This collection of papers represents an extension of analytic approaches and concepts from animal social ethology to the study of activities among stable groups of young children. A major emphasis of this research was on the description of organizational patterns in social behavior observed during periods of free play. The papers are: (1) "An…

This report describes a comparative study of methods of home-based infant and parent education. The study involved 108 children, aged 1 to 2 1/2 years, in six groups of 18 each. In three groups a home visitor worked with the children and their mothers using a curriculum which focused on either play, language, or social development. In a fourth…

The playgrounds pictured and discussed in this book are called Workyards. They are places where children play--in any way they elect. Limitations are set only by the space that is available and by the always changing and abundant supply of materials: lumber, nails, tools, old machinery, rope, sinks, stoves, pickets from an old fence, barrels, and…

This unit of the Flexible Learning System (FLS) is concerned with the importance of play to early child development and with classroom conditions that promote productive play activity. Emphasis is put on developing skills in observing and analyzing play and understanding specific types of adult intervention in the play process. Activities and an…

This guide book is addressed to those responsible for early childhood physical education. It is divided into nine segments, each covering in detail different facets of the subject: (1) the young child's development and learning processes in their relation to physical education; (2) the child's physical education program, its purpose and…

This paper discusses the rationale and implementation procedures for a cognitively oriented intervention program for parents of preschoolers aged 2-3 based in a pediatric clinic playroom. The manual outlines guidelines for establishing such a service starting with recruitment of clients, maintaining the program for parents, organizing the play…

This document presents guidelines for preschool learning experiences in Massachusetts programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and is designed to be used by teachers and program administrators in planning and evaluating curricula. The guidelines structure learning through play and meaningful activities in a developmental sequence and are based on the…

Presents an overview of developmentally appropriate practices for preschool classrooms. Discusses the role of the teacher, and emphasizes the use of age-appropriate schedules, space, group and individual activities, music and movement, as well as interest-based curricula. (MOK)

This study used microethnographic techniques to analyze the communication strategies used by a hearing-impaired preschool child to access social interactions. Strategies tended to be similar to those of his peer subgroup, though nonverbal strategies prevailed. Teachers promoted the child's verbal request "Can I play," but it was unsuccessful in…

Describes preschoolers' collaboration during free play in a computer lab, focusing on the computer's contribution to active, peer-mediated learning. Discusses these observations in terms of Parten's insights on children's social play and Vygotsky's socio-cultural learning theory, noting that the children scaffolded each other's growing computer…

These two 1995 issues of the journal "Offspring," a publication of the Michigan Council of Cooperative Nursery Schools, cover a variety of topics familiar to nursery school and day care providers including the mission of the publication. Articles are short pieces useful to practitioners and are frequently accompanied by classroom activities.…

In preschools caring for infants and toddlers, outdoor play space is often limited and underdeveloped. When outdoor play space is developed, it is usually geared towards older toddlers, and infants' time in this space is often limited. Measures can be taken to give both infants and toddlers access, in safe and appropriate ways, to the valuable…

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…

This handbook provides information on various techniques and strategies that can reduce excessive behaviors and improve deficit behaviors in children with autism. Chapter 1 gives an overview of autism and discusses the development of social skills and play skills in individuals with high-functioning autism. The characteristics of children with…

The relationship of familial and school-based risk factors to socioemotional and learning problems was assessed in a sample of 69 Hispanic 3-year-old children in Head Start Programs in New York City. In a preliminary study of maternal stress, child temperament was identified as a significant predictor of child socioemotional problems. School risk…