Do preschoolers imagine different things as their experience expands? A Turkish longitudinal study

Abstract

Preschoolers have different experiences in different environments. These experiences can stimulate children's imaginations. This longitudinal study examines the impact of preschool children's three-year experiences in early childhood institutions, which are their primary educational environments. The question 'Do preschoolers imagine different things as their experience expands?' was discussed by examining the drawings and narratives of a total of 15 children aged 3, 4 and 5 who attend kindergarten in a city centre in southwest T & uuml;rkiye. The children were asked to draw their imagining and describe these drawings. Children's drawings and narratives during the three-year study were evaluated as quantitative and qualitative data. Preschoolers imagined mostly on four topics involving plants, people, animals and place. Children's narratives reveal the richness of their imagination.