How does Montessori Education – with its emphasis on real -life skills – view pretend “pretend play”?
In our series this week we are going to take a look at a question that was posed last week. A parent wanted to understand better why there is no kitchen corner in our classrooms. Many people ask this great question. To understand the answer, we first need to understand the difference between “reality-based” play and “imaginary” play. Then we will discuss “fantasy” play.
Reality-based play takes its meaning from the word itself. It is play that comes from the world the children see and live in, the world all around them. For example, watching mom in the kitchen, seeing construction workers build a road, watching a cashier ring up our groceries, etc. Children see this in the world around them and they want to understand and explore – and eventually imitate – these different roles. Maria Montessori found that when given the choice, children would frequently gravitate to doing real-world activities.
We see this in our preschools, too. When food prep is involved, or wood-working or using a screwdriver, there is so much excitement about being able to use these “real” items. Obviously, we aren’t advocating that our children start building roads, but the point is that the children want to imitate adults and the “big” things they do. Your child sees a building go up, or your challah coming out of the oven and they are impressed, and they hear the praise and words that others say about those activities, and naturally they want to do it, also. (YES, we ARE talking about modeling again, right?) We look for engaging, safe, appropriate ways for them to do these kinds of acts, because these are meaningful, self-motivated activities through which the children will learn valuable life-skills.
Here is an example of reality-based play, that worked wonderfully in a school I worked in a few years ago. We were learning about multi-culturalism and “all around the world,” so our students were learning about people from different countries: what they wore, what they ate, and what the children played with. The children dressed up in clothing that was traditionally worn in those countries, made food that is eaten locally in those countries, and played with games that children in those countries play.
At a different time, the children were learning about the solar system, so they “became” astronauts and created costumes and a rocket ship to take them to explore the moon. This is imaginary play. The children were obviously not even close to going to the moon…but such a thing can be done! They are imagining that they are doing it and using the real-life skills (at their level) necessary to do such a thing. The same would be true of pretending to be first-responders, doctors or the like. In this context, they would walk carefully, pick up a “moon” rock and take it to the “ship” to examine, etc. they are not wearing the actual spacesuit (as opposed to the class that was wearing actual clothing from their countries), so it is imaginary.
What then is fantasy play?
To understand better we need to know that imaginary play is different that fantasy play. Fantasy play uses our imagination to create images or ideas that are not real. Superheroes, characters from cartoons, etc., fall into this category. Montessori education in general – and Chareidi education even more so - are not in favor of this. Yet, let me take a moment to say that while it is not supported in the preschool there is a time, when a child is older, that it is an option for children. Typically, this is when children can differentiate between reality and non-reality, usually around the age of 6. But saying that you need to know that for some children, fantasy play can be used as an escape, because it is easier for them to live inside their heads in the worlds that they design, as opposed to facing challenges in the outside world. It is a relief from the pressure that they feel, and gives them a greater feeling of control and power over their surroundings.
Finally – with Purim approaching! – let’s talk about costumes and fantasy play. So many of our children will be dressing up for this holiday; it’s one of the most meaningful parts of the chag! When a child dresses up as Esther of Mordechai, as a Rebbe or a righteous woman this is positive, imaginary play. They are relating to being a tzadik or tzadekes. They are also embedding in their minds images of what they want to be. In this week’s Parasha we see that the clothing of the Cohanim was meant to be "לכבוד ולתפארת" for dignity and glory. Bnei Yisroel needed to see the honor that the Cohanim were given and were giving in front of Hashem – their uniforms, their “costumes” have significance! On Yom Kippur the Cohain Gadol would change his garments many times: in front of the Nation he wore the golden garments to impress them, but they saw him change into his “humble” white linen garments when he appeared before Hashem in the Kodesh Kodoshim. The “costumes” are powerful inspirational tools for everyone. All the more so for our young, impressionable children, sheyichyu!
Now we can understand the difference in a Montessori approach to pretend play. Is the pretend play stemming from imagination or from fantasy? We love imagination! Imagination is the place where creativity is found. Imagination is the basis of innovation, it's what made progress and all kinds of man-made wonders possible. Being creative is essential to problem-solving and decision-making. Later on in life it is the critical spark that forwards many people’s careers and businesses. Creativity can promote passion in what we are doing, and allows us to express ourselves in new and amazing ways. There are so many reasons why creativity is vital and wonderful.
Please don’t see this as black and white; I am NOT telling you what you should do! But I want you to be conscious of the process and aware of the important differences in the types of play that your child engages in, and to make informed, conscious decisions based on this knowledge and understanding. I know that his awareness will enable us to be better people, parents and teachers! There is much to be learned and gained from a deep understanding of the various modalities of play in a child’s life!
The secret of a good education is to consider the intelligence of the child as a fertile field in which seeds can be thrown, which sprout in the flaming heat of the imagination. Our aim is not simply to get the child to understand, let alone force him to remember, but to strike his imagination in order to spark enthusiasm. We do not want students who are complacent, but passionate. Maria Montessori
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