Play / Pragmatics for the Young
Play 1 - 1 ½ Years:
- Solitary or onlooker play-self play
- Continual walking activities
- Begins running-stiff and awkward
- Scribbles spontaneously with crayon
- Can remove mittens, socks, hat; unzips zipper
- Puts objects in and out of containers
- Can figure out ways of overcoming some obstacles (opening doors, reaching high)
- Imitates many things (sweeping, combing hairs-self use)
- Pulls toys; carries or hugs doll, teddy bear
- Very rapid shifts in attention –especially expressed by gross motor shifts
Pragmatics
- Brings objects to show an adult
- Requests objects by pointing and vocalizing or possibly using a word approximation
- Solicits another’s attention vocally, physically, and possibly with gestures
- Gesturally requests action/assistance (many may give back wind-up toy for activation)
- Says “bye” and possibly a few other conventional ritual words such as “hi,” “thank you,” and “please”
- Protests by saying “no” shaking head, moving away, frowning, or pushing object away
- Comments on an object/action by directing listeners’ attention to it with a point and vocalization or word approximation
- Answer simple "wh" questions with a vocal response (may be unintelligible)
- Acknowledges speech of another person by giving eye contact, vocally responding or repeating a word said
- Teases, warns, scolds using gesture plus a vocalization or a word approximation
Play 1 ½ - 2 years
- Parallel play – plays near others but not with them
- Talks to self as he/she plays
- Little social give and take – little interest in what others say and do, but hugs, pushes, pulls, snatches, grabs, defends rights by pulling hair and kicking
- Does not ask for help
- Procrastinates
- Strings beads
- Transports blocks on a truck rather than just building
- Relates to an object or another person- washes, feeds, combs doll in addition to self
- Likes to play with flexible material such as clay-pats, pinches, and fingers
- Less rapid shifts in attention
Pragmatics
- Uses single words or short phrases to express the intentions listed at 1 – 1 ½ year level
- Names objects in front of others
- Says “what’s that?” to elicit attention
- Begins using single words and two-word phrases to command (move), indicate possession (mine), express problems ("Ouch")
- Much verbal turn-taking
Play 2 – 3 years
- Parallel play predominates
- Arranges doll furniture into meaningful groups and uses figures to act out simple themes from own experiences
- Aligns three or more cubes to make a train; pushes train
- Builds a tower of six or seven blocks
- Imitates drawing of a vertical line
- Sequences related actions such as preparing food for doll, feeding it, wiping mouth
Play 3 - 3 ½ years
- Builds bridge from model
- Cooperative play begins
- Organizes doll furniture accurately and begins to use in genuinely imaginative ways
- Draws two or more stokes for a cross-on imitation
- Beginning to share
- Reenacts experienced events such as birthday parties, baking cookies
- Uses one object to represent another (stick = phone or fence)
Pragmatics
- Engages in longer dialogues
- Assumes the role of another person in play
- Uses more filters to acknowledge partner’s message (uh-huh, yea, ok)
- Begins code switching (using simpler language) when talking to very young children
- Uses more elliptical resources
- Requests permission
- Begins using language for fantasies, jokes, teasing
- Makes conversational repairs when listener has not understood
- Corrects others
- Primitive narratives emerge: events follow from central core/ use of interference in stories
Play 3 ½ - 4 years
- Increase in dramatization of play
- Complicated ideas, but unable to carry out in detail; no carryover from day to day
- Prefers to play in a group of two or three children; chooses companion of own sex
- Suggests turns, but often bossy in directing others
- Often silly in play and may do things wrong purposefully
- Puts toys away
- Likes to dress up
- Draws human with two parts. Adds three parts to incomplete human
- Builds structures/buildings with blocks
- Assumes the role of another person in play (becomes a teacher, animal, parent)
For remaining ages please see Pragmatics 2
