Learn how to pretend

The 5 Stages of Pretend Play in Early Childhood

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Throughout early childhood, children engage in many types of play that are all equally important for their development. One of these is pretend play, also known as imaginative, make-believe or fantasy play.

Children typically progress through 5 stages of pretend play.

Pretend play may appear to just be a child imitating what they see around them and how others are behaving, but it stimulates a great deal of creativity and thinking skills.

When children act out their world together, they engage in cooperative behaviour as they work together to create a fantasy scene. This involves high levels of social skills.

They also develop emotionally as they act out life scenarios that are full of emotions and new experiences. Playing gives them a safe space to experience these big emotions.

Here are the 5 stages of imaginative play in early childhood:

1. Enactive Naming

The first phase of pretend play is called enactive naming. In this stage, a child is not yet actively “pretending,” rather she is showing the knowledge she has.

For example, the first time she puts an empty spoon or cup to her mouth, she may be imitating a behaviour she has seen, or acting out her understanding of the objects, but she is not yet playing.

She is beginning to learn the difference between real and not real. 

Young children love to imitate the actions and behaviours they see around them and may also want to sweep the floor, whether with a real broom or a toy broom. 

2. Autosymbolic Schemes

In the second stage, called autosymbolic schemes, the young child begins to display the first signs of pretending, but only in relation to herself. This starts around the age of 12 months.

A child may pretend to lie down and sleep or take a pretend sip from their cup while making noises to show she is drinking. 

At this stage you will see that the child is intending to play by her mannerisms and actions – she may smile or look at you to show you that she is pretending.

Playing with toy replicas of household objects is fun for young toddlers, and by using these items for their correct functions, they show their growing cognitive skills.

At some point, the young child will start to engage in pretend play by using objects to represent other objects. This is called symbolic play.

This means a child who wishes to pretend to talk on the phone, may reach for a block instead of a real phone or a toy that represents the real object.

The child feels that the block shares some characteristics with a phone – perhaps the size and the shape – and it becomes a good replacement for the phone.

This kind of symbolic pretend play shows yet another layer of advanced thinking.

Pretending while playing is rooted in a child’s social development. Their interactions with parents, family, peers and other caregivers forms the basis of their play, and forms the foundation for their cognitive development.

3. Decentred Symbolic Schemes

Between the age of 12 and 24 months, a child will begin to involve others in her pretend play. 

She will pass you the cup to take a sip from or try to feed you with an empty spoon. This shows that she is becoming aware of others as being separate from herself. 

From around 2 years of age, toddlers often begin to play with dolls. They see their dolls as living beings, with feelings and states, such as hunger and tiredness.

This behaviour shows a huge leap in a child’s thinking skills as she matures.

It is also believed that the advanced thinking shown during pretend play is not yet seen in other aspects of a child’s life at this young age.

During this type of play, a child knows she is pretending and knows that the other child is pretending, and that they are both attaching mental concepts to their scenario. 

This type of awareness is unusual as children typically see everything from an egocentric viewpoint. 

During pretend play; however, they are able to experience something from someone else’s shoes and even try out different points of view.

Children also show that while engaging in symbolic play they are able to assign two separate identities to an object – such as understanding that a block is a block, and in this case, also a phone.

This is something they are not able to do in other contexts, for example when looking at pictures of objects that represent other objects.

To give an example of this in a language context – a very young child knows that a banana is a banana, but will not also refer to it as a fruit.

Pretend play, therefore, plays a big role in helping a child develop thinking skills.

Even the objects that a child uses to play with show her level of thinking. In the beginning, she uses real objects, then toy replicas, then other objects as representations.

The older a child gets, the more she can use non-realistic toys in her play, with her imagination being the only thing she needs.

4. Sequencing Pretend Acts

In this stage, a child learns to apply a logical sequence to her pretending. If she wants to give her doll a bath, for example, she will take off her clothes before doing so.

The child has learned through observing others and how people behave in various contexts and is strengthening her memory skills, so that this knowledge can be used later, in a play context.

5. Planned Pretend

In this final stage, known as planned pretend, a child will collect props and items that she needs for her pretend play.

She will have a specific idea in mind for what she wants to act out and will plan accordingly. She may pretend to be a teacher giving a lesson, or a mother taking her child to the shops.

Preschoolers are usually in this stage of pretend play and they use high-level social skills while engaging.

They need to communicate well, play a specific role, allow others to play their roles, share and take turns, and follow the agreed rules, as they play with a common goal.

Sometimes this requires compromising, negotiating and persuading.

Read more about the types of play in early childhood.

Source:

Natanson, J. 1998. Learning Through Play: A parent’s guide to the first five years. Tafelberg Publishers Limited: Cape Town.

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8 tips for those who want to learn how to lie correctly

"Gazeta.Ru" has collected the main advice from psychologists on how exactly you should behave when you lie so that they believe you.

American psychologist Robert Feldman , who devoted his career to the study of lies, claims that even the most truthful person, talking to a stranger, lies on average four times in ten minutes. Interestingly, when talking to relatives or close friends, we lie even more often.

Lies can be completely harmless - saying such things, we don’t even notice that we lied (for example, “you look great”). And maybe serious - when we ourselves know that we are lying (for example, “darling, I never cheated on you”).

Most of us believe that they cannot be deceived: we always know when they are lying to us. This is not true.

UC Berkeley psychologist Leanne Brink, who specializes in detecting lies, says it's almost impossible to tell if you're being lied to if the liar is capable. And her colleague from the University of San Francisco, Paul Ekman, conducted an experiment in which 15,000 people participated. They were shown a video in which people lie and tell the truth, and were asked to recognize where they had been lied to. On average, less than half completed the task.

Whatever you teach your children, you yourself know very well that it is good to lie. By the way, a psychologist from the University of Massachusetts Robert Feldman conducted a very interesting study and found out that the most popular kids in school are those who know how to lie well - because it is interesting with them. Indeed, we all have acquaintances who deceive voluptuously, with fantasy; and even knowing in advance that they are lying, we listen to them with great pleasure. But even in essence, truthful people sometimes have to lie, although they do not like to do this.

So, let's study. What needs to be done to believe in your lies?

Decide to lie

Weigh the pros and cons and make the final decision that you are lying. And after the decision is made, no longer doubt it. Lies are very easy to determine precisely because of the internal doubts that torment the liar. Is it moral or immoral? Right or wrong? Fair or dishonest? It doesn't matter anymore. If you decide to lie, lie.

Weigh the possibility of failure

Before you tell a lie, think about what would happen if the truth turns out, and how likely it is. If you have lied about this particular subject before—and been believed—then you may be able to pull the same thing again. Have you been caught in a lie by the people you plan to lie to? Are there witnesses to the "truth" who could potentially undermine your story? And finally, what will happen if the truth is revealed. For example, if you are ten, think about what you will be punished more for - for a deuce or for hiding it? If, after weighing all the circumstances, you nevertheless came to the conclusion that it would be better to lie than to tell the truth, you need to lie.

Make sure it's profitable for you

It's important to understand why you're lying in the first place. What do you want from this?

Remember that the less often you lie, the stronger your reputation as a “truthful” person, the more you will be believed.

And this means that if you do not exchange for petty lies and save this "capital" for the moment when you really need it, the effect will be stronger - no one will doubt you. In general, if you're lying, lie big.

Work through your lies

Psychologist, Dr. Cynthia Cohen did a study and found out what we already knew: it is easiest to fall for a lie when you tell a story for the first time. If you carefully work out all the details of a lie in advance so that you don’t have to invent anything on the spot, the probability of success increases several times. You have already lied to someone on this topic - and the second time you write about the same thing much more efficiently, because you have practiced.

And what's more, this time you don't create a lie (using the parts of the brain responsible for creative processes), but remember it - that is, you do exactly the same thing that you would do when retelling a true story.

Tell the truth

The hardest thing to spot is a lie that isn't really a lie. The more true facts in your story, the more difficult it will be to catch you that you are telling a lie. Also, truthful facts lead to the fact that the listener asks fewer questions. And the fewer questions, the less likely it is that you will be declassified.

Know who you're lying to

The secret of a good liar is that he's very empathetic. He perfectly sees and feels what is going on in the head of the one to whom he is lying. Different people like different lies. Who are you going to lie to? What would he rather believe? Tailor the lies to the victim.

Lie short

The story you tell should be as short as possible. Liars often fail at telling endless stories with a lot of detail because everything is thought out in advance. It is important to think through the lies to the smallest detail, but you do not need to give them all out until you are asked.

The initial lie should be as short as possible.

Start with a lie

If you need to lie to someone, do it right away. Do not start the conversation with some other topic, hoping that this will help you gather strength. Will not help. First of all, you need to lie, while the interlocutor has not yet got accustomed to you, is not used to your gestures and does not know how to read the subtexts in your words. Lie first, then truth.

Bonus

A liar is often given out not by words, but by actions. How to look to be believed?

1. Don't look away, but don't look directly into the pupils of the person you're lying to. Look at his face as a whole.

2. Smile ( scientists claim that when people tell the truth, they smile more often).

3. Take care of yourself - the liar touches his buttons more often, fiddles with his own clothes, unconsciously scratches himself.

4. Control your own voice. Since the process of lying is energy-intensive and requires the concentration of too many body systems, the voice of the liar becomes colorless and monotonous (the brain has no additional reserves to unconsciously control it). Therefore, it must be done by force.

Add colors to your voice, raise and lower the pitch, change the rhythm - try to sound truthful, that is, varied, as you would do when telling an interesting true story.

5. Wave your arms, if you feel like it at all. The liar often unconsciously restricts movement and facial expressions. If you want to be believed - do not limit.

How to become an intellectual, learn to pretend until you do / My life

Being considered an intellectual increases your confidence and makes you more attractive.

While not all of us may be direct learners or be able to act on our own, when it comes to discussing the finer details of world politics, we can certainly do a lot, both physically and mentally, to look and feel smarter.

How to Be Smart - 20 Ways to Grow Your Intelligence

The benefits of being smart can lead to better, better paying jobs, being more attractive to the opposite sex, and having deeper and more meaningful conversations..

Of course there is a difference between false mind and mind. And how much you care about being one or the other determines how much time and effort you're willing to put in to change how people see you. become an intellectual.

# 1 Wear glasses. It may seem silly, but people who wear glasses are naturally considered smarter than those who don't. So, if you want a quick fix, get glasses *even if you don't need them* and you'll start shaking that smart look right away. .

# 2 Watch the news. Knowing what is going on in the world is really important, so check back regularly to make sure you are involved in all the most important events and can discuss them yourself..

# 3 Read the newspapers. The same applies to reading newspapers, it will not only make you physically smarter - if you read them in a cafe or on a train, for example, but will also increase your knowledge and understanding of key world events and politics..

# 4 Read books. Reading lots of different books will broaden your literary horizons, give you plenty to talk about, and definitely make you feel and look more intelligent. Reading is also a great pleasure for many people, so you might as well make this one just for fun! This is great advice on how to become an intellectual.

# 5 Speak with confidence. Speak slowly, clearly and confidently. This shows that you are in control of your feelings and are confident and confident in what you say. .

If you mumble, stutter, or stutter your words, it will be difficult for you to convince anyone that you really know what you are talking about.!

# 6 Be confident. Having strong opinions is often considered a good indicator that someone is smart, so think about how you feel about certain topics, form opinions, and stick to your guns.

Of course, being smart means being open-minded and listening to what other people have to say, so don't be too stubborn. Also, if you're going to be opinionated, make sure you have a solid argument as to why you have these opinions, otherwise you'll get caught up in no time!

# 7 dress smartly. Being a nimble, smart chest of drawers means you'll exude confidence and people will naturally think you're a smart clog. Messy clothes are often associated with immaturity, sloppiness and youth, so if you want to look smart, shake this business suit and you will definitely look at yourself from the side.

# 8 Get up. Smart seems to go hand in hand with appearing confident, so pull your shoulders back and stand tall and proud!

# 9 Mix with a lot of different people. If you only associate with people your age who have similar tastes and interests, you are limited to a small group when it comes to conversations and culture. . This way you will have a much more interesting view of the world and feel like you can talk to anyone with confidence..

# 10 learn a language. If you really want to challenge yourself, why not try a new language? Being bilingual is really attractive and makes you seem very smart - it also keeps your brain in good working order!

# 11 learn how to cook. Being smart doesn't have to be just academic. If you have a great skill, people will think you are smarter. So if studying has never been your forte, learn something else like cooking instead.

# 12 Get qualified. Let's face it, many people are still judging how smart you are in the grades you achieved in school or university. If you want to know how to be intelligent and be considered undeniably smart, get qualified under the belt and then you can really show up!

# 13 Follow your dreams and passions. It is better to have excellent knowledge in one subject that you love and are passionate about than to know nothing about anything. So, whatever you do or want to be, stick to it and people will still see that you are smart.

Remember that people are always impressed when someone can do something well that they can't, no matter what it is.

# 14 Challenge yourself. Keep challenging yourself and never stop. Thus, you are always striving to improve and improve yourself, expand your knowledge and learn more. If you always have new tasks or goals, you will look motivated and impressive.

# 15 Sleep. Lots of rest also helps your brain get some rest, and it keeps you from feeling uncomfortable and looking sleepy! Make sure you get plenty of rest and you'll be edgy and irritable to go every morning!

# 16 Ask questions. Being curious and interested is different from asking repetitive, stupid questions because you just don't "get" something. So, make sure you know the difference. However, when you ask questions, make sure they are well thought out and then listen carefully to the answers. In this way, you will not only learn more, but you will also be considered a good conversationalist.

# 17 Use big words. Expand your knowledge of English. Buy a dictionary and learn some buzzwords to impress! If you want to know how to become an intellectual, have a good vocabulary and use it correctly.

# 18 Use your middle initial. This may seem like ridiculous advice on how to become an intellectual, but using a middle name in emails or letters, for example, can make you seem smarter than you really are!

# 19 Don't gossip. Useless gossip about others never makes people seem very smart, instead they seem pointless and very judgmental.

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