Props and Teacher‐Direction: Inf luence on Activity Participation by Kindergarten Children

This study was conducted to determine the effect of novel equipment and of teacher‐direc tion on activity participation of kindergarten children during free‐choice play. Twenty children attending the Early Childhood Laboratory kindergarten in the College of Home Economics at the University of Kentucky were offered a choice among activities which were teacher‐initiated with a prop, teacher‐initiated with no props, child‐initiated with a prop, or child‐initiated with no props. The amount of time each child spent in the four types of ac tivities during a four‐week period allowed for a ranking of the child's preference and the data were analyzed by means of the Friedman analysis of variance by rank. The results indicated that the group as a whole had highest preference for teacher‐initiated activity involving a prop, but when analyzed by sex, the presence or absence of the teacher failed to significantly influence the activity choices of the boys. The girls consistently preferred activities in the presence of a teacher. The implication of these findings suggests a need for early childhood teachers to encourage independence of girls as well as boys through curriculum planning and teaching style.