get on with each other. Though there is no communal engagement, this is an important precursor to fully interactive play.įrom around age three upwards, play becomes more overtly social as the child joins with others in ‘associative play’. Parten also identified ‘parallel play’, which usually occurs at much the same time as onlooker play, defining this as a side-by-side activity which may involve mimicry and choosing similar toys. Here, the child clearly observes others playing, and may talk about what is happening in the play, but makes no effort to actively participate. ‘Onlooker play’ commonly emerges a little later when the child is around 30 months. Though they may be in a group setting, there is little to suggest they are aware of other playmates. ![]() Then from around the age of two, young toddlers begin to use ‘solo play’ as a form of entertainment. At this time the infant, who may often seem somewhat passive, is gathering important benchmark information and experiences which will later be deployed in more active play. Sociologist Mildred Parten studied children’s play in the 1930s, and the six phases of play she identified (see Figure 1.1) still provide practitioners with a useful means of describing and categorising different forms of play, as well as offering some useful evidence about a child’s developmental progress.įigure 1.1 Parten’s six types of children’s play (Inspired by Parten, 1932)įor the child under two years of age, ‘unoccupied play’ is largely isolated and sensory. Thus individuals who participate in group play with children of different ages will have different expectations and may thus be expected to react to the experience in different ways. Theories of play acknowledge that the play experience changes as a child grows and develops.
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