Abstract:

This study examines the central role of teachers in supporting the emergence of written language within pretend play in Quebec preschool education. A three-year action research project was conducted with a school team composed of 12 experienced teachers, an orthopedagogue, and a school principal. The project aimed to support them in adapting and implementing the pedagogical model of Learning Situations Drawn from Play (LSDP) to foster the emergence of written language in children aged 4 to 6. This model positions the teacher as a co-player within children's pretend play, acting as a more experienced partner to guide the construction of knowledge related to written language.

While play-based approaches are recognized for their long-term benefits over direct instruction, many teachers feel social pressure to adopt more academic practices supporting the emergence of written language. They also report a lack of practical skills to effectively support learning within play, expressing needs to better understand the link between play and the emergence of written language, improve their observational skills, and intervene without hindering children's freedom. Our research therefore aimed to identify the conditions enabling the emergence of written language in LSDP, understand how teachers develop new practices, and observe the model's effects in the classroom.

The methodology is based on action research, operationalized over 17 collaborative meetings where we documented the participants' appropriation process. Data were collected through reports from collective meetings, logbooks, and semi-structured interviews conducted at key stages of the project. This approach, positioning teachers as co-researchers, aimed to formalize the tacit knowledge underlying their practices and generate context-specific solutions.

Findings show that the teachers' appropriation process of the LSDP model unfolded in three stages:
(1) an initial "updating" phase, where the teachers' desire for professional improvement was anchored in their existing practices and knowledge;
(2) a "transformation" phase, where reflective activities and peer collaboration led to concrete adjustments, such as redesigning the classroom with loose parts materials and adopting a more flexible pedagogical stance;
(3) a final "consolidation" phase, marked by an increased sense of professional competence, greater "pedagogical security" in their choices, and a newfound "pedagogical openness" to exploration and innovation.

This appropriation process, strongly supported by school-team cohesion, provides a detailed understanding of the path through which teachers appropriated the LSDP model by adapting it to their reality. It offers a transferable framework for other action research projects where practitioner perspectives are essential, constituting an original contribution of this project. For teachers, the model refined their ability to observe the emergence of written language skills as they unfold in play, enhanced their capacity to differentiate their interventions based on children's interests and developmental pace, and ultimately increased their feeling of "pedagogical security". For children, the LSDP model turned writing into a meaningful tool for play and contributed to a better appropriation of the different aspects of the emergence of written language in authentic contexts.

Keywords:

Preschool Education, Pretend Play, Emergence of written language, Appropriation of Practices, Action Research.