Westby Symbolic Playscale



Play References

Practical Books

Barbour, A., & Desjean-Perrotta, B. (2002). Prop box: 50 themes to inspire dramatic play. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House.

Campbell, K.J. (2003). Art across the alphabet: Over 100 art experiences that enrich early literacy. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House

MacDonald, S. (2001). Block play: The complete guide to learning and playing with blocks. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House.

West, S., & Cox, A. (2004). Literacy play: Over 300 dramatic play activities that teach pre-reading skills. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House.

Wiggins, A.K. (2006). Preschoolers at play: Building language and literacy through dramatic play. Greenville, SC: Super Duper.

Wolfberg, P.J. (2003). Peer play and the autism spectrum: The art of guiding children’s socialization and imagination. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing. (This book is specific for children with autism – ways to evaluate play and how to structure and scaffold play for children with autism).

Theoretical Books/Articles

Johnson, J.E., Christie, J.F., & Yawkey, T.D. (1999). Play and early childhood development. New York: Longman.

Roskos, K.A., & Christie, J.F. (2007). Play and literacy in early childhood: Research from multiple perspectives. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Singer, D.G., Golinkoff, R.M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2006). Play=learning. New York: Oxford University Press. ()

Paley, V.G. (2005). Child’s work: The importance of fantasy play. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Westby, C.E. (2000). A scale for assessing development of children’s play. In K. Gitlin-Weiner, A. Sandgund, & C. Schaefer (Eds.), Play diagnosis and assessment (pp. 15-57) New York: Wiley.

Zigler, E.F., Singer, D.G., & Bishof-Josef, S.J. (2004). Children’s play: The roots of reading. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.

DVDs

Embracing play. Teaching your child with autism.

Educational Productions Hand-in-Hand Play series.

Relationship development intervention: Going to the heart of autism.

The transporters.

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Concise Symbolic Play Scale

|Ages |Theory of Mind |Content Themes Organization |Decontextualization |

| | |(Episodic Memory) | |

|17-19 mo |pretend play on self |events personally experienced that happen |single activities |realistic props |

| | |daily | | |

|19-22 mo |pretends on doll (doll passive |caregiver activities |combines 2 toys or performs actions on 2 | |

| |recipient) | |people | |

|2 yr |talks to doll | |several actions on a theme (doll in tub, | |

| | | |wash, dry) | |

|2 ½ yr | |events personally experienced that happen | | |

| | |periodically (associated with emotion) | | |

|3 yr | |events child has seen or read about but not|short sequences of temporally-related |low representation toys; object substitutions |

| | |personally experienced |activities; events evolve | |

|3-3 ½ yr |gives voice to dolls/puppets | | | |

|4 yr |gives characters multiple roles (mother,| |planned events with cause-effect sequences |language used to set scene |

| |wife, doctor) | | | |

|5-6 yr | |highly imaginative themes |multiple planned sequences | |

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Table 1: Developmental Playscale

Phase 1: Presymbolic

|PLAY |Communication |

|_________________________________________________________________________________________________ |______________________________ |

|Object Permanence |Means-End/Problem Solving |Object Use | |

|Presymbolic Level I: 8 to 12 months | | | |

| | | | |

|___ Aware that objects exist when not seen; |___ Attains toy by pulling cloth on which toy is |___ Explores moveable parts of toy |___ Joint attention on toy and person |

|finds toy hidden under cloth, box, etc., |resting |___ Does not mouth all toys. Uses several |___ No true language; may have performative words|

|associates object with location |___ Attains toy by pulling string |different schemes (patting, banging, turning, |that are associated with action or the total |

| |___ Touches adult to continue activity |throwing, etc.); uses some differential schemas on|situation |

| | |familiar objects |___ Shows and gives objects |

| | | | |

| | | |Exhibits the following communicative intents: |

| | | |___ Request (instrumental) |

| | | |___ Command (regulatory) |

|Presymbolic II: 13 to 17 months | | | |

| | | | |

|___ Aware that objects exist separate from |___ Understands “in-ness;” dumps objects out of |___ Recognizes operating parts of toys (attends to|___ Context dependent single words, e.g., child |

|location; finds objects hidden in first one |bottle |knobs, levers, buttons) |may use the word “car” when riding in a car, but |

|place and then in a second or third location |___ Hands toy to adult if unable to operate |___ Discovers operations of toys through trial and|not when he sees a car; words tend to come and go|

| |___ Hands toy to adult to get attention |error |in child’s vocabulary |

| |___ Uses index finger to point to desired object |___ Construction of toy relationships (e.g, puts | |

| | |one toy in another such as figure in car; nests |Exhibits the following communicative functions: |

| | |boxes) |___ Request ___ Protest |

| | |___ Uses familiar objects appropriately |___ Command ___ Label |

| | | |___ Interactional ___ Response |

| | | |___ Personal ___ Greeting |

| | | | |

Summary of Symbolic Playscale

| AGE | | PROPS | | THEMES | | ORGANIZATION | | ROLES | | LANGUAGE USE IN PLAY |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 18 months | |uses one realistic object at a | |familiar everyday activities in| |short, isolated pretend actions| |autosymbolic pretend, (e.g., child | |language used to get and maintain |

| | |time | |which child is active | | | |feeds self pretend food | |toys and seek assistance operating |

| | | | |participant (e.g., eating, | | | | | |toys (e.g., "baby," "mine," "help") |

| | | | |sleeping) | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 22 months | |uses two realistic objects at a| |familiar everyday activities | |combines two related toys or | |child acts on dolls and others (e.g.,| |uses word combinations to comment on |

| | |time | |that caregivers do (e.g., | |performs actions on two people | |feeds doll or caregiver) | |toy or action; uses word for intents,|

| | | | |cooking, reading) | |(e.g., uses spoon to eat from | | | |needs, feelings ("want that," "mad," |

| | | | | | |plate; feeds mother, then doll)| | | |"hungry") |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 24 months | |uses several realistic objects | | | |multischeme combinations of | | | |talks to doll briefly; describes some|

| | | | | | |steps (e.g., put doll in tub, | | | |of the doll's actions (e.g., "baby |

| | | | | | |apply soap, take doll out and | | | |sleeping"); uses phrases and markers |

| | | | | | |dry) | | | |for ing and plurals/possessives |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 30 months | | | |common but less frequently | | | |emerging limited doll actions (e.g., | |talking to doll and commenting on |

| | | | |experienced or especially | | | |doll cries) | |doll's actions increase in frequency;|

| | | | |traumatic experiences (e.g., | | | | | |uses |

| | | | |shopping, doctor) | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 3 years | | | |observed, but not personally | |temporal sequences of | |child talks to doll in response to | |use complete sentences with past |

| | | | |experienced activities (e.g., | |multischeme events (e.g., | |doll's actions (e.g., "don't cry | |tense and future aspect; children may|

| | | | |police, firefighter); | |prepare food, set table, eat | |now," "I'll get you a cookie."); | |comment on what they have just |

| | | | |compensatory play-- Re-enacts | |food, clear table, wash dishes)| | | |completed or what they will do next |

| | | | |experienced events, but | | | |brief complementary role play with | |(e.g., "Dolly ate the cake." "I'm |

| | | | |modifies original outcomes | | | |peers (e.g., mother and child; doctor| |gonna wash dishes.") |

| | | | | | | | |and patient) | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 3 1/2 years | |miniature props, small figures,| | | | | |attributes emotions and desires to | |use dialogue for dolls and |

| | |and object substitutions | | | | | |dolls; reciprocal role taking with | |metalinguistic markers (e.g., "he |

| | | | | | | | |dolls (child treats doll as | |said"); use words to refer to |

| | | | | | | | |partner--talks for doll and as | |emotions and thoughts |

| | | | | | | | |caregiver) | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 4 years | |imaginary props (language and | |familiar fantasy themes (e.g., | |planned play events with | |child or doll has multiple roles | |use language to plan and narrate the |

| | |gesture help set the scene) | |Batman, Wonder Woman, | |cause-effect sequences (e.g., | |(mother, wife, doctor; firefighter, | |story line; use of connecting words |

| | | | |Cinderella, etc.); violent | |child decides to play a | |husband, father) | |so, because, but-effect |

| | | | |themes common | |birthday party and gathers | | | | |

| | | | | | |necessary props and assigns | |child can handle two or more dolls in| | |

| | | | | | |roles) | |complementary rolls (dolls are doctor| | |

| | | | | | | | |and patient) | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | |attributes thoughts and plans to doll| | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|by 6 years | |language and gesture can carry | |create novel fantasy characters| |multiple planned sequences | |more than one role per doll (doll is | |elaboration of planning and narrative|

| | |the play without props | |and plots | |(plans for self and other | |mother, wife, doctor) | |story line; uses sentences with |

| | | | | | |players) | | | |temporal markers, then, when, while, |

| | | | | | | | | | |before, first, next |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

Phase 2: Symbolic

|PLAY |LANGUAGE |

|__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |_____________________________________________________________ |

|Decontextualization |Thematic Content |Organization |Self/Other Relations |Function |Form and Content |

|What props are used in pretend |What schemas/scripts does the |How coherent and logical are the |What roles does the child take and| | |

|play? |child represent? |child’s schemas/scripts? |give to toys and other people? | | |

| | | | | | |

|Symbolic level I: 17-19 months | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|Child exhibits internal mental |___ Familiar, everyday |___ Short isolated schemas |___ Self as agent (auto-symbolic |Directing |Beginning of true verbal |

|representation |activities (eating, sleeping) |(single pretend actions) |or self-representational play, |___ Requesting |communication. Words have following |

|___ Tool-use (uses stick to reach|in which child has been an | |i.e., child pretends to go to |___ Commanding |functional and semantic relations: |

|toy) |active participant | |sleep, to eat from a spoon, or to |___ Interactional |___ Recurrence |

|___ Finds toy invisibly hidden | | |drink from an empty cup) |Self-maintaining |___ Existence |

|(when placed in a box and box | | | |___ Protesting |___ Nonexistence |

|emptied under scarf) | | | |___ Protecting self and self interests |___ Rejection |

|___ Pretends using life-like | | | |Commenting |___ Denial |

|props | | | |___ Labeling (objects and activity) |___ Agent |

|___ Does not stack solid ring | | | |___ Indicating personal feeling |___ Object |

| | | | | |___ Action or state |

| | | | | |___ Object or person associated with |

| | | | | |object or person |

|Symbolic Level II: 19-22 months | | | | |

| | | | | | |

| |___ Activities of familiar |___ Short, isolated schema |___ Child acts on doll (Doll is |___ Refers to objects and persons not |Beginning of word combinations with |

| |others (cooking, reading, |combinations (child combines two |passive recipient of action); |present |following semantic relations: |

| |cleaning, shaving) |actions or toys in pretend, e.g.,|brushes doll’s hair, covers doll |___ Requests information |___ Agent-Action |

| | |rocking doll and putting it to |with blanket | |___ Action-object |

| | |bed; pouring from pitcher into |___ Child performs pretend actions| |___ Agent-object |

| | |cup, or feeding doll from plate |on more than one object or person,| |___ Attributive |

| | |with spoon) |e.g., feeds self, a doll, mother, | |___ Dative |

| | | |or another child | |___ Action-locative |

| | | | | |___ Possessive |

|Symbolic Level III: 2 years | | | | | |

| | |___ Elaborated single schemas |___ Reverses roles--”I’ll play you|___ Comments on activity of self (get |___ Uses phrases and short sentences |

| | |(represents daily experiences |and you play me.” |apple) |Appearance of morphological markers: |

| | |with details, e.g., puts lid on | |___Comments on doll (baby sleep) |___ Present progressive (ing) on |

| | |pan, puts pan on stove; collects | | |verbs |

| | |items associated with cooking/ | | |___ Plurals |

| | |eating such as dishes, pans, | | |___ Possessives |

| | |silverware, glasses, highchair | | | |

|Symbolic Level IV: 2 1/2 years | | | | | |

| |Represents less frequently | |___ Talks to doll | |Responds appropriately to the following|

| |personally experienced events, | |___ Reverses dyadic/ | |WH questions in context: |

| |particularly those that are | |complementary roles (“I’ll play x| |___ What |

| |memorable because they are | |and you play y.”), e.g. doctor/ | |___ Who |

| |pleasurable or traumatic: | |patient; shopper/cashier | |___ Whose |

| |___ Store shopping | | | |___ Where |

| |___ Doctor-nurse-sick child | | | |___ What...do |

| | | | | |___ Asks WH question (generally puts WH|

| | | | | |at beginning of sentence) |

| | | | | |___ Responses to why questions |

| | | | | |inappropriate except for well-known |

| | | | | |routines |

| | | | | |___ Asks why, but often inappropriate |

| | | | | |and does not attend to answer |

|Symbolic Level V: 3 Years | | | | | |

| |___ Compensatory play: Re-enacts |___ Evolving episode sequences, |___ Transforms self into role |___ Reporting |___ Uses past tense, such as, “I ate |

| |experienced events, but modifies |e.g., child mixes cake, bakes it,|___ Engages in associative play, |___ Predicting |the cake,” “I walked” |

| |original outcomes |washes dishes; or doctor checks |i.e., children do similar |___ Emerging narrating or |___ Uses future aspect (particularly |

| | |patient, calls ambulance, takes |activities, may share same role, |story-telling |“gonna”) forms, such as “I’m gonna wash|

| | |patient to hospital (sequence not|but no organized goal | |dishes.” |

| | |planned) | | | |

|Symbolic Level VI: 3 to 3 1/2 Years | | | | |

| | | |___ Child assigns roles to other | ___ Projecting: gives desires, |Descriptive vocabulary expands as child|

|___ Carries out pretend |___ Represents observed events, | |children; negotiates play |thoughts, feelings, to doll or |becomes more aware of perceptual |

|activities with replica toys |i.e., events in which child was | |___ Multiple reversible roles |puppet |attributes; uses terms for following |

|(Fisher Price/ Playmobil |not an active participant | |(“I’ll be a and b and you be x“),|___ Uses indirect requests, e.g., |concepts ( not always correctly): |

|dollhouse, barn, garage, village,|(policemen, firemen, war, cowboys,| |e.g., child is ticket seller, |“mommy lets me have cookies for |___ shapes |

|airport) |schemas/scripts from TV shows -- | |pilot, and airline steward, but |breakfast.” |___ sizes |

|___ Uses one object to represent |Batman, Ninja Turtles, Power | |co-player is always passenger |___ Changes speech depending on |___ colors |

|another (Stick can be a comb, |Rangers | | |listener |___ textures |

|chair can be a car) | | |Uses doll or puppet as |___ Reasoning (integrates |___ spatial relations |

|___ Uses blocks and sandbox for | | |participant in play: |reporting, predicting, projecting |___ Uses metalinguistic and |

|imaginative play. Blocks used as | | |___ Child talks for doll |information) |metacognitive language, e.g., “He |

|enclosures (fences, houses) for | | |___ Reciprocal role taking-- |___ Metacommunicative strategies |said...;” I know....” |

|animals and dolls | | |child talks for doll and as | | |

| | | |parent of doll | | |

|Symbolic Level VII: 3 1/2 to 4 Years | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|___ Uses language to invent props|___ Improvisations and variations |___ Schemas/scripts are planned |___ Uses dolls and puppets to act|___ Uses language to take roles of |___ Uses modals (can, could, may, |

|and set scene |on themes |___ Hypothesizes “what would |out schemas/scripts |character in the play, stage |might, would) |

|___ Builds 3-dimensional | |happen if/” |___ Child or doll has multiple |manager for the props, or as author|___ Uses conjunctions (and, but, so, |

|structures with blocks | | |roles (e.g., mother and wife; |of the play story |because, if) |

| | | |fireman, husband, father) | |NOTE: Full competence for modals and |

| | | | | |conjunctions does not develop until |

| | | | | |10-12 years of age. |

| | | | | |___ Some appropriate responses to why |

| | | | | |and how questions requiring reasoning |

|Symbolic Level VIII: 5 years | | | | | |

|___ Can use language to set the |___ Highly imaginative activities |___ Plans several sequences of |___ Engages in collaborative | |___ Uses relational terms (then, when, |

|scene, actions, and roles in play|that integrate parts of known |pretend events. Organizes what is|play, i.e., play roles | |first, last, next, while, before, |

| |schemas/scripts for events child |needed -- both objects and other |coordinated and themes are | |after) |

| |has never participated in or |children. Coordinates several |goal-directed | |Note: Full competence does not develop |

| |observed (e.g., astronaut builds |scripts occurring simultaneously | | |until 10-12 years of age. |

| |ship, flies to strange planet, | | | | |

| |explores, eats unusual food, talks| | | | |

| |with creatures on planet) | | | | |

Westby, C.E. (2000). A scale for assessing development of children’s play. In K Gitlin-Weiner, A. Sandgrund , & C. Schaefer (Eds.), Play diagnosis and assessment. New York: Wiley.

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