Play is a central discourse in policy and practice pertaining to young children's learning, development and well-being in many countries around the world. Dominant ways of understanding and advocating for play often construct universalising notions of children and childhood, overlooking that play is always-already culturally situated and…

This study sought an answer to the question whether the digitalization of play is technological mutation or digital evolution. To this end, 14 studies published over the last five years were reviewed and discussed under four themes, namely digital technology and children, parents', and teachers' perceptions of digital technology, screen effects,…

The purpose of this study was to examine similarities and differences of American, Japanese, and Taiwanese kindergarten teachers' perspectives about clean-up time. The participants consisted of two female American kindergarten teachers in the southeastern US, two female Japanese kindergarten teachers on the main island, and two female Taiwanese…

An increasing number of parents in China are enrolling their preschool children in after-school programs provided by private, for-profit early learning centers. This study used a qualitative approach to explore how teachers in these centers understood and implemented play and play-based curricula. Data were collected by examining the curriculum…

This study examined associations between parents' developmentally appropriate beliefs about young children's play and responsive parenting. Low-income parents and their children enrolled in Head Start programmes (n = 231) in the United States participated in the study. Responsive parenting skills (characterized by high levels of warmth and…

This article argues that Vygotsky's analysis of children's play and of the ways it can serve as a powerful matrix for learning and development has two important implications that are not always fully appreciated. First, children's social pretend play can promote development both in the domains of cognition and language "and" in…

"Standards," "guidelines," or "benchmarks" are different ways to describe curriculum-driven preschool requirements. Historically, children's education in the United States has been guided by content standards in grades K through 12. An educator may view the movement toward rigorous curricular frameworks and resulting…

Noting that little is known about young children's informal mathematical knowledge and that such knowledge may contribute to national differences in mathematics achievement, this study examined Taiwanese and American preschool children's informal mathematical knowledge and the type of mathematical activities they encounter in everyday life. Data…

Child Life Programs in hospital settings aim to involve children in activities and relationships appropriate to their needs. Child Life programming is an essential component of health care, as it promotes: (1) advocacy for children, families, and individuals; (2) the sharing of resources and knowledge; (3) cohesion in the health care team; and (4)…

This study examined patterns of social interactions and play activities in Japanese day care settings. Fifty children between 6 and 36 months of age in five day care centers in Tokyo were observed over several prescribed time intervals. Variables measured during the observations included: (1) type of social interaction; (2) type of activity…

This paper elaborates on a series of quotations to illustrate major influences in children's language development. The first quotation, from Lilian G. Katz (1988), suggests that what children like is not necessarily developmentally appropriate for them. This idea can be applied to the development of language competence. In the second quotation,…

The nine chapters in Volume V address issues of concern to those who work with or conduct research with young children and those who plan programs or prepare others for teaching or caregiving. Included are "Recent Research on Play: The Teacher's Perspective," by Millie Almy, Patricia Monighan, Barbara Scales, and Judith Van Hoorn;…

Reviewing papers on a wide range of issues, this bibliography contains annotations for 794 articles excerpted from 86 journals published in Czechoslovakia, socialist countries, and capitalist countries. Following a brief explanation of future changes planned for the publication, Part I groups articles under the headings (1) Social and Ideological…