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Early Childhood Educ J (2015) 43:99107 DOI 10.1007/s10643-014-0635-8
Promoting Positive Peer Interactions in the Preschool Classroom: The Role and the Responsibility of the Teacher in Supporting Childrens Sociodramatic Play
Tina L. Stanton-Chapman
Published online: 28 March 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract Teachers play an important role in expanding and supporting childrens play and interactions with peers. This manuscript provides specic guidelines for interventions teachers can use to promote successful peer interactions in preschool settings. The strategies discussed include: (a) preparing the physical environment for play (e.g., toy selection, themes); (b) entering and exiting childrens play gracefully, (c) using talk to promote play episodes and social interactions, and (d) selecting the most appropriate intervention strategies based on direct obeservation.
Keywords Play Preschoolers Teachers Play support
Prompting
During a typical preschool day, children have a number of opportunities to socially interact and play with peers (e.g., center time, meal and snack time, outdoor time, group time). Peer interactions serve a variety of purposes for children including: participating in play opportunities with peers, learning how to share and problem-solve during play, providing and implementing play ideas with peers, and taking on roles within play (e.g., cook, server, and customer; doctor and patient). Research suggests that peer interactions can lead to positive peer relationships, friendship building, appropriate problem-solving during play, and peer acceptance. Preschool teachers are the key to orchestrating successful peer interactions for all children within the early childhood program including typical, inclusive, and at-risk classrooms. Their involvement
requires careful planning and preparation, creativity, reection, and providing opportunities for peer interactions to happen. An example of a teacher providing such an opportunity is presented in the next paragraph.
During morning meeting, Ms. Lindsey draws the childrens attention to a visual chart. We are going to greet everyone in a few minutes. Before we greet our friends, we need to review our greeting rules. First, you will sit next to different people each day so you have the opportunity to greet many friends. What does it mean to sit next to different people each day? The children raise their hands to answer Ms. Lindseys question. Joshua? It means to make sure you are not sitting next to the same person 2 days in a row, answers...