Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Dear Colleagues,

Let me share with you a study done in 2008 by a kindergarten teacher researcher, Aaron Neimark who decided to collect data on children's invented games and looked closely at how the formation and playing of the games reinforced the children’s sense of a social peer group. Some of you already know about it because this article was one of the resources for the second course in this masters program, called Early Childhood development.

Among the unexpected results of this study, we have this statement from Aaron:

" First, I learned that the ways that children used objects in the yard was an important element in the peer culture of some of the play groups. In many instances, the children used the objects in “goofy” ways—creative and imaginative ways rather than the objects’ typical or expected uses. My findings about a locally constructed “goofy culture” became essential to my study of peer culture in the yard. Second, for some children it seemed to be more difficult to find ways to enter peer group play activities in the yard than in the classroom. Outdoor play can send ambiguous messages to children about what they are expected to do (Perry 2001). There are not always clear areas outdoors that define for children what or how they may play, unlike the art area, block area, or dress-up corner, which are usually found indoors. This is partly why many children in the preschool created such interesting and inventive games".

He then said this:

"I came to view this aspect of peer culture—children excluding others from their play—as crucial in deepening the social connections of the children engaged in that play.

As a conclusion he stated this:

"Do our imposed solutions when facilitating social interactions really foster peer competence in children? Allowing children more space to develop their own authentic ways to interact can be more effective in strengthening collaborative play and building their social competence with peers. Teachers should use children’s peer culture to teach social skills more effectively and to help create a more harmonious balance between school culture and peer culture".

In my view, this study revolutionizes the way teachers and caregivers behave regarding children's play in the playground. For example, it tells them that they should not intervene when children argue.

Reference

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/vop/Voices_NeimarkGoofy.pdf