Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser

DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

Citation

Bergen, D. (2002). The role of pretend play in children's cognitive development. Early
Childhood Research & Practice: An Internet Journal on the Development, Care,
and Education of Young Children, 2-9. Retrieved June 19, 2018, from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED464763.pdf.

Global Understanding

The concept of pretend play boosting cognitive development had unveiled several

studies. In 1977, Saltz, Dixon, and Johnson studied the relationship between cognitive

functioning and impulse control. In addition, Yawkey (as cited in Bergen, 2002) studied

how pretend play impacted young children’s mathematical readiness in 1981. The

concept of pretend play prompting children’s cognitive development had been studied

throughout the years. Thus, Bergen studied the relationship between pretend play and

cognitive development. Bergen’s study (2002) exhibited evidence-based findings on how

high-quality pretend play supported children’s cognitive development in a variety of

areas. The pretend play enhanced children’s cognitive and academic development

including mathematics readiness, linguistic/ literacy abilities, science, cognitive

functioning, impulse control and representational competence (Bergen, 2002).

Core Concepts and Interpretations

“Play, as well as learning, are natural components of children’s everyday lives.

When children are asked what they like to do best, the answers are unanimous: to play”

(Samuelsson & Carlsson, 2008, p. 623). The United Nations High Commissions for

Human Rights has recognized the impact play has on children’s development. Moreover,

94% of parents in France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States have

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

emphasized their belief that when their children are playing, they are learning (Singer,

Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2007).

As Ginsburg (2007) mentions, during play, the children will be exploring and

innovating the world, mastering their skills and conquering their fears. During play, the

children will be developing new capabilities, which builds their confidence. The children

will be confident in solving problems, making decisions and developing self-advocacy

skills. According to Samuelsson and Carlsson (2008), their study has showed a variety of

pedagogy beliefs related to play including Reggio Emilia. Reggio Emilia play method is

integrated into learning (Samuelsson & Carlsson, 2008). Moreover, Piaget shares his

theory regarding play; children will be able to create connections to the world via play.

As Owens (2001) stated the progression of developing the meaning of words and creating

word combinations, “With more experience, knowledge becomes less dependent upon

particular events…Language meaning is based on what we, as individuals, know”

(Owens, 2001, p.21). As there are numerous of objects and experience, Easterbrooks and

Baker (2002) explain how children put the information into meaningful chunks of

categories in their brain. Furthermore, as Runesson (1999) explains, as a part of cognitive

development, children will need to experience encountering the specific object multiple

times and to experience a variety objects in order to develop semantics. For example, as

explained by Runesson (1999) to understand the concept of a flower, the child will need

to experience a variety of flowers and plants (Samuelsson & Carlsson, 2008, p. 634). “In

general, the more [children] know about the word and the more [they] use it, the easier it

is to access” (Owens, 2001, p.22).

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

According to Bergen (2002) when children are emerging in pretend play, the

children are using skills including social interchange, compromise, role taking, literacy

knowledge and improvisation. As Samuelsson and Carlsson (2008) describe the

reasoning behind the children’s fondness for play, the children are able to control the

events while integrating their knowledge. Furthermore, the pretend play stimulates

children’s cognitive abilities including the areas of emotion, language, and sensorimotor

actions. The abilities the children used during pretend play continue to develop over time,

strengthening children’s academic and life skills. From the pretend play experience,

children will develop cognitive strategies such as joint planning, negotiation, problem

solving and goal seeking (Bergen, 2002). In addition, Theory of Mind (TOM) has

extensively studied the concept of pretense (pretend play) and the development of mental

representation. The Theory of Mind acquisition occurs when the children’s age ranges

from two to six years old. The TOM studies have shown how the children are capable of

negotiating their different views during a role-play. As the TOM studies show, the

children are able to incorporate their thoughts and actions during pretend play. The

children have demonstrated an ability to comprehend others’ thoughts and beliefs during

a pretend play (Bergen, 2002). Rubin and Coplan (1998) explain the studies regarding the

children who demonstrated a withdrawal from a social play during preschool; the

children’s social-emotional development is impacted in several ways including peer

rejection, social anxiety, loneliness, depression, negative self-esteem, and negative

implications for academic success (Bergen, 2002). Moreover, as stated by Vygotsky, the

interactions between children and adults stimulate children’s cognitive development.

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

Through the interactions with adults, children will comprehend the way the world works

and how to use the tools of their culture (Andrews, Leigh & Weiner, 2004).

Bergen (2002) explains how pretend play does not only impact children’s ability

to develop social skills and strategies but academic readiness as well. “Children’s

cognitive and social skills affect their language acquisition” (Andrews, Leigh & Weiner,

2004, p.70). Nowadays children are starting school with fewer literacy skills than in the

past. The children acquire the literacy skills via their play experience with their parents

and other adults (Singer, Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2007). Numerous studies have shown

when literacy materials are incorporated within play settings, the children’s interest was

sparked and the children were motivated to engage in the literacy acts. Thus the

children’s interest and motivation in literacy have enhanced their ability to read print

implanted in the environment. From Snyder and Yoshinaga-Itano’s 1998 study unveil,

“They [have found] that the development of certain play behaviors correlate[s] highly

with children’s understanding of simple phrases” (Snyder and Yoshinaga-Itano, as cited

in Easterbrooks & Baker, 2002, p.50). In addition, the children who have frequent

pretend play opportunities exhibited being avid readers in the surrounding environment

(Bergen, 2002). Furthermore, Kim’s (1999) study reveals how four and five years old

who receive pretend play opportunities are able to demonstrate the skill of creating an

elaborate narrative. In addition, the children are able to recall the narrative immediately

when the pictures or doll figures were shown. The narrative skill is considered as an

emerging literacy skill (Bergen, 2002). Due to the socioeconomic factor, the pretend play

opportunity varies among schools. A large percentage of children from low

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

socioeconomic backgrounds have been enrolled in Title I preschool classrooms. Farran

and Son-Yarbrough (2001) indicate that the preschool children at the Title I school do not

exhibit the pretense skills parallel to children’s development at other schools. The

children at Title I schools are observed demonstrating more of their parallel plays skills

rather than associative play as other children located at different schools has shown.

Farran and Son-Yarbrough (2001) also discover that the children of Title I schools

exhibit no growth in total amount of verbal interactions (Bergen, 2002).

Bergen’s (2000) article exhibited rich information, showing how play promoted

the cognitive development of children. Yet the article demonstrated two weaknesses: a

lack of cultural diversity and a shortage of the research method on the relationship

between play and cognitive development. Bergen (2002) had included how social skills

varied among gender, a culture, and socioeconomic, all superficial factors. Bergen’s

study exhibited insufficient data demonstrating the wide array of the cultural diversity

including socioeconomic, culture and education. As Bergen mentioned, even though

there is a growing body of evidence exhibiting the importance of pretend play, Bergen

(2002) displayed the declination in understanding the significance of pretend play and

how it impacts children’s cognitive development. In addition, Ginsburg (2007) mentioned

several factors such as working class, neighborhood violence and the poverty, which

restrained the children to receive the benefits of play opportunities. Furthermore, Singer,

Grindof and Hirsh-Pasek (2007) shared some viewpoints of playtime as a wasteful time;

however, the students in Finland demonstrated differently. After the recess time, the

students were able to maintain attention and motivation while doing their class work.

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

With that said, the students scored high on reading tests. Without experiencing pretend

play, children’s long-term skills would diminish in several areas including problem-

solving; metacognition and social cognition (Bergen, 2002). More and more schools were

increasing the focus on the standardized exams hence the free time for the children to be

able to engage in pretend play had reduced “…the researchers express[ed] concern that

such preschools [might] ‘facilitate the behavioral introduction to the expectations of the

public school environment but [might] not provide the foundational understandings and

experiences to keep those early successes from disappearing once the curriculum became

more demanding’” (Bergen, 2002, p.7). Thus as Bergen (2002) mentioned, there was a

dire need for more research regarding children receiving pretend play opportunities and

how their cognitive development is enriched. In addition, Bergen (2002) emphasized the

importance of educators providing opportunities for the children to engage in pretend

play in order to promote the growth of the availability for the research on the relationship

between play and cognition.

Personal Connections

As Singer, Grindof, and Hirsh-Pasek (2007) pointed out, when the preschool

children were pressured to learn in schools, their motivation and pride diminishes which

impacts their academic abilities. The children who are pressured to learn, academically,

show more dependency on adults (Singer, Golinkof & Hirsh-Pasek, 2007). If my memory

serves me right, I recall most of my learning experience occurring outdoors during my

early childhood years. As soon as I got off the school bus, my mother knew she would

not see me until the sun went down. I spent my time absorbing in between the trees and

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

observed the small details including how the fish swam up against the stream, how the

spider wove its web, how the bird built its nest and the rings revealing the tree’s age. My

content occurred mostly in a vast space thus I had a difficult transition to a classroom.

However, in the classroom I was able to apply my previous knowledge and experience,

strengthening my confidence. Personally, I could justify Bergen’s study regarding the

significance of play for young children. During play, the children were acquiring a

variety of information, strategies, and methods while applying their previous knowledge

and experience. When the children were creating connections, they were expanding their

cognitive development “…when play began to be repudiated and cognitive skills

overemphasized” (Singer, Golinkof & Hirsh-Pasek, 2007, p.8). Moreover, Owens (2001)

explained two types of knowledge: world knowledge and word knowledge. I believe

through pretend play, the children will be able to scaffold on their world knowledge

(context) thus building their word knowledge (content) (Owens, 2001). As stated by

Piaget and other scientists, the cognitive abilities are a significant tool to promote

language learning (Andrews, Leigh & Weiner, 2004). Via play, the children will be

developing their cognition in many ways including learning how to communicate, “Field

(1990) [has] found that the infants are extremely responsive to touch as a vehicle for

communication” (Easterbrooks & Baker, 2002, p.43). As the children are playing, they

are learning from each other. The children’s cognitive development will be intertwined in

each other’s play-based experiences, “Roles in a conversation influence the choice of

vocabulary and language form” (Owens, 2001, p.25). Moreover, Owens (2001)

emphasizes how language is prone to evolve, grow and change. Indeed, I agree that over

time language evolves due to the changing surrounding environment. I believe a play-

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

based environment best replicates children’s prior knowledge and experience. The

children’s prior knowledge and experience is integrated into the classroom via the

materials. Thus when the children are playing with the materials, as they are reliving their

experience, their cognitive development and language development will increase, thus

their comprehension of specific objects and actions turned to concrete, “To understand

language, [educators] must consider it in the natural contexts in which it occurs” (Owens,

2001, p.2). “Consequently, the world in which a child is born greatly influences how the

brain forms and functions—that is, the environment is central in shaping the brain”

(Easterbrooks & Baker, 2002, p.41). I wonder how the play-based experience is different

for the children from diverse cultures including socioeconomic background, educational

experience, gender, and family dynamics/ traditions. On the other hand, how many

schools are practicing the concept of play-based or child-centered methods in the

classrooms? What percentage of the children who experience play-based exhibit

academic-readiness by kindergarten or first grade? Bergen (1998) initiates an interesting

concept; however, there is a necessity for the longevity in a research studying diverse

young children and their play experience throughout Early Childhood Education to High

School. When the evidence-based researches expand, there will be a possibility for the

school stakeholders and educators to adopt the play method and concept to implement in

the classrooms.

Critical Analysis

No bias was detected from the author as Bergen frequently pointed out the

shortage of research evidence on the play concept. In addition, Bergen also included

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

diverse researchers’ view and beliefs regarding play. Bergen’s article and the study were

effectively organized although there were some words I had not acquired yet including

‘pretense.’ Bergen’s article had the right balance of readability words and new words to

learn regarding the play concept. I wished to see more cultural diversity in the article

regarding children’s gender, socioeconomic status, educational experience and family

dynamics. Although Bergen’s 1998 article exhibited no type of features such as charts, I

did wonder what type of feature could be included in the article. If there were a wide

array of data showing diverse children’s cognitive abilities then a chart would be a useful

tool to provide a clear picture.

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Critique #1: Cognitive Development Rachel Steingieser
DED 541: First and Second Language Learning McDaniel College: Dr. E. Laird

References

Andrews, J., Leigh, I., & Weiner, M. (2004). Deaf people: Evolving perspectives from
psychology, education, and sociology. Boston: Pearson.

Easterbrooks, S. & Baker, S. (2002). Language learning in children who are deaf and
hard of hearing: Multiple pathways. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Ginsburg, K., Committee on Communications, & Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of

Child and Family Health. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy
child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 182-
191. Retrieved June 19, 2018, from
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/119/1/182.full.pdf

Owens, R. (2001). Language development: An introduction (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.

Samuelsson, I. P., & Carlsson, M. A. (2008). The Playing Learning Child: Towards a
pedagogy of early childhood. Scandinavian Journal of Educational
Research, 52(6), 623-641. doi:10.1080/00313830802497265

Singer, D., Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2007). Play = learning: How play motivates
and enhances childrens cognitive and social-emotional growth. Choice Reviews
Online, 44(07), 3-10. doi:10.5860/choice.44-4152

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