The Story of A Brat...

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This is a clip I caught during a "puppet show" put on by a 7 year old girl in my evening drop in classes. The topic is one that is just beginning to emerge among children (particularly girls) in the 6-8 year old age range, and her switch almost seamlessly from one viewpoint to another demonstrates an amazing ability for understanding the abstract concepts needed for social negotiation! Throughout the clip there are also many other key elements--an attempt to transfer known vocabulary into a novel situation (I would theorize she was looking for the word "attitude" instead of "opportunity"), hints at what tools she has been given to negotiate social conflict (obviously at one point or another she has been prompted to "control your words"), and the ability to identify and solve problems in social situations. This is why play as a learning tool works. Children who demonstrate these abilities in a dramatic performance are those who are able to transfer those abilities into real-life situations!