PRETEND PLAY BY AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN IN HEAD-START

Play behaviors of African American 4-year-olds from impoverished famil ies were observed naturalistically. Children's free play was videotape d in Head Start classrooms over several weeks in the playhouse, block corner, and outside play yard. Play was categorized into cognitive pla y types-functional, constructive, and pretend play. Children most freq uently engaged in functional play. Contrary to Smilansky's findings, i mpoverished children also engaged in pretend play. This play type was high in quality (object use, number of participants, and subtypes of p retense exhibited) but low in quantity (number and duration of play ep isodes) compared to other types of play. These findings are discussed in the context of theories of pretend play.