Pretend play might be seen as a skill that
comes naturally to children, but it requires
concentration and inspiration for children to
sustain the activity. Pretending represents a
critical step in passing from a more sensorymotor
way of thinking to the symbolic types
of thinking in adulthood. Once the child has
developed representational abilities through
play, he or she is then able to use these
abilities to improve reading, writing and
other skills required for school.