Addresses the concept of "play as a child's work," from the viewpoints of Montessori, Freud, and Piaget. Contends that children's play: (1) like adult play, may be individual or social; (2) has immediate value for the child as a way of expressing feelings; and (3) is a healthy counterpoise to work. (SD)

Today's children are being forced to achieve more and at an earlier age than ever before in society. Previously "natural" rites of passage into adulthood come too early for children, and they often do not get the chance to appreciate and experience the highly important period of life called childhood. (CJ)

This paper declares war against the miseducation of young children, who learn best through direct encounters rather than through formalized inculcation of symbolic rules. A variety of socioeconomic forces (including the civil rights and women's movements) are forcing preschoolers into learning environments originally designed for school-age…

Describes and analyzes changing concepts of childhood and special needs education in the modern era, from the 17th century through World War II, and the postmodern era beginning in the middle of the 20th century. The "reinvention" of childhood in the postmodern era has included children with special physical needs and assured their right to…

The modern nuclear family, often idyllically portrayed as a refuge and a retreat from a demanding world, is fast disappearing. In its stead is a new structure, the postmodern permeable family, that mirrors the openness, complexity, and diversity of contemporary lifestyles. This book examines the postmodern family and finds evidence of an emerging…

One of the many positive consequences of the transition to a postmodern society is the increased recognition of the range of individual differences among children of the same age. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the postmodern reinvention of childhood, focusing on ages 4 through 8 years. The book's introductory chapter describes the…