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Walker Research Project
Walker Research Project
Walker Research Project
Structured Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study was initiated because the ability to engage in toy play with
nonliteral use of objects without reality based outcomes is a critical objective in early learning
standards. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to increase functional play in pre-
measure the outcome on functional play. METHOD: Specifically, scaffolding was used
systematically to increase children’s ability to maintain functional play with the teacher using
prompts such as the presentation of toys, verbal prompts, model prompts, physical prompts, and
praise. The focus of the scaffolding techniques was based on the information located in the study
Mothers’ Scaffolding Techniques (Pierucci, 2015). Targeted children were identified based on
teacher nomination, focusing on children with low levels of maintaining functional play. Data
was collected on targeted children during previously-identified activities within each classroom
where deficits in children’s maintaining of functional play had been observed by the classroom
teacher. Researchers stood in an unobtrusive area of the classroom where they were able to both
see and hear the targeted child. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the effectiveness of
Introduction
functional play during times of child-directed play within the classroom schedule. Previous
research suggests that scaffolding intervention has been effective to increase functional play in
children with atypical development (Pierucci, 2015). This study hopes to prove that scaffolding
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intervention can help to increase functional play within a typically developing classroom of pre-
Method
Setting
This research project took place within the Early Childhood Laboratory Preschool which
is a Reggio Emilia inspired school located in Baton Rouge on the LSU campus. There are 15
classes serving children six weeks to age four. The room in which the research took place was
the preschool II classroom. There are eleven students in the preschool II classroom, seven boys
and five girls. There are five children who speak English as a second language. Of those five,
two of the children are bilingual in Chinese, two in Spanish, and one in Arabic.
Participants
Participants included one typically developing male child, aged four. The child did not
have a preexisting IEP or behavior plan. This child was selected for the present study by teacher
nomination because he had difficulty engaging in functional play during unstructured child lead
classrooms who are functioning within normal limits for their age
Behavior definitions
When observing the child’s toy play, functional play was defined as nonliteral use of
actual or miniature objects in the manner in which they were intended without the reality-based
outcome. Non-Functional play was defined as 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 was defined as the child not having any response to the presentation of a toy.
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Experimental conditions
Baseline. During baseline data gathering, the child would typically choose to play at the
blocks center during child lead free time. While at this center the child would begin with
functional play, i.e. stacking blocks, creating tracks, and rolling the wooden balls. However, as
time progressed the child would begin to engage in non-functional play activities with the
materials like throwing the balls around the classroom, pushing down block towers onto peers, or
throwing blocks at peers. The teacher would step in after a peer was hurt or after witnessing a
ball being thrown and would speak to the student about how he was allowed not throw items or
Intervention. During the month that I began observations for my baseline data, a new
assistant teacher was hired for the preschool two classroom. This teacher began to implement my
intervention of her own accord before I spoke to her about it. As my intervention is simple
teaching strategies, this makes sense. My intervention was based upon ideas in the Scaffolding
study done by Jillian M. Pierucci. Their study is based upon the mother using scaffolding
techniques with their autistic child to increase functional play. They highlighted a study done by
Wooley and Tullos (2008) where they identified 3 specific scaffolding techniques that parents
often use in the context of play with toddlers: (1) using comments, (2) adding requests, and (3)
prompting. Woolley and Tullos (2008) stated that these types of scaffolding techniques serve two
purposes to either maintain play (e.g., if play is not complete, how parent continues with play
scenario) or enhance play (e.g., parent enriches what toddler does). For the current study, the
third of Woolley’s and Tullos’ three scaffolding techniques (i.e., prompts) and its purposes (i.e.,
maintenance, enhancement) were further examined in the context of teachers scaffolding play
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with students who had difficulty maintaining functional play. (Scaffolding, 2015). (Pierucci,
2015).
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
Observation procedure
Prior to the commencement of the project, a guardian of the child and the teacher
voluntarily signed a consent form. Thereafter, baseline observation began. During baseline
sessions, both teachers and children enrolled in the preschool two classroom were observed
during the child-directed play part of their regularly-scheduled classroom activities to measure
the child’s level of functional play. During intervention sessions, the teacher was informed of
five different prompts they could use to enhance the child’s play and then implemented these
techniques during the child directed play. The researcher stood in an unobtrusive area of the
classroom where they were able to both see and hear the targeted child.
The teacher and child participated in ten minute sessions a total of ten times, five before
intervention and five after. Reliability data was collected on 20% of observed sessions across
Reliability
Reliability data was collected on 20% of observed sessions across both the baseline and
intervention conditions. The reliability tester for this research was a peer within the LSU early
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childhood education program They were trained through a 5-minute practice session. The
Findings
The percentage of observed intervals where functional play was observed is charted
above. During baseline, the child exhibited 54% (range, 40-70%) functional play. During the
scaffolding intervention, the child exhibited 90% (range, 85-95%) functional play. After the
scaffolding intervention, functional play increased 36 percentage points. (See appendices A for
data sheets.)
Discussion
The child seemed to benefit from the scaffolding techniques. Verbal prompting and
Model prompting had the most effect on him. These scaffolding techniques were not only
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helping to maintain his functional play but they also helped to enhance it. The research suggests
that prompting techniques can help to enhance and maintain functional play. The research
showed that for this particular child, the prompting techniques helped to successfully maintain
the functional play and in some cases helped to enhanced his functional play.
Conclusion
The implications for this study confirm previous ideas that scaffolding can have a
positive effect on the increase of functional play. To continue research as part of a teachers daily
teaching practices, educators can incorporate scaffolding interventions into the daily classroom
by offering various prompts during child-lead free play time. Future research could determine if
a critical window exists for fine maximizing functional play; is there a point where a functional
References
Barton, E. E. (2015). Teaching generalized pretend play and related behaviors to young children
Pierucci, J. M. (2016). Mothers’ scaffolding techniques used during play in toddlers with autism
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Reflection
At First
I was nervous to begin my time within the program. I did not know if I was ready to
begin this journey. My mentor teacher and I got along well. We both noticed a student was
having difficulty during child chosen activities. I did not know how to approach the child and
therefore my teacher initially began handling the situation alone. I felt somewhat comfortable in
the classroom but in the beginning, I mostly stuck to handling the simple issues within the class
and mainly assisting the teacher in paper work. I wasn’t sure how I would go forward with my
research project, and I was very confused as to how I would implement my strategies in order to
have the best outcome. I also had concerns that I would not be able to interpret the data gathered
And Then
As the semester progressed, I began to feel a little more comfortable with the process of
developing and gathering the research that would be needed in order to complete the project.
Each lesson that went more in-depth, I felt better prepared to evaluate the information I was
collaborated well with my teacher, our relationship was strong and therefore we both felt
comfortable sharing ideas on how it would be best to implement the intervention for the research
project. I feel the one thing I would change would be the ability to implement the research
projects at an earlier time within the semester, allowing for a more through project.
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And Now
Over the course of the semester, I have felt that I gained a lot of confidence in my
communication skillsets. I feel that being around my mentor teacher enabled me to gain a
confidence in using the terminology that comes along with being an educator. I noticed that as
the cohort matured though our experiences that we were all better equip to support each other,
teacher each other, and learn from each other. My experience gained through my mentor teacher
along with the support from the cohort were what I found to be the most valuable assets to my