Final answer:
Professor Chen describes "parallel play," where children play similarly but not interactively, as they develop. It's typical in early childhood and precedes cooperative play, signaling growth in social skills and understanding of social norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Professor Chen explains that sometimes two children will both play with similar objects in a similar way but not together, she is describing the parallel play. This type of play typically occurs in children who are engaged in similar activities side by side but do not interact or cooperate with each other.
Parallel play is an important stage in child development. It's common in toddlers and pre-school-aged children who are learning to engage with the world around them. As children grow older, usually from the ages of six to ten, they may transition to playing in mixed-gender groups and engage more frequently in cooperative play. This is a time when children develop social skills like sharing and cooperating with others. They might join sports teams or get involved in groups like scouts, where interactions with peers become crucial to their development.
Understanding the ways children play helps us recognize the different stages of social development. It also highlights how children learn through play, discovering the world and their place within it, while also assimilating societal norms including gender roles. When children engage in parallel play, they are on their way to more complex social interactions and learning cooperation, even if they are not directly interacting with their peers at the time.