AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF TYPES OF IMAGINATIVE PLAY IN RELATION TO SEX AND TEMPORAL PROXIMITY ON VOCABULARY AND STORY COMPREHENSION IN YOUNG MEXICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN

Author: Villarreal, Beatrice Treviño
Physical Description: 153 pages
Additional Creators: Pennsylvania State University

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Summary

The study was designed to determine the effects of types of imaginative play in relation to sex and temporal proximity on vocabulary growth and story comprehension in five- and six-year-old Mexican-American children. The sample of the study consisted of 120 low-income kindergarten and first-grade children drawn from three urban elementary schools in San Antonio, Texas. There were 60 males and 60 females in the study who listened to and rehearsed eight pretend passages for an eight-week period.
The instruments used for the data collection were: (1) the Tests of Basic Skills (TOBE Language Test only) (Moss, 1970) and (2) a Story Comprehension Measure (SCM) developed and pilot tested by the investigator of the study. Both instruments were administered in English.
The obtained data were analyzed using a 3 x 2 x 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) on each of the dependent measures. The three factors were play treatments (i.e., play with props, play without props, and nonrelated activities), sex (i.e., male versus female), and temporal proximity in play rehearsal (i.e., during versus after listening to a pretend passage). An alpha level of .05 was used for significance.
Results of a 3 x 2 x 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) on gain scores for the TOBE Language Test indicated that there were no significant treatment effects, no sex effect, and a significant effect of temporal proximity. None of the two- and three-way interactions (i.e., treatment, sex, time) were significant. A 3 x 2 x 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the SCM gain scores indicated that there was a significant treatment effect, no sex effect, and a signficant effect of temporal proximity. A post-hoc analysis with an LSD test was done on the significant treatment effect, and it was determined that the mean score for the play-without-props experimental group was significantly higher than the mean score for the nonrelated treatment group. Neither of the other comparisons were significant.
Based on the findings of the study, it is suggested that teachers of young Mexican-American children provide opportunities for imaginative play experiences through role play in order that growth in memory, comprehension, and cognitive abilities will be enhanced.
Reference.
Moss, M. H. Tests of basic experiences. Monterey: McGraw-Hill, 1970.

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Dissertation Note

Ph.D. The Pennsylvania State University 1982.

Note

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: A, page: 2227.

Part Of

Dissertation Abstracts International
43-07A

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