Yoga for Speech-Language Development

108 Yoga for Speech-Language Development

eight increasingly complex phases from about 17 months through
five years. Table 8.1 lists these levels of symbolic play development
with a description of key behaviors that characterize each stage.
Beyond the five-year level, children begin to engage in games with
rules (Piaget 1962), a qualitatively different type of play, which is
beyond the scope of this chapter.

Table 8.1 Symbolic levels and ages of play behaviors based on the Westby Play Scale

Level Age Play behaviors

I 17–19

months

Children engage in autosymbolic play in

which they perform single everyday actions on

themselves, with life-size, realistic props such

as lying on a blanket pretending to sleep.

II 19–22

months

Children’s actions extend beyond the self to

include others who are passive recipients of

their re-enactments of everyday activities such

as pretending to read a book to another.

III 24

months

Children continue to re-enact everyday activities

directed toward others; they sequence two steps

in play such as stirring food before pretending

to feed their parent or other play partner.

IV 30

months

Children re-enact previously experienced, memorable

isolated events such as getting a shot with role

shifting as between doctor and patient.

V 3 years Children combine scripts into evolving

sequences such as cooking, serving, and cleaning

up and assume various roles in play.

VI 3–3½

years

Children use less realistic props including miniatures

and abstract representations; they re-enact events, which

they may have observed but did not directly participate

in. Children plan, self-monitor, and negotiate in play.

VII 3½–4

years

Children plan and improvise play themes involving

multiple characters; they use dolls and replica figures

to act out entire scripts; they understand characters’

thoughts and feelings in addition to their actions;

they hypothesize possibilities and predict outcomes.

VIII 5 years Children re-enact novel events, which they have

neither participated in nor observed. They use language

rather than rely on props to plan and monitor the

roles and actions of others in addition to themselves.

(adapted from Westby 2000)