Question

Discuss Vygotsky's view of make-believe play.

Answer 1

Vygotsky held that make-believe play served a critical role in promoting cognitive, social and emotional development among children. More specifically, Vygotsky believed that make believe play provides a unique context in which children create a set of rules and assign roles accordingly. They create imaginary situations that their enhance problem solving skills among other cognitive functions. These situations allow children to separate their own concepts of objects from what these objects symbolise during make-believe play. From this, children begin to learn that thoughts and meanings of words are distinct from the object itself, and ideas can be used to guide one’s behaviour likewise.