Early Childhood Research Lab
Leveraging the Power of Play in Preschool Classrooms
About
In today’s fast-paced, globally-competitive society, skills like decision making, planning, and perspective taking are increasingly important for individuals’ success in school, work, and life. These skills are all important aspects of executive function, an umbrella term for the cognitive processes involved in managing one's attention, behaviors, and emotions (Miyake et al., 2000). Research consistently demonstrates that executive function is a strong predictor not only of a child’s early school success (Blair & Razza, 2007), but also later health and economic well-being (Moffitt et al., 2011).
Although existing evidence from lab-based studies supports pretense as a feasible method to facilitate executive functions among preschoolers (e.g., Thibodeau et al., 2016), the current literature does not thoroughly identify what aspects of pretense drive positive developmental outcomes (Berk & Meyers, 2013). By investigating nuanced aspects of pretense, this project aims to understand how pretend play contributes to the development of executive function in early educational settings.
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Information About Participating
Enrollment for this project is currently closed.
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Funding Sources:
This research is funded by the Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood (2019-2021; Grant 19-0005UM).
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Collaborators:
Rachel White
Hamilton College
Francisco Palermo
University of Missouri