Magical Thought in Cognitive Development
This time of year always elicits questions from parents about the use of magical lore in childhood and its benefits and disadvantages. Stories that bring to life Santa Claus, Befana, the Yule Lads, Jia Deng, and so many other mythical beings are told to children throughout the holiday season and much of the year. Waldorf education in particular focuses its early childhood pedagogy on storytelling and folk tales. As we have adapted to meet the needs of our culturally diverse students we have added myths and legends from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to our already robust European literary canon. Parents in Waldorf schools often wonder what is healthy magical thought and what leads to feelings of distrust or confusion of real and imaginary later in life.
Magical thinking is part of early childhood whether it’s in stories we read or giving inanimate objects human characteristics or pretending to be an astronaut on an alien planet while walking through the backyard. These fantasies are not only a developmental milestone but also have been supported by psychologists as beneficial to cognitive development. A research study showed that fantastical thinking positively impacted children’s cognitive development in creativity and art (Subbotsky, Hysted, & Jones, 2010). In 2010, a study was done with 4- 6-year-old children and replicated with 6-8-year-old children. In both experiments, children were shown either a magical film or a non-magical film and then instructed to do creative tasks. In both experiments, the children shown the magical film outperformed their peers on creative tasks. This is also supported by Piaget’s theory that the intelligence of toddlers into early childhood is measured through symbols, language, and memory. This is where the imagination is formed. This stage slowly changes as the child matures into early adolescence and the bridge between the imagination and reality forms. The period of early childhood and into early adolescence is a special time when children still have a need to be met on a developmentally appropriate level which includes the use of imagination and fantasy.
In Waldorf education, we believe that this stage is when children are most present in the moment and do not think or rationalize the past and present as older children and early adolescents do. This is a time when magical thought can build upon the world around them and help them to learn pre-academic and social and emotional skills they will need in the elementary grades. During this time Cedarwood teachers tell folktales, perform puppet shows, sing songs, and lead children in imaginative play with natural elements in forested areas as well as in the classroom. This is a time of innocence where the imagination flourishes and students as young as three practice their oral storytelling creating heroes, villains, conflicts, and resolutions, and displaying problem-solving skills as they develop a connection between the world, their peers, and themselves.
The process of pretending is essential in many developmental ways and can be as simple as pretending a stick is a wand or a rock is a speeding car or as complex as a game of house with crocodiles attacking and a parent late for dinner all at the same time. These games of make-believe build language, social and emotional, and thinking skills that have been found to benefit children academically. According to Scholastic, “Pretend play helps your child understand the power of language. In addition, by pretend playing with others, he learns that words give him the means to reenact a story or organize play. This process helps your child to make the connection between spoken and written language — a skill that will later help him learn to read.” This is a time when adults often will hear their own words or descriptions being used in the game or story as they imitate the adults in their life when solving problems. As a parent, you know that “It is normal for young children to see the world from their own egocentric point of view, but through maturation and cooperative play, your child will begin to understand the feelings of others” and “Through cooperative play, he learns how to take turns, share responsibility, and creatively problem-solve.” (Scholastic) If you have ever played a make-believe game with your child you know that there are always a variety of problems to solve. However, no matter what the game is “your child calls upon important cognitive thinking skills that he will use in every aspect of his life, now and forever.” (Scholastic)
As children grow older they will naturally make connections between the past, present, and future. They will begin to question the fantastical stories of their younger days and will naturally mature away from the world of imagination they once enjoyed. This is a turning point in Waldorf education and usually occurs around the 9-year change. The Nine-Year Change is a time when kids see themselves as separate from their parents and begin to make sense of the world as an individual. Once a child is around this age mythical beings naturally become more fiction than reality and parents are often able to answer questions to explain the true story while instilling in their child the joy of maintaining the illusion for younger friends and siblings. When kids feel included in the magic they don’t feel angry or upset, but like they have reached a milestone and are that much closer to adulthood. Waldorf pedagogy supports the idea that by this stage of development kids who explored the world through magical thought have greater empathy and creativity which is beneficial in reading, writing, and science. They also see it as having an effect on complex problem-solving in mathematics.
As you look at putting that elf on a shelf or filling shoes with treats, while you choose between telling a story about trains or Jack Frost or Yukionna, consider the benefits that magical thinking may have on your young child’s cognitive abilities. These moments of frivolity can be fulfilling for parents and children, and they can facilitate bonding opportunities for your family both during the magic and after as you share in creating it for others.
For more information about our approach to education see our why Cedarwood page, early childhood curriculum, grades curriculum. We would also love to hear from you, please reach out to request information or schedule a tour.
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Scholastic - Importance of Pretend Play