Abstract
This study investigated the characteristics of teachers’ verbal support for 4- to 5-year-old children in cooperative play and activities in kindergarten. Based on observations of how teachers and children behave in pretend play and preparation activities for class play, we analyzed the characteristics of teachers’ verbal support by scene and grade. We identified the following three findings. (1) Questions from teachers to children were most frequently observed during cooperative play and activities in all grades. (2) Children’s initiative was respected more in cooperative play than in cooperative activities, and different verbal support characteristics were observed between grades. (3) Teachers were more frequently provided verbal support during cooperative activities compared to cooperative play; many of them were instructions, and the quality of instruction differed between grades.
