The value and function of play behavior in young children, and the process and conditions by which play contributes to learning, cognition and problem solving, are explored in this literature review. The first section examines early theories of play, the psychoanalytic theory of play, and the developmental stages of play. Common elements of play…

The report assesses the impact of career awareness-oriented dramatic play procedures in elementary school children. A sample of 90 second graders from North Carolina (66 from open classrooms and 24 from self-contained classrooms), who participated in a dramatic play program in which they constructed a model community in the classroom, was compared…

This teaching aid to the Nuffield French Course offers instructions for the making of puppets and a puppet theater, and a set of dialogues and simple plays. Suggestions are made for using the puppets with the course, and indications of when to introduce each dialogue or play are included. Dialogues designed for units 1-20 and six plays for units…

In an experiment designed to involve reluctant learners in a creative learning experience, a class of youngsters assumed the role of a Sahara Desert tribe and talked about their perplexity in finding a chair washed up on the beach. Using this incident as the focal point for a project, the teacher divided the children into small groups to compose…

Presents a sample lesson (on the Middle Ages) using movement, verbalization, and role playing to introduce students to drama and creative expression. Provides teachers with an in-depth look at a creative process through which they can stimulate learning across the curriculum. (ARH)

Noting that play is an essential aspect of learning for young children, this book presents a collection of articles on children's play in Australia. Part 1, "Play, Development, and Learning," contains the following chapters: (1) "The Role of Play in Development and Learning" (Ann Glover); (2) "Stop, Look, and Listen:…

Provides fully developed library media activities that are designed to be used in connection with specific curriculum units. Topics covered include art (U.S. folk art); reading/language arts (dramatizing story events); science (simple machines); and social studies (state and federal legislatures, and explorers). (LRW)

Describes four Norwegian kindergarten/day care programs: (1) Tislegard kindergarten and day care center, using community sculptures as the basis for art activities; (2) Bjerkeallen Barnehage, examining the impact on activities and staff relationships when half the staff are men; (3) Labakken, using nature as a central arena for play; and (4)…

This issue of the ACEA resource series focuses on the role of sociodramatic play in early childhood development, giving recommendations and examples for developing children's social understanding through play. Sections include the following: (1) "Developing Understanding through Play," which introduces the concepts; (2) "Complex…

The purpose of this Child Development Associate (CDA) training module, one of a series of 18, is to provide the CDA intern with an understanding of both the processes involved in the development of language skills and the role of the teacher in enhancing language development. The module stipulates competency-based objectives and provides essential…

Thirteen articles on effective classroom teaching of poetry are collected in this bulletin. The relationships of poetry to emotion and to experience are discussed by Barbara Hardy and Donald Thomas. Effective techniques for the British Junior Schools are explored in three articles: Peter Searby and Geoffrey Summerfield create a hypothetical…

Rough Rock Demonstration School is directed by local Navaho Indians who are (1) attempting to present both Navajo and American cultures, and (2) concentrating on teaching English as a second language. This illustrated document describes a program developed at Rough Rock which emphasizes oral expression with the use of dramatic dialog. Descriptions…

Using methods derived from sensitivity training, teachers can help students to "feel involved" with works of art and make works "come alive for them." Current humanities instruction is said to be impersonal, overly intellectual, poorly taught, and irrelevant. Sensitivity training emphasizes the individual and his capacities for self-awareness; it…

This report describes the Cognitively Oriented Curriculum based on Piagetian theory which is used in the Perry Preschool Project. The purpose of this long-term project is to help educationally disadvantaged Negro children develop the concepts and abilities necessary for academic success. The Piagetian theory of cognitive development is discussed…

This pilot study attempted to develop systematic scientific procedures for the study of improvisational drama with children, especially ways of assessing what the typical creative drama teacher does with children, what children do when they are acting, and what effects this might have on the rest of their educational development. Specific…