The Tools of the Mind Classroom
Classroom arrangement, materials, and management strategies for individual, small-group, and large-group activities resemble those of other developmentally based curricula. But in a Tools classroom, dramatic play takes center stage. Bodrova and Leong believe that sociodramatic play provides the best opportunities for children to integrate the mental processes necessary for self-regulation. Teachers use a play-planning process that encourages complex, “mature” play.
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Children engage in sustained, complex scenarios involving multiple roles and possibilities. Teachers plan with children, help them to write play plans and encourage them to consciously monitor, evaluate, and modify their play. Dramatic play is key because, as children take on reality-based roles, they must use what they know about social rules and conventions to portray their characters authentically. For example, in setting up a pretend veterinarian office, children may assume the roles of receptionist, doctor, client, and animal patient. They must act out their roles according to what they know about how the character should behave (e.g., cats don’t speak to doctors, they meow!).
Turn taking is another important feature of self-regulation; the child must be able to resist the urge to dominate and act impulsively and learn to respond in socially acceptable ways to others in the group. Teachers help children with abstract concepts like turn taking by providing them with props initially; eventually the desired behaviors are internalized and the props are no longer needed.