The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a buddy skills package on the social and play interactions between three preschoolers with developmental delays and their peers. Each child participated in sociodramatic play activities with two peers who exhibited age-appropriate social and play skills. Following baseline, the children…

Socio-dramatic play (SDP) creates a zone of proximal development in which optimum cognitive development occurs. To participate successfully in this kind of play children and their partners must create shared meaning, or what is referred to in the socio-cultural literature as intersubjectivity. Based on intersubjectivity and SDP, this study…

This fascinating collection of international research offers fresh perspectives on children's creative processes and the expression of their creative imagination through dramatic play, stories, artwork, dance, music and conversation. Drawing on a range of research evidence from innovative educational initiatives in a wide variety of countries,…

Play, particularly children's sociodramatic play, is the cornerstone of early childhood classrooms in the United States. Early childhood educators learn and expound mantras of "the value of play," "play-based programs," "children learning through play," and "play as child's work." They strive to promote the importance of making a place for play in…

Discusses how prop boxes enhance learning and are resources in multicultural and nonsexist primary education, focusing on play, experimentation, and cooperation. Examines integration of prop boxes into the curricula and activities, and presents examples of generic and specific multicultural prop boxes that incorporate art, music, foods,…

Twenty-six precocious preschoolers exhibited high frequencies of dramatic and associative play. Girls engaged in more cooperative and less solitary play than boys. Elder children participated in more solitary, parallel, and less cooperative and less dramatic play than younger peers. The higher intelligence quotient group undertook less…

Believes structured playtime that occurs in a well-designed play center can provide rich opportunities for young children to construct knowledge related to both social studies and literacy. Expounds how elementary teachers can create an integrated play center by collaborating with their students on the design, implementation, and response to the…

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the preschool teacher in dealing effectively with aggression in the classroom setting. First, assertiveness, aggression and hostility are differentiated and theories of aggression are reviewed. Subsequently, social, home, family, and temperamental factors influencing aggressive behavior of…

This paper describes a pilot study emphasizing responsive research and incorporating the views of participants into recommendations for future research using classroom videotaping. The study was based on the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky (1978), which emphasizes the importance of an integrated perspective of child language and thought.…

This study examined the variation in children's choice of learning centers in a naturalistic, free-play setting. The study was designed to develop a realistic picture of how 4- and 5-year-olds interact in each of 4 settings (computer, dramatic play, block, and manipulative) to allow for comparison of their behaviors between genders and across…

Discusses a project that examined literacy development within the context of play in two Reykjavik preschool classrooms. Suggests that preschool teachers should enrich dramatic play with literacy props and print materials. Indicates that incorporating print materials in dramatic play provides a natural extension of children's preschool work and…

This paper examines the reasons for including drama in elementary curricula; the relationship of drama to children's developmental needs; and appropriate strategies for teaching drama to young children. Reasons for teaching drama include drama's stimulation of high-level thinking and collaborative work. Drama and improvisation also require high…

Examined the collaborative literacy learning that occurred in a literacy-enriched sociodramatic play center. Literacy behaviors were coded from transcripts of 15 hours of free play. Found substantial cross-age literacy-based collaboration, with almost half the interactions involving older children helping younger children. This collaboration was…

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…

The book is designed to be a reference for camp counselors with 20 minutes and 12 children on their hands, for teachers on Friday afternoons in spring, for recreation leaders whose swimming meet has just been rained out, and for parents who discover that "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" is not a big hit at a teenage birthday party. The games…