Tools%of%the%Mind!Preschool!Teacher!Self.Reflection!!!
Make.Believe!Play!Time!Block!–!Make.Believe!Play!!!
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Activity Flow (Process)
Make- Believe Play (20-45 minutes depending on children’s level)
! Children individually leave play planning to go to centers as they’re done with plans.
! Most children stay at their center; a few children not yet able may move among centers. (For these children, T has a long-
range individualized plan for scaffolding SR development.) Later in year scenarios expand beyond centers – children are
able to stay in role as they interact with more children in more areas of classroom.
! Ts scaffold differently for children in each stage of play and both Ts spend most of their time scaffolding play.
! T uses observations of play to make decision about when to end play time (children’s SR development, play levels, and
familiarity with theme impact the development of extended time frames for play).
! T plays clean up song to end play; children are all engaged and motivated to finish by end of song.
! One T is available in large group area to begin finger play/transitional activity to support SR as children finish.
! Make-Believe Play Practice follows play regularly in beginning of year; at the beginning of new themes and as needed in
the rest of the year.
Make Believe Play Practice (MBPP) (10-15 minutes) *every day at beginning of new themes
! T plans MBPP in advance, incorporating books, theme vocabulary and open-ended or theme specific props.
! T designs MBPP to target children’s ZPDs – focusing on actions, simple scripts, role interactions, extending scenario
! Children are actively involved; T models brief actions and interactions and all children repeat or add to these
! T ends MBPP before children lose interest
Zooming into ZPD – Scaffolding Play
Child Name: ___________________________________
Center: _____________________________________
Play plan: _____________________________________________
Describe child’s activity/language/interactions in center:
Teacher’s scaffolding interaction(s):
What child does after scaffolding interaction:
Scaffold within child’s ZPD? Y
N
Doe
s child continue at higher level after teacher leaves? Y N
!
PROPELS (Plans, ROles, Props, Extended
Time frame, Language, Scenario)
" Stage 1 children receive coaching on
simple quick roles/scripts
" Stage 2 children receive coaching on
roles in action (adding basic actions,
language to familiar scripts)
" Stage 3 children receive coaching on
extending roles/language, adding more
children to play, making/using props,
linking scripts, role speech
" Stage 4 children receive coaching on
creating complex planned scenarios,
using symbolic props, playing more than
one role at a time, using role speech
when switching roles
Scaffolding Examples
o
Scaffolds use of new vocabulary in play
o Partners child with a ‘play mentor’ to
support higher-level play
o Uses play plan to resolve
conflict/redirect children
o Uses tactic like private speech, external
mediators to help child remember
actions; sequence of actions
o
Applies “one more thing” - modeling one
more line in script or one more action
and then leaves center for children to
practice independently
