An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Pretend Play on Children's Self-Regulation and Language Skills

Recently, there has been increased interest regarding how pretend play contributes to children’s cognitive development. This study examines the efficacy of a pretend play intervention on self-regulation and language skills of 4to 5-year-olds and explores parents’ perceptions about children’s engagement in pretend play. The small-scale intervention includes eight 30minute sessions over 6 weeks, in groups of five children. Each session included: (1) shared storybook reading; (2) role-playing; and (3) review. During shared story-book reading the children were read two books with explicit phonological awareness and vocabulary instruction for 18 words in each book. Role-playing included providing the children with props, which allow for engagement in pretend play activities. Several measures were used preand post-intervention to evaluate children’s selfregulation and language skills. The improvements that occurred in the intervention are considered alongside other cognitive and educational factors to better understand the role of pretend play in educational settings.