[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-591962-105":59,"doc-detail-591962-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","vygotskian-analysis-of-fake-play-in-preschools-what-is-it-and-how-to-distinguish-it-from-real-play","Vygotskian Analysis of Fake Play in Preschools - What Is It and How to Distinguish It from Real Play","","Examines how preschools and kindergartens often misuse play, presenting adult-driven pseudo or “fake play” that forces children into rehearsed roles and pretend scenarios aimed at adult approval. Contrasts such imitations with real make-believe play, described as the activity through which young children express agency and participate in their own development. Uses the Vygotsky-Elkonin theory of play to distinguish authentic play from imitation and address classroom practices and “play-based instruction.”",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/vygotskian-analysis-of-fake-play-in-preschools-what-is-it-and-how-to-distinguish-it-from-real-play/591962/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/vygotskian-analysis-of-fake-play-in-preschools-what-is-it-and-how-to-distinguish-it-from-real-play/591962.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Mabel","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":81},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the central claim about fake play in preschools?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Adult-led pseudo play is treated as play even though it conflicts with the nature of genuine play. It pushes children into roles and rehearsed pretend scenarios designed to satisfy adults rather than to express children’s agency.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the video example illustrate imitation rather than real play?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The grocery store role-play is presented with ready-made props, memorized dialogues, rehearsed actions, and children repeatedly checking the camera. The children appear tense and tentative, indicating a performance rather than authentic make-believe play.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Which theory and criteria are used to distinguish real play from fake play?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The Vygotsky-Elkonin theory of play is used to differentiate true play from imitation. It helps clarify why teacher-initiated, teacher-driven activities can become fake play and supports restoring play’s rightful place in classrooms.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},591962,1792190254,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":81,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},7971474920318,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/74000ee537e6b0ca360?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1788430171632181674","Vygotskian Analysis of Fake Play in Preschools  \nWhat Is It and How to Distinguish It from Real Play  \n•  \nElena Yudina  \nThe author contends that, although most early childhood educators agree about the value of play for child development, preschools and kindergartens often do not reflect this belief, and she discusses this anomaly in the adult notion of play and how it manifests in classroom practices. She argues that it produces schoolroom practices in which adults use play merely as an instrument of teaching that are actually incompatible with play. Indeed, socalled “play-based instruction” misrepresents the true nature of play—the only activity through which young children fully express their own agency and in which they can truly participate in their own development. She discusses the teacher-initiated and teacher-driven pseudo or fake play that forces children to take on roles and enact pretend scenarios in ways pleasing to adults. And she seeks a remedy in the Vygotsky-Elkonin theory of play, which allows us to distinguish real play from fake play and helps restore the rightful place of true play to early childhood classrooms. Key words: Daniil Elkonin;  \nearly childhood education; fake play; Lev Vygotsky; make-believe play  \nNow I say that the human being and, in general, every rational being exists as an end in itself, not merely as a means to be used by this or that will at its discretion; instead, he must, in all his actions, whether directed to himself or also to other rational beings, always be regarded at the same time as an end.  \n—Immanuel Kant  \nIn 2021, I was invited to speak at an online conference held in Moscow. The organizers wanted to clarify what teachers mean when they talk about a modern child. Recently, this construct has frequently surfaced in pedagogical and parental discussions about education, suggesting that modern children differ from those of yesteryear. The conference organizers wanted to find out how exactly modern  \n281  \nAmerican Journal of Play, volume 15, number 3 © 2023 by The Strong [Contact Elena Yudina at eleyudina53@gmail.com](Contact Elena Yudina at eleyudina53@gmail.com)  \nchildren are different and what the professional community thinks about it.  \nAccording to the rules of the event, each guest speaker had to start by asking a question to which the participants were expected to send an answer by the end of the day. The speaker returned to the audience the next day to comment on the responses received and to provide the correct answer. The topic I discussed at this conference was “what is child’s play?” The question on this topic related to an Internet video that I showed the participants. The video was supposed to feature children’s role play in a preschool center, but in fact it was a blatant imitation of children’s play that had nothing to do with real play.  \nThe title of the video read “Theme-based Role-play in Preschool: A Grocery Store.” The stage was replete with ready-made plastic props representing fruits, vegetables, and cakes. The children in the video wore store-bought uniforms. Clearly, all their dialogues were memorized and all their actions rehearsed. They kept glancing at the camera to check whether they had said and done everything correctly. They looked tense, scared, and tentative, and they tried hard not to forget anything and not to mess things up.  \nAfter showing the video, I asked those in the audience to determine if what they saw qualified as play and to explain their answers. By 2021, for at least twenty-five years the topic of children’s play had been one of the favorite topics of discussion in pedagogical communities; educators discussed the importance of play and its critical role in child development, and they expressed concern that today’s children do not play. The attendees of this conference consisted mainly of teachers motivated to grow professionally and become active in professional learning communities. Many of them held teaching degrees. I ","cbCaigcWkfTzi15D","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigcWkfTzi15D","pdf",169966,21,"English","# What teachers mean by “modern child” and why play is debated\n# Defining “child’s play” through a conference video case\n## The grocery store role-play imitation and its signs\n# Why educators can misread imitation as play\n## Elkonin’s components: roles, scenarios, character interaction\n# Criteria to distinguish real play from fake play","[{\"question\":\"What is the central claim about fake play in preschools?\",\"answer\":\"Adult-led pseudo play is treated as play even though it conflicts with the nature of genuine play. It pushes children into roles and rehearsed pretend scenarios designed to satisfy adults rather than to express children’s agency.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the video example illustrate imitation rather than real play?\",\"answer\":\"The grocery store role-play is presented with ready-made props, memorized dialogues, rehearsed actions, and children repeatedly checking the camera. The children appear tense and tentative, indicating a performance rather than authentic make-believe play.\"},{\"question\":\"Which theory and criteria are used to distinguish real play from fake play?\",\"answer\":\"The Vygotsky-Elkonin theory of play is used to differentiate true play from imitation. It helps clarify why teacher-initiated, teacher-driven activities can become fake play and supports restoring play’s rightful place in classrooms.\"}]","Vygotskian Analysis of Fake Play in Preschools - What Is It and How to Distinguish It from Real Play | PDF",1792073566,53]