Preschool Student Work
Play planning in preschool is an important aspect of the development of self-regulation and occurs everyday. The plan consists of children describing the roles and actions they will engage in during the first few minutes of play. This initial plan is used to help children act purposefully. Children modify and 
change their plans as they play with each other during center time. Children learn to engage in a discussion with their peers about what will happen next before each scenario is acted out.
Another important aspect of the Play Plan is the child’s literacy development. For Vygotksians, drawing is writing. Children draw a representation of their plan that will help them remember what they said they are going to do. As they learn more about literacy they begin to represent their intentions using Scaffolded Writing.
Jennifer
At the beginning of the year (September), Jennifer is able to draw a picture of herself and tell the teacher what center she wants to play in (dramatic play). Teachers use a color-coded system to help children remember what center they will go to; the children then use that same color marker to make their plans.
In December, Jennifer is able to represent her message with lines that match her words (see Scaffolded Writing for more information about lines). Her picture shows more detail and her message is more mature.
Alexander
At the beginning of the year (September), Alexander can draw a picture of himself and say what center he is going to. (Please note that in this picture the teacher assisted Alexander with writing his name.)
By January, he can draw a more mature picture showing more detail and his message tells more about his plan. He is also using Scaffolded Writing to convey his message.
By March, Alexander is hearing beginning sounds in all of his words.
Ariana
In the fall, Ariana is drawing her self and choosing a center (science).
In March, Ariana is able to draw a more detailed picture and is using Scaffolded Writing to represent her message. She is using invented spelling in her native language (Spanish). Teachers encourage children to use their native language whenever possible as the process stays the same. Yo voy a pintar un arco iris (I am going to paint a rainbow).
By June, Ariana has better fine motor control.
Brandon
Brandon’s plan at the beginning of his three-year-old year, shows that he wants to go to the art center and has made an attempt to draw himself.
At the end of that same year, he is able to draw a more mature picture of himself and knows that he needs to write words at the bottom. He has included what he is going to play with in his picture.
In the fall of his four-year-old year, Brandon is drawing a representation of himself and has begun using Scaffolded Writing to represent his message. He has memorized parts of the message that he writes everyday.
At the end of his four-year-old year, Brandon has shown himself as a king in his picture and in his writing, using beginning sounds.
Gregory
In December, Gregory is in a three-year-old classroom. His drawing of himself is somewhat representational, but his message clearly states what he wants to do in a center(left drawing). By June, Gregory’s drawings are more mature and he is able to include more detail in his drawing (right drawing). In addition, he is beginning to represent his message using Scaffolded Writing.
In December of his four-year-old year, Gregory is interested in playing with others and has begun to represent his message with initial sounds(left drawing). This is an important step in literacy development. By May, Gregory’s messages are much longer which forces him to practice new sound-symbol correspondence(right drawing).
In September of Gregory’s kindergarten year, the children begin the year making center plans. The children dramatize fairy tales and Gregory plans to go to the Three Little Pigs center (Scan 0005). He is using beginning sounds to represent all of his words.
By December of his kindergarten year, Gregory is using some invented spelling in his message (Scan 0006).
By December, the center plans are very routine, and teachers are looking for continued development in other writing contexts. (Scan 0007)
Changing the context makes children have to use more mental energy and as a result, their writing looks like it is at a lower level. However, they will build back up very quickly because of the support given by the teacher and the process of Scaffolded Writing. Very soon, the writing looks much more mature again, with more invented spelling and several sounds in individual words.
