In early childhood, young children frequently engage in object-oriented play. According to cultural-historical activity theory, object-oriented play provides children with opportunities to learn about the characteristics and cultural applications of objects and materials. These characteristics are referred to as rules or affordances of objects and…

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to examine specific linkages between early visual-motor integration skills and executive function, as well as between early object manipulation skills and social behaviors in the classroom during the preschool year. Method: Ninety-two children aged 3 to 5 years old (M[subscript age] = 4.31 years) were…

Presents a study of social- and object-directed behaviors of preschool children in same or mixed age dyads. Subjects were three- and five-year-oldpreschool children. (BD)

A total of 53 rural, impoverished children (37 aged 3-5, from a day care center and 16 5-year-olds from a Head Start Center) were investigated for influences of age and sex on early social behavior. Individuals were observed in 15-minute play sessions and assessed with a standard observational category system. (CS)