Scaffolding Functional Play in Pre-

Kindergarten Aged children

Mary Jane Walker
PK-3 Program

Introduction Method Discussion

This study was initiated because the ability to engage in toy play is
an important component of toddlers’ development (Pierucci, 2015).
The purpose of this study was to increase functional play in pre-
kindergarten aged children. The intervention focused on
modifications to teacher behavior to measure the outcome on
functional play.
Behavior definitions:
Functional play- nonliteral use of actual or miniature objects
in the manner in which they were intended without the reality-
based outcome (Barton, 2015).
Non-Functional play - the act of throwing an object or
engaging in actions with other students where the child was
aware the action would create physical harm.
No Response – the child not having any response to the
presentation of a toy.
Data Collection
Data was collected using interval recording with 30 second
intervals. Child toy play was observed for functional or
nonfunctional toy play on a partial interval while no response
was observed using whole interval recording. The teacher
prompting variations consisted of physical prompting,
presentation of toy, praise, model prompting, & verbal
prompting and was scored on partial interval, while no
response was recorded with whole interval recording.
Reliability data was collected on 20% of observed sessions
across both the baseline and intervention conditions; inter-
observer agreement was 90%.
Experimental Conditions:
The child seemed to benefit from the scaffolding techniques. Verbal
Baseline: During sessions, the child was
prompting and Model prompting had the most effect on the him.
observed from an unobtrusive area for 10
These scaffolding techniques were not only helping to maintain his
minutes during regularly scheduled child
functional play but they also helped to enhance it.
chosen activity. Teacher interaction was
minimal. The research suggests that prompting techniques can help to
enhance and maintain functional play. The research showed that for
Intervention: The teacher was introduced to
this particular child, the prompting techniques helped to
scaffolding techniques and was told to use
successfully maintain the functional play and in some cases helped
these to help encourage and maintain function
to enhanced his functional play.
play during the same regularly scheduled
activity. These interactions were observed
from an unobtrusive area for 10 minutes.

Findings Conclusion
Functional Play Data Teachers can incorporate scaffolding interventions into the daily
100%
classroom by offering various prompts during child-lead free play time.
90%
During baseline, the child exhibited 54% (range, 40-70%) functional Future research could determine if a critical window exists for
play maximizing functional play; is there a point where functional play
Percentage of Intervals with Functional Play

80%

deficit cannot be remedied through scaffolding intervention?

During the scaffolding Intervention, the child exhibited 90% (range, 70%

85-95%) functional play 60%

Barton, E. E. (2015). Teaching generalized pretend play and related
Baseline
behaviors to young children with disabilities. Exceptional Children,
After the scaffolding intervention, functional play increased 36 50%
Intervention 81(4), 489-506.
percentage points
40%
Pierucci, J. M. (2016). Mothers’ scaffolding techniques used during play
30% in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental
20%
and Physical Disabilities, 28(2), 217-235.

10%

0%
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