Đây là 1 bài trong tạp chí Early Childhood Education Journal. Học sinh nhỏ tuổi học tiếng Anh thường có nguy cơ bị chậm giao tiếp và ngôn ngữ . Các nghiên cứu đã chỉ ra rằng trẻ em mẫu giáo tham gia vào các vở kịch, các trò chơi phù hợp sẽ có thể phát triển ngôn ngữ, giao tiếp đồng thời nâng cao khả năng ngoại ngữ. Tài liệu này hướng dẫn chúng ta chơi với trẻ, hướng dẫn đóng vai, giúp trẻ thích nghi môi trường. Hướng dẫn giáo viên và phụ huynh cách can thiệp có thể sử dụng trong các lớp học mẫu giáo để tạo điều kiện khuyến khích trẻ chơi, đồng thời nâng cao các kỹ năng học chữ từ nhỏ.
Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 DOI 10.1007/s10643-015-0715-4 Supporting Sociodramatic Play in Preschools to Promote Language and Literacy Skills of English Language Learners Rashida Banerjee1 • Amani Alsalman1 • Shehana Alqafari1 Published online: June 2015 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015 Abstract English language learners are often at risk for communication and language delays—crucial elements in the foundation of early literacy skills Studies have shown that preschool children involved in sociodramatic play demonstrate greater proficiency and interest in language development and reading The manuscript shares evidencebased strategies to support early literacy skills for English language learners during sociodramatic play during center times in a preschool routine Specific environmental adaptations and adult interventions that teachers can use in their preschool classrooms to facilitate play that encourages early literacy skills are described Keywords Play Á Sociodramatic play Á Early literacy Á Early language Á Preschool Researchers have emphasized the importance of teaching literacy skills to young children (e.g Fadool 2009; Moon and Reifel 2008; Myck-Wayne 2010; Tsao 2008) However, English language learners (ELLs) consistently underperform on academic achievement tests when compared to native English speakers; not only is the overall achievement level for ELLs significantly lower, but the gap also widens over time (Fry 2007) Though this gap shows up in all academic areas, the area of literacy is critically significant because so much of teaching occurs in English In order to close the glaring gap, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers advocate for strategic intervention in emergent literacy beginning in preschool & Rashida Banerjee rashida.banerjee@unco.edu University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA Learning through play is a common teaching and learning approach in early childhood settings (Bodrova 2008; Frost et al 2001; Hyvonen 2011) Play is a natural and healthy activity that children are involved in every day Combining learning and play is a smart method to encourage children to learn in an easy, fast, and interesting manner Hyvonen (2011) stated that play is a valuable and significant tool in early childhood education, and suggested that all pre-service teacher training programs should include, in their education programs, strategies to design effective playful learning processes and to create an enjoyable learning environment The purpose of this practitioner focused article is to (a) discuss issues and considerations in early literacy development for young children who are ELLs, and (b) share recommendations for supporting early literacy development through sociodramatic play, especially during center time The discussion is grounded in evidence-based, recommended practices (for example see Kohnert et al 2005; Neuman and Roskos 2005; Roskos et al 2003; Tabors 2008) and position papers of national professional organizations in early childhood [e.g Division for Early Childhood (DEC) 2010, 2014; National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 2009) Gaps in Literacy Competency for English Language Learners One of the specific achievement gaps that is of grave concern is the literacy gap between ELLs and native English speakers According to the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress data, ELLs in fourth grade scored 25 points lower than their peers in the section that measured reading By eighth grade, the point difference 123 300 was 41 points (National Center for Education Statistics 2013) For both these grade levels, this achievement gap represents a 2–3 year deficit from other students at the same grade level This growing trend of the achievement gap as students progress through upper grade levels illustrates the lack of adequate and appropriate instruction in spite of much legislation intended to narrow this achievement gap (Drummond 2007) One interesting fact related to this gap is not just the limited language proficiency students demonstrate upon entering school, but often a dual deficiency in both native and second language (Gersten et al 2007) Many beginning ELLs in kindergarten or first grade actually have inadequate literacy experiences in both languages (Espinosa 2013; Garcia 2000) Abedi and Ga´ndara (2006) point out that when these young ELLs first begin public school they are already significantly behind their peers and much extra time and specialized instruction is necessary to help them catch up Studies have shown that ELLs with no English skills need between and years to achieve sufficient mastery of academic English to match their Englishspeaking peers (Hakuta et al 2000) While these ELLs are attempting to overcome this challenge of continuing to increase their English skills at the same time as trying to learn new material, one can reasonably postulate that the learning rate of children who are ELLs may not match those of the native English population of students (Abedi and Ga´ndara 2006) The development of literacy is a process that begins at birth, and occurs throughout very early childhood, long before children start attending public school; this literacy development is intricate and complex, representing many different skills and experiences (August and Shanahan 2006) Well before formal reading instruction begins, the literacy process rests on developing oral language skills such as vocabulary and conversation Research has demonstrated that developing speaking and listening skills is most effective when play based, interactive strategies and activities are used to promote language and communication, such as intentional adult-child dialogues, or peer conversations (Solomon and Rhodes 1995; Florida State Department of Education 2003; NCREL 2003) Importance of Play to Support Literacy Development The relationship between play and literacy has long interested scholars (e.g., Christensen and Kelly 2003; Fadool 2009; Moon and Reifel 2008; Myck-Wayne 2010; Pelligrini and Galda 1998) A number of studies have been conducted that link play and literacy development in early childhood In their review of literature published between 123 Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 1992 and 2000, Roskos and Christie (2004) found strong evidence that well designed, literacy-promoting play environments provide for language experiences that lead young children to build connections between oral and written modes of expression and thus support their later formal literacy learning Moon and Reifel (2008) confirm the findings of previous studies regarding the importance of play and creating appropriate play environments to enhance literacy learning among children The authors demonstrate that using different types of play improves literacy learning among children from different language backgrounds Providing appropriate literacy materials in play environments has also been shown to promote literacy learning (Fadool 2009; Tsao 2008) For example, providing popular story books, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Carle et al 1989) or The Cat in the Hat (Seuss 1985) during center time allows children from different language backgrounds to connect these familiar stories with their experiences or read them in their native language (Moon and Reifel 2008) Children often use words during play center to convey their thinking, feelings, and ideas, all of which support the growth of young children’s language skills Furthermore, creating effective play environments for children encourages children to collaborate, expand their vocabulary, and enjoy reading and writing in an environment that encourages the development of language skills Thus, well-structured play environments provide each child with opportunities to learn and meet his/her needs (Fadool 2009) Using literacy materials during play time, especially during dramatic play, helps to increase children’s understanding of the processes of reading and writing MyckWayne (2010) found that the dramatic and block play areas provide many opportunities to enhance the communications and social interactions between young children Make-believe acts and role play are aspects of dramatic play that enhance learning, especially of verbal language, because children are motivated to produce explicit and thoughtful language for their play (Frost et al 2001; Tsao 2008) Conflict resolution, cooperative work, accepting of others’ viewpoints, and recognizing real and pretend differences are play aspects that the young children learn during play center Play intervention is a critical component to assist and effectively improve children’s literacy and language (Roskos et al 2003) The adults should ensure that the relationship between play and literacy has a meaningful connection by directing, observing, and participating with children during play time Scaffolding dramatic play can positively affect the improvement of the early academic skills (Bodrova 2008) Effective play time can contribute to improve cognitive skills and to get more confidence and achievement in play These developments could direct Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 those young children to investigate their environments and seek to use higher level thinking, talking, and playing skills (Tabors 1998) Strategies to Promote Play for English Language Learners Building on the mounting evidence for relationship between children’s language and emerging literacy abilities, below we present some strategies to support sociodramatic play to enhance language and literacy development in young children Sociodramatic play occurs most frequently during the preschool years and accounts for a significant portion of children’s behavior during this period (Banerjee and Horn 2013) Sociodramatic play involves six characteristics (Smilansky 1968): (1) make-believing using objects; (2) assuming a make-believe role; (3) make-believing about a situation or action; (4) persisting or being able to continue the play in face of challenges; (5) using language to communicate the context of play; and (6) interacting socially while playing The last two characteristics of play that involve interaction and communication are critical to sociodramatic play and distinguish it from simple dramatic play This type of play fosters development in all domains including social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development, and allows children to function at their highest level of competence (Vygotsky 1977) Morrow and Rand (1991) investigated the impact of environmental changes in preschool classrooms and, in addition, examined patterns of teacher guidance on children’s literacy behavior They found that not only was the environment important but also that the teacher’s role was extremely important in guiding and modeling literacy behavior Active adult participation in child-initiated play in the sociodramatic play center enriches and elaborates the play, contributes to the creation of potential development, and supports the self-regulation growth of the children (Keles¸ and Kalıpc¸ı-So¨yler 2013) Thus, there is evidence for supporting two types of strategies for 301 enhancing language and literacy development in sociodramatic play: (1) adults as mediators/facilitators, and (2) enhancing ‘‘language richness’’ of the environment Below we describe how teachers can support these two interventions in order to enhance language and literacy skills for young ELLs in their classrooms Since most preschools include center time when children work in small groups independently or with peers under adult supervision or under direct adult directions, these strategies are specifically targeted at providing interventions during center time Environmental Interventions Environmental interventions include changes to the physical, social, or temporal environment to promote participation, engagement, and learning during center time (Sandall et al 2008) Specifically, in this context, environmental supports refer to changes to the physical environment to promote language and literacy skills among preschool children Below we provide some strategies for early childhood practitioners that have shown evidence in improving language and literacy skills for young children who are ELLs during center times (Banerjee 2012, Table 1) Increase Classroom Dramatic Play Time Having extended time for child-directed dramatic play built into the daily routine of a preschool classroom is important for children to sustain engagement in play activities (Christie 1990; Hemmeter et al 2008) Typically, at least hour (i.e approximately 25 % time) per morning or afternoon session of predictable and structured sociodramatic play time is necessary for young children to become engaged in and sustain activities independently or with peers (Banerjee 2012) Furthermore, expect children to spend at least 15 per sociodramatic play area or center to provide uninterrupted blocks of time during play This extended time allows children to enter and maintain Table Environmental interventions to support children’s language and literacy development during center times Increase/maintain classroom dramatic play time to at least hour per AM/PM session Minimize the number of dramatic centers available to children at a time to 4–5 centers (have at least 2–3 centers that are ‘‘sociodramatic’’ play centers; restrict the number of centers that encourage solitary play) Provide focused centers with enhanced reading and writing materials Bring in the cultural aspects within each of the centers Make sure your props and environment closely resemble ‘‘real life’’ scenarios Children’s familiarity with the themes and props are very important Provide uninterrupted blocks of time during play Expect children to spend 10–15 per area 123 302 interests, engagement and learning and elaborate their play through language, peer interactions, and problem solving in an activity that interests them This also allows teachers adequate time to observe or support play for the children in the classroom (Leong and Bodrova 2012) Prepare Children Before the Start of the Center Time Transitions between activities may be challenging for many children (Banerjee and Horn 2013; Hemmeter et al 2008) It is critical that children who are ELLs get adequate time to prepare for the next activity For example, after the large group session, and before sending children off for center time, Ms Hart, a preschool teacher, prepares the children with information about each center, including which centers are open and what specific expectations teachers have of the children at each of the centers Ms Hart points to the Block Area and says, ‘‘Remember you heard about the floods and that the bridge and roads are broken in our city? Today we will construct new bridges for our city You have the tools you need in that area I also have some books for you to read on how bridges are made There are note pads for you to write your measurements in or make notes Three children can go and play in that area’’ Then she points to the Home Area and says, ‘‘Our friend Julie’s birthday is coming up next week Can we get ready for her party? There are some materials you will need to bake a cake for her The recipe books explain how you can bake the cake Pick the one you like best There are cards and some markers on the table for you to invite friends.’’ These simple, predictable instructions provide children a focus for what the theme for each of the center is and what expectations teacher have of them Limit the Number of Centers Available to Children at a Time By minimizing the number of dramatic centers to about four or five, the children are encouraged to work with one another, even if briefly, and engage in peer interaction and thus exchange language to share their needs, ideas, or to problem solve (Christie 1990) Banerjee (2012) observed between 10 and 17 centers in classrooms with sometimes as many or fewer children More centers are likely to encourage isolated play and thus reduce opportunities for child–child interactions throughout the school day that are not adult directed Teachers may choose to consolidate some centers based on themes to minimize the number of centers For examples, instead of a separate sensory center, Ms Hart placed the water table in the ‘house area’ and encouraged children to wash fruits and vegetables before preparing meals Similarly, she used variety of materials for exposure 123 Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 to textures e.g children use wood chopping boards, different types of beans and other non-perishable food items for cooking, stainless steel pans, and plastic silverware Provide Focused Centers with Reading and Writing Materials In an attempt to encourage meaningful use of reading and writing materials, teachers may consider adding appropriate and relevant literacy materials in the dramatic play area (Morrow and Rand 1991; Neuman and Roskos 2005) The use of reading and writing materials and activities during their daily routines encourage children to engage with the functional language and literacy It is important that a wide variety of reading and writing tools are available for children to meet their play needs across different contexts For example, instead of a separate reading corner, Mr Eduardo includes recipe books and writing materials where children write grocery lists in the house area Similarly, in the doctor’s office, children have magazines and a clip board available to them, where the ‘‘patients’’ can sign in or where the ‘‘nurse’’ or the ‘‘doctor’’ can write notes They have audio books to listen to while they are waiting for their turn Bring in the Cultural Aspects Within Each Center Ensuring that the props and play environment closely resemble ‘‘real life’’ scenarios builds familiarity for children, especially more so for those who are ELLs (Kohnert et al 2005) Teachers may seek parents’ help to identity materials that are familiar and attractive to the child and keep the child’s interest in a particular center for longer duration For example, by adding some empty cans of different beans used at home in the kitchen area and a few articles of clothing from a child’s home may encourage children to participate more actively in the area that might have otherwise been of little interest to them Similarly, instead of assuming the child’s routines at home, it is important that teachers seek parents’ help in identifying the routines that are familiar to the child and use them to guide interactions at the centers For example, if the child is used to eating with grandma on the floor, the teacher [or another adults] can play the role of grandma at a dining room center to encourage a usually reticent child to interact It is recommended that adults learn the names of items and few conversational phrases in the child’s dominant language to support the dialogue Construct a Picture Dictionary During the sociodramatic play, children are likely to encounter new vocabulary as they engage with materials, Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 peers and adults Teachers may develop one or more picture dictionaries in which common words in English are translated into another language or languages (Tabors 2008) Teachers write each word and definition on a piece of paper that can be placed alphabetically in a three ring binder Teachers leave room for the child to illustrate the entry as they continue to build the dictionary throughout the year and enlist the help of parents in this ongoing activity While the child may not have the literacy skills to be able to read these words, the child builds a connection with the word and this provides an excellent resource to develop sight vocabulary and patterns in written language 303 providing props, arranging materials, tidying and rearranging as needed, clarifying and defining space, ensuring enough space, providing background experience to children as necessary For example, Mr Eduardo provides the clothes in the home area that are appropriate for the play theme as well as the right size for the children Depending on the needs and exposure of the children in his class, Mr Eduardo sometimes chooses to start the center activity with fewer props to avoid overwhelming the children He may add more props later to encourage variety and language use as children learn to engage actively with the available props As the stage manager, Mr Eduardo considers children’s learning goals and child’s home and culture when presenting props Adult Interventions Adult as a Player Adult interventions, the second type of interventions to support language and early literacy development, refer to strategies undertaken by adults to support children’s sociodramatic play as well as their language and literacy development during play Adults may play multiple roles during the sociodramatic play as delineated below (Isenberg and Jalongo 2013; Van Hoorn et al 2014, Table 2) Adult as an Observer Standing back and taking the time to observe in a preschool classroom is often a luxury Further, accurate observation takes time and practice The purpose of this observation is for the teachers to assess each child’s engagement with peers, to identify children’s strengths and needs in all areas and determine the areas where the adult might need to intervene (Bodrova 2008) It gives the teacher an insight into each of the following roles Adult as a Stage Manager As the stage manager, the teacher or other adults in the room set the stage for the informal drama to occur during the center time (Bodrova 2008; Isenberg and Jalongo 2013; Van Hoorn et al 2014) They prepare the environment by One of the most commonly used roles of adults is that of player in the drama that the child initiates The adults may serve as a parallel player in which the adult plays alongside the child without actually interacting with the child or children in the play (Saracho 2004; Van Hoorn et al 2014) The purpose of parallel play is to subtly demonstrate or model extended use of materials and language to young children without stifling children’s own creativity The adult may choose to serve as a co-player in the dramatic play with the child As a co-player, the adult may take on a more assertive role with less skilled player However, adults are cautioned against overusing this role as it can interfere with the child’s natural creativity Adult as a Mediator In a preschool classroom, conflict between the children is a frequent occurrence During a conflict situation, the adult may help children resolve conflict by suggesting alternatives while also allowing children to implement solution on their own (Davidson 1996; Van Hoorn et al 2014) For example, instead of saying ‘‘fighting is not allowed in school’’ or ‘‘that’s not nice’’, the adult would instead say, ‘‘it looks like there is a problem.’’ Thus, the role of Table Adult interventions to support children’s language and literacy development during center times Prepare children before the start of the center time as to what centers are open—and what specific expectations you have from them in each of the centers Remember adult roles during the play Player: actor in children’s play Observer: observer where the children may need support for language/literacy development Stage manager: plan themes ahead and provide the material to support these themes Mediator: help children problem solve Interpreter: help children interpret each other’s and their own emotions or thoughts 123 304 mediator is a balance between teaching children skills of conflict resolution (sharing toys, using words, taking turns), offering children the opportunity to develop problem solving skills by using language, while keeping the conflict at a manageable level The use of language enhances the child’s capacity to problem solve and think creatively— both important skills for literacy development Adult as an Interpreter Three and four year old preschool children are egocentric and often not realize that things can be viewed from more than one perspective In their role of interpreter (Davidson 1996; Saracho 2004; Van Hoorn et al 2014), adults can interpret or describe children’s actions to make them aware of other children and teach children social competence During clean up, when Fernando makes a fuss, Ms Hart gets down to his level and says, ‘‘Fernando, it’s hard to clean up I can tell you’re worried about leaving your bridge.’’ She then goes on to problem solve with him—‘‘What you think we should do?’’ When Fernando has trouble offering solutions, Ms Hart offers a couple of solutions of her own, ‘‘Perhaps, you can come back and clean up after snack time?’’ or ‘‘Perhaps we can take a picture and you can keep that before you clean up.’’ By labeling emotion and finding a solution, Ms Hart is able to help Fernando enhance his vocabulary and language skills Adult as a Social Director Finally, one of the other important roles of the adults is to find a role appropriate for and interesting to the child, and draw other children into the play when needed Davidson (1996) emphasis two functions of the adults in this role As the ‘‘guardian of the gate’’, the adult can help children to enter play As the ‘‘Matchmaker’’, the adult can help children to find peers for needed roles For example, as the matchmaker, Ms Hart calls out to Joshua (a master player) to help Lisa (a ‘‘less confident’’ player) and says, ‘‘Joshua, you think you can play with Lisa? She needs extra help in getting ready for Julie’s party’’ As the guardian of the gate, Ms Hart ensures that there is a balance of skills, language or social competency, and gender in each center Conclusion Certainly, there need to be significant improvements in enriching and enhancing the language base for literacy in English for ELLs (Gersten et al 2007) Sociodramatic play activities have been shown to stimulate social, emotional, and intellectual development in the child, all of which are critical for each child’s success in school (McGowan and 123 Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 Smith 2013) Frequent, naturalistic and informal interaction during play provide an important learning tool for young children; and teachers must capitalize on this tool to maximize young children’s learning while also gathering information regarding children’s needs Teachers have the power to contribute to the development of children’s language and literacy skills by initiating and sustaining the interaction among children during sociodramatic playtime For children who are ELLs, these are critical skills which will equip them to be successful learners in kindergarten and beyond Collaborative efforts between researchers and practitioners may continue to lead to unique and innovative practices that address the literacy gap of ELLs at all education levels References Abedi, J., & Ga´ndara, P (2006) Performance of English language learners as a subgroup in large-scale assessment: Interaction of research and policy Educational Measurement Issues and Practice, 25(4), 36–46 August, D., & Shanahan, T (2006) Executive summary: Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on language-minority children and youth Center for Applied Linguistics Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Banerjee, R (2012) Effect of sociodramatic play on literacy skills of English language learners: A report Greeley, CO: Author Banerjee, R., & Horn, E (2013) Supporting classroom transitions between daily routines: Strategies and tips Young Exceptional Children, 16, 3–14 doi:10.1177/1096250612446853 Bodrova, E (2008) Make-believe play versus academic skills: A Vygotskian approach to today’s dilemma of early childhood education European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(3), 357–369 Carle, E., Rice, A., Peetoom, A., & Scholastic Inc (1989) The Very Hungry Caterpillar Jefferson City, MO: Scholastic Christensen, A., & Kelly, K (2003) No time for play: Throwing the baby out with the bath water The Reading Teacher, 56, 528–530 Christie, J (1990) Dramatic play: A context for meaningful play Reading Teacher, 43(8), 542–545 Davidson, J I (1996) Emergent literacy and dramatic play in early education Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing Company Division for Early Childhood (2010) Position statement: Responsiveness to all children, families, and professionals: Integrating cultural and linguistic diversity into policy and practice Missoula, MT: Author Retrieved from http://dec.membershipsoftware.org/files/ Position%20Statement%20and%20Papers/Position%20Statement_ Cultural%20and%20Linguistic%20Diversity.pdf Division for Early Childhood (2014) DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education 2014 Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/recommendedpractices Drummond, S (2007) Achievement gap 101 National Public Radio Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story php?storyId=7851275 Espinosa, L (2013) The academic achievement of children of immigrant families: A research review with implications for closing the achievement gap Retrieved from http://www boldapproach.org Early Childhood Educ J (2016) 44:299–305 Fadool, M C (2009) ‘‘We don’t serve no ice cream!’’: Enhancing children’s understanding and use of literacy through play events Journal of Reading Education, 34(3), 23–29 Florida State Department of Education, Office of Multicultural Student Language Education (2003) Language arts through ESOL: A guide for teachers and administrators Tallahassee: Florida State Department of Education Frost, J L., Wortham, S., & Reifel, S (2001) Play and child development Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc Fry, R (2007) How far behind in math and reading are English language learners? Report Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center Garcia, G N (2000) Lessons from research: What is the length of time it takes limited English proficient students to acquire English and succeed in an all-English classroom? Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education Issue Brief Gersten, R., Baker, S K., Shanahan, T., Linan-Thompson, S., Collins, P., & Scarcella, R (2007) Effective literacy and English language instruction for English learners in the elementary grades: A practice guide (NCEE 2007-4011) Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S Department of Education Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publica tions/practiceguides Hakuta, K., Butler, Y., & Witt, D (2000) How long does it take English learners to attain proficiency? (Policy Report 2000-1) Oakland: University of California, Linguistic Minor-ity Research Institute Hemmeter, M., Ostrosky, M., Artman, K., & Kinder, K (2008) Moving right along… Planning transitions to prevent challenging behavior Young Children, 63(3), 18 Hyvonen, P T (2011) Play in the school context? The perspectives of Finnish teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(8), 65–83 Isenberg, J P., & Jalongo, M R (2013) Creative thinking and artsbased learning: Preschool through fourth grade (6th ed.) New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc Keles¸ , S., & Kalıpc¸ı-So¨yler, S (2013) Embedded rules in sociodramatic plays: To determine the approaches of preschool teacher candidates International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 5(2), 330–338 Kohnert, K., Yim, D., Nett, K., Kan, P F., & Duran, L (2005) Intervention with linguistically diverse preschool children: A focus on developing home language(s) Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 36, 251–263 Leong, D J., & Bodrova, E (2012) Assessing and scaffolding makebelieve play Young Children, 67, 28–34 McGowan, A., & Smith, I (2013) Can you come out to play? An examination of the use of technology to enhance sociodramatic play among early childhood teachers Journal of Technology Integration in the Classroom, 5(1), 29–33 Moon, K., & Reifel, S (2008) Play and literacy learning in a diverse language pre-kindergarten classroom Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9(1), 49–65 305 Morrow, L M., & Rand, M (1991) Promoting literacy during play by designing early childhood classroom environments The Reading Teacher, 44, 396–402 Myck-Wayne, J (2010) In defense of play: Beginning the dialog about the power of play Young Exceptional Children, 13(4), 14–23 National Association for the Education of Young Children (2009) Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity Available from http://www.naeec.org National Center for Education Statistics (2013) National Assessment of Educational Progress [Data file] Retrieved from http://nces ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_222.10.asp Neuman, S B., & Roskos, K (2005) Whatever happened to developmentally appropriate practices in literacy? Young Children, 60, 1–6 North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (2003) Critical issue: Addressing literacy needs in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms Napierville, IL: Author Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org Pelligrini, A., & Galda, L (1998) The development of school-based literacy: A social ecological perspective New York: Routledge Roskos, K., & Christie, J (2004) Examining the play-literacy interface: A critical review and future directions In E Zigler, D Singer, & S Bishop-Joseph (Eds.), Children’s play: The roots of reading (pp 21–38) Washington, DC: Zero to Three Press Roskos, K., Christie, J., & Richgels, D J (2003) The essentials of early literacy instruction Young Children, 58, 52–60 Sandall, S., Schwartz, I S., Joseph, G E., Chou, H Y., Horn, E M., Lieber, J., et al (2008) Building blocks for teaching preschoolers with special needs Baltimore, MD: Brookes Saracho, O N (2004) Supporting literacy-related play: Roles for teachers of young children Early Childhood Education Journal, 31(3), 201–206 Seuss (1985) The Cat in the Hat New York, NY: Random House (Original work published 1957) Smilansky, S (1968) The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children London: Wiley Solomon, J., & Rhodes, N (1995) Conceptualizing academic language Santa Cruz, CA: National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning Tabors, P (1998) What early childhood educators need to know: Developing effective programs for culturally and linguistically diverse families Young Children, 53(6), 20–26 Tabors, P (2008) One child, two languages: A guide for early childhood educators of children learning English as a second language (2nd ed.) Baltimore: Paul H Brookes Tsao, Y (2008) Using guided play to enhance children’s conversation, creativity and competence in literacy Education, 128(3), 515–520 Van Hoorn, J., Nourot, P M., Scales, B., & Alward, K R (2014) Play at the center of the curriculum (6th ed.) Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc Vygotsky, L (1977) Play and its role in the mental development of the child In M Cole (Ed.), Soviet developmental psychology (pp 76–99) White Plains, NY: M E Sharpe 123