Symbolic Play of Children at an Early Age / Simbolička igra djece rane dobi

Abstract

Abstract
This paper aims to approach the development of symbolic play of children of early age and its impact on their overall development from developmental, psychological, ecological, cultural, pedagogical and methodological points of view. Emphasis is placed on the development of this specific, holistic, immanent activity, important from the very beginning of its appearance and by analysing the theories of Piaget, Bruner and Vygotsky. In symbolic play a child gradually masters the symbolic representation of the world as a self-conscious, self-initiated, self-organized and active subject by mentally modifying experiences from its reality and is therefore considered by scientists to be a forerunner of abstract thinking. Furthermore, the paper briefly presents the contribution of the theory of mind to clarifying symbolic play and its complexity already at the early stages of a child's development. The second part deals with the pedagogical and methodological fundamentals important for the emergence and development of symbolic play in an institutional context. By emphasizing sensitivity and the importance of educator's role in a play and in creating the conditions for its functioning one comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to study the play from a child's perspective and to take into consideration the implications it may have on the professional development of teachers/educators, on the quality of educational practice and the development of the early childhood pedagogy.

Key words: child at an early age, child's play, educator, institution of early education, symbolic representation.

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Sažetak
U radu se razvoju simboličke igre i njezinu utjecaju na cjelokupni razvoj djece rane dobi prilazi s razvojno-psihološkog, ekološko-kulturnog i pedagoško-metodičkog motrišta. Naglasak je na razvoju te specifične, holističke i djetetu imanentne i glavne aktivnosti od početka njezine pojave i to raščlambom Piagetove, Vigotskijeve i Brunerove teorije. U simboličkoj igri, mentalno prerađujući iskustva iz stvarnosti, dijete kao samosvjesni, samoinicirani, samoorganizirani i aktivni subjekt postupno ovladava simboličkom reprezentacijom svijeta, pa je znanstvenici smatraju pretečom apstraktnog mišljenja. U radu je ukratko izložen doprinos teorije uma rasvjetljavanju simboličke igre i njezine složenosti već na ranom stupnju djetetova razvoja. U drugom dijelu rada obrađuju se pedagoško-metodičke osnove važne za pojavu i razvoj simboličke igre u institucijskome kontekstu. Apostrofirajući osjetljivost odgojiteljeve uloge u igri i stvaranju uvjeta za njezino odvijanje, zaključuje se o potrebi proučavanja igre iz dječje perspektive i implikacijama koje ono može imati na profesionalni razvoj odgojitelja, kvalitetu odgojne prakse i razvoj pedagogije ranog djetinjstva.

Ključne riječi: dijete rane dobi, dječja igra, odgojitelj, simbolička reprezentacija, ustanova ranog odgoja i obrazovanja