Play: A Vygotskian Approach

Play: A Vygotskian Approach offers both theoretical and practical perspectives on dramatic play.

Using enchanting sequences of four-year olds playing house, doctor's office, rescue squad, and trick-or-treating, the importance of make-believe play is presented.

The video reviews the traditional ways of studying play: the Freudian-Eriksonian emphasis on its emotional content, the Piagetian view of its importance in symbolic representation, and the social-psychological approach of looking at how play contributes to socialization.

Lev Vygotsky's unique contribution of seeing play as an arena in which a child can begin to master his own behavior is carefully detailed.

The video ends with practical suggestions for fostering high-level play in early childhood settings.

With Deborah J. Leong, Ph.D. and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D.

Available As: Closed Captioned English or Open Captioned Spanish
Produced By: Davidson Films
Total Running Time: 26 minutes