Responds to Catherine Dezseran's call for children's plays with "serious" subject matter, approves of her ideas, and suggests that more pointed criticism of the contemporary plays she mentions would be helpful to writers of children's plays. (JC)

Author explains that children feel the meaning of some poems in relation to their own experiences, rather than having a direct understanding of the situations presented in the poems, and that by reaching an understanding of these experiences, children become able to interpret the poems on a more mature level. (JB)

Early childhood teachers need not worry about program content duplication but should realize that the standard materials for early childhood programs are merely tools to be used for the satisfaction of the three major early childhood drives; curiosity, interest in other children, and the handling of emotional impulses. (AJ)

Argues that information dissemination through stories is superior to that through unsynthesized data. Describes a new edition of Shahrazad's "One Thousand and One Arabian Nights." (AEA)

Observers rated identically dressed boys with feminine behavior, conventionally masculine boys, and conventionally feminine girls as to apparent sex, on a five-point scale. The sample to which the child belonged was the most important determinant of ratings: feminine boys were judged to be neither distinctly feminine nor distinctly masculine.…

Presents an annotated bibliography of music written specifically for young children or for occasions in which the child's enjoyment of the music is of primary importance. (MP)

Research indicated that Black children will choose to affiliate themselves with more attractive peers versus unattractive peers, and with those whose preferences are similar to theirs. The findings were consistent with results of similar research among White children. (Author/MJL)

Presents an overview of books by De Paola and suggestions for using them with students. (DD)

Emphasizes that parents' reading to infants fosters interest in literature and provides foundation for basic reading skills. Titles of musical books, point-and-say books, touch and smell books, cardboard books, cloth books, plastic books, and early stories are provided. (Author/DB)

Notes that poetry written for adults offers children qualities that are often lacking in children's poetry books: a more mature, sophisticated use of language and imagery, and an intriguing, early introduction to figures whose works they will undoubtedly study later. Suggests specific poems that children can enjoy. (HOD)

An interview with reporters and editors of a news and features magazine written by children 13 and under. Discusses the effects of children's experiences on their attitudes about themselves and about their capabilities. (SS)

Examines a classic text, Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses," within the context of several of Stevenson's own essays. Suggests that unlike many children's books, it was an experiment and one that Stevenson, for various reasons, including his premature death, was never able to adapt for future use. (RS)

Teachers of very young children have the awesome task of providing rich information and experiences that build skills and understanding in the context of every day routines and within intentionally-designed play opportunities that capture children's interests, wonder and curiosity so they want to know more. Pennsylvania's learning standards join…

The 18 preschool teachers in the study tended to agree that preschool education for 4-year-olds should foremost be fun and engaging, not stressful. Teachers should develop curricula based on children's interests and everyday lives, and allow children to choose their activities and to direct their own play and exploration at their own pace. The…