Developmental progression in play behavior of children between nine and thirty months: II: Spontaneous play and language development

Abstract

The relationship between play behavior displayed in a structured play situation and language development was studied cross-sectionally in 85 children at eight age--evels between nine and 30 months. There were no correlations between types of play behavior, in particular functional play (appropriate use of objects on the child's own body), representational play (appropriate use of objects on a doll or another person), or symbolic play (substitution of present objects for absent ones) and speech measures such as total number of words and of vocalizations, number of different words and different vocalizations, and number of sentences. Identification of objects upon verbal request was not related to any type of play behavior, but comprehension of verbal requests for functional or representational play was postively correlated with the display of functional or representational play. The children did not respond to verbal requests for functional or representational play unless these types of play behavior were part of their spontaneous play repertoire. Understanding of prepositions seemed to be related to spatial concepts expressed in play behavior, such as container play or arranging chairs around a table and setting the table.