ILTS 206 Sub-Area 1 Practice Question #05
Which behavior indicates a child has attained an understanding of symbolic representation?
Correct Answer: B
When children engage in pretend or “make-believe” play, as when they play “house” and pretend to be parents; pretend to be fantasy characters; or use toys to represent real persons, animals or machines, etc. they understand that one thing can be used as a symbol to stand for something else. This is what is called Symbolic Representation.
The symbolic nature of play moves from less to more advanced. These images offer a great visual for how the hypothetical and imaginary worlds of children’s play can move along a continuum from more concrete symbolism (toy phone) to abstract symbolism (banana as a phone or completely improvised phone). As children move from the concrete to the abstract, their thinking becomes more and more imaginative and creative.