| The purpose of this study into understand how children's play predispositions (dramatists and patterners) and literacy levels (high and low) were related to their choice of play setting, social interaction, and the literacy activities from the bioecological perspective.; Phase One of the study identified dramatists and patterners with low and high literacy levels in four Head Start preschools. Four children were identified as target children and observed closely in Phase Two. The data were triangulated from the extensive video-recordings of each child during free play time, transcripts, fieldnotes, and children's products. Multiple methods were used for analysis: frequency counting, time measuring, time sampling with checklist, event sampling, and coding based on grounded theory.; The results revealed that the dramatist children chose the centers which involved more conversation and interaction with others such as the dramatic play center and small group activity center, whereas patterner children preferred to play at the manipulative or block centers that contain educational toys and constructive toys. However, a high literacy patterner played more in the dramatic play center when the classroom adopted a new curriculum. Second, the patterners showed more constructive play, and dramatists showed more dramatic play. In terms of the social level of play, patterners showed more parallel and solitary play, while group play was more common in dramatists. Third, the children received different types of interaction such as acknowledging, assisting, dialogue, suggesting, assessing, and teaching. High literacy children received assisting most frequently. On the other hand, low literacy children received assessing or acknowledging frequently. The high literacy dramatist child received the most interaction from teachers. Fourth, play predispositions were related to the types of literacy activities in which children engage. Evidence revealed a lack of shared reading and narrative activities for patterners. All children lacked phonological awareness activity during free play time. The findings resulted in implications for adults to provide balanced experiences for both play and literacy activities and to offer equal interaction opportunities to all children. |
