Exploring the role of home play and learning activities in socioemotional development at 36-months: Findings from a large birth cohort study

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of a range of play and learning activities in the home (e.g., painting, playing games, reading, singing and letters and numbers) in the socioemotional development of young children. While many previous studies have focused on the benefits of home learning activities for language and literacy outcomes, less research has examined the role of these individual activities in other aspects of development, such as prosocial behaviour. Using a bioecological framework, a secondary analysis of data from the nationally representative Growing Up in Ireland(GUI) Study was conducted. The sample consisted of 9793 children, aged 36 months (50.7 % male and 49.3 % female). The study examined if the frequency of engagement in different play activities predicted scores on measures of internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Findings indicated that informal play activities such as games, painting and drawing, and reading predicted socioemotional development scores, in comparison with activities such as letter or number games, even after parental and other family factors are accounted for. The results also indicated that parent-child relationship factors of warmth, hostility and closeness are particularly important for socioemotional development. Findings are discussed in the context of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of development.