Some children form an attachment to a variety of inanimate objects, such as cloths or soft toys, referred to as attachment objects. This study examined the developmental change in children's behaviours toward their attachment objects to understand the role of such objects through an online survey of 700 parents with 0- to 9-year-old children, of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the fears of Jordanian children and how it related to parenting styles and demographics. The study used the quantitative methodology of a survey to examine fears of a sample of 640 Jordanian children aged 4-9 in Al-Zarqa city. Results revealed that the most specific fear was imaginary or animals. The least…

With access to a unique sample of post-institutionalized Hungarian children, this study focused on the hypothesis that children who had been institutionalized for at least six months after birth have less developed capacities for emotion regulation; 90 children, aged 4-6, were placed in 1 of 3 groups: (1) children who had been institutionalized…

Using a qualitative lens, this study investigated the role of digital media in the life of a five-year-old girl. The study focused on determining what this five-year-old knew about technology, what digital tools was she currently using and how important were these tools in her everyday life. Data collection included semi-structured interviews…

Deals with the changes in imagination that take place from childhood to adulthood. (CB)

Untutored dramatic play (free, undirected play) and tutored dramatic play (creative drama) involve interaction, symbolic transformation, and imagination as children enact roles in imaginary situations. Both types of play serve the child's artistic, emotional, and intellectual needs. They differ in the degree of spontaneity, consistency of play,…

Reviews research indicating that children's writing moves in an age-related sequence from the literal and factual to the metaphorical and affective and shows a growth in awareness of the psychological characteristics of the self and others. Presents an analysis of children's stories that provides guidelines for teachers and researchers to use in…

Learning to imagine is a crucial step in symbol-making in early childhood. Uses examples of children's symbol-making to illustrate the process by which children understand the world around them. Considers how effectively aspects of children's learning environments facilitate children's exploration and their development of imagination. (MDM)

A small but significant proportion of preschoolers have imaginary companions who serve many different developmental functions. Prevalence and related demographic and environmental factors surrounding the phenomenon of imaginary companions and implications for health care professionals are discussed. (Author/DST)