REPRESENTING OUR GAME
Kendall and Lily were playing a chase game in the classroom and their bodies were moving too fast for the indoor conditions. When asked to use walking feet they slowed down very briefly and before long they were moving very fast again, into and out of the quiet spaces of other focused children. At this point Jane invited the Lily and Kendall to draw their game. Her intention is to use the symbolic representations of their game as a map for observing the essential components, such as moving fast, and analyzing ways to alternate game strategies (moving fast).

ILLUSTRATION TO THE RIGHT:

Kendall: This (on the left) is Lily chasing me (on the right.

Jane: How does the picture tell me that she is chasing you?

Kendall: Because her feet are running that way (indicating the curved lines directed towards the other figure to the right).

ILLUSTRATION TO THE LEFT:

Lily: This is me chasing Kendall. She has the candy for the candy chase game.

Jane: How does the picture tell me that she is moving?

Lily: These (lines at bottom of page) are her moving.

The Pictures Speak

Lily and Kendall reveal the importance of the 'chasing' in their game by creating symbols to represent this action. It is interesting to note that both children represent the flow of the action in a left-to-right sequence of written language. Is this due to their experience with reading books?

Concluding Thoughts

1. As we continue to look at the games children play we will help them to reflect on the structure of these games by inviting them draw pictures that tell others how to play?

2. Will children continue to articulate the structure of their games in a left to right order, using sequence? If so, will a view of the steps help them to better negotiate rules as they play, and find ways to include more children in their games?

3. Will a focus on the structure of games (rules, boundaries, limits, winning, losing, sharing, turn-taking, strategy) help children navigate the complex territory of friendship?

Possible Directions

Let's look at lots of board games.

Let's be sure that the instructions are available to view and discuss.

Let's video tape children in the act of inventing and playing their gamesand use the video footage as a tool to help children tell us how to play.