Playing is an activity that affects significantly the psychological development and learning in preschool age. Opinions among researchers and practitioners are divided about adults' role in children's play. Despite being a children's activity, high-level, complex social play hardly appears without adult mediation. According to the narrative play…

A growing body of research has focused on the role of play in young children's literacy development and early-literacy learning. In reviewing this research, the authors define the play-literacy nexus as that space where play, language, and emerging literacy behaviors converge and interact. They describe findings about the play-literacy nexus…

Observed the effects of dramatic play center variations on children's social and cognitive play behaviors. Found that solitary-designed centers facilitated more solitary play than group-designed centers; dramatic play increased in the intervention and follow-up housekeeping centers compared to the baseline housekeeping center; and thematic centers…

Functional, constructive, dramatic, and social play behaviors were observed in two classes of hearing-impaired kindergarten children--one using sign communication and the other using oral communication. Children in the sign-based class demonstrated higher levels of social play behavior and lower levels of aggression than the other class.…

Describes how the sociodramatic play experiences of a group of first graders served as a vehicle for integrating the classroom curriculum. Considers play as a curricular tool and adults' roles in sociodramatic play. Shows how first-graders' play in connection with creating a card shop incorporated reading, writing, and mathematical skills, and…

Play skills are vital to a child's overall healthy development. However, the training many caregivers receive may not include extensive information on play skills. This book presents a play checklist to help caregivers observe children's play skills, pinpoint play skills on which children need to work, and plan goals for improving those play…

Describes how the personal narratives of Vivian Paley led one early childhood specialist to surprising insights about the ways young children and adults learn. Focuses on the role of children's storytelling and playacting in supporting thinking, classroom discipline techniques, and using children's thinking to improve one's teaching skills. (KB)