Mexican American Preschoolers Create Stories: Sociodramatic Play in a Dual Language Classroom

This article describes partial findings of a microethnographic study that focused on the use of language functions and cultural knowledge displayed during sociodramatic play in a pre-kindergarten classroom. The study was conducted at a public elementary school in a small rural community of south central Texas that offers a dual language program from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Twelve Mexican American children, seven boys and five girls (4- and 5-year-olds) participated in the study. Data were collected for eight weeks through videotaped observations of free play in the housekeeping and block center. Field notes and a reflexive diary were included as methods of data collection. The children's parents were interviewed to determine the cultural traits that emerged in the children's play. A total of 25 hours of videotaped sociodramatic play episodes was collected. The article illustrates the stories Mexican American children created while engaged in sociodramatic play in a preschool classroom where play was the focus of the curriculum.