Do young children naturally develop the foundations of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)? And if so, should we build on these foundations by using STEM curricula in preschools? In this article, Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama argue that the answer to both these questions is yes. First, the authors show that young children possess…

Goalball, a sport designed for those with visual impairments, is a competitive and recreational sport enjoyed by athletes around the world. Students with and without visual impairments can experience positive outcomes when teachers appropriately include a goalball unit as part of their inclusive secondary physical education curriculum. This…

This book demonstrates clear links between play and Australian education policy and framework documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Standards. It provides clear and in-depth coverage of essential theories, including good coverage of the Reggio Emilia approach and provides real life examples of professional…

Blocks are not just for play! In this article, Nicole Andrews describes observing the interactions of three young boys enthusiastically engaged in the kindergarten block center of their classroom, using blocks in a building project that displayed their ability to use critical thinking skills, physics exploration, and the development of language…

Infant/toddler teachers take a child-centered, emergent approach, meaning that they observe the children at play, ask themselves what they are interested in learning, and design developmentally appropriate curricula to meet and extend those interests. This curriculum development technique leads to "possibilities for the child to develop deeper…

The dynamic systems theory, a theory that goes beyond Piaget and Vygotsky, looks promising for curriculum development. In this theory it is explained how a curriculum that creates physical and psychological space for play and initiative learning (self-regulation) is being designed and how the teacher can support the enrichment of play and…

This handbook was designed for those individuals interested in increasing their understanding of basic movement skill development, observation and assessment, and program implementation. The basic movement skills identified in the text are the essential building blocks on which all physical education, active play, recreation, and physical activity…

To determine whether the creative-adventure playground model functions as an effective extension of the classroom, researchers at Northern Illinois University's Early Childhood Education Research Laboratory studied the effects of playground participation on the development of visual-motor integration in 32 preschool boys and girls aged 3 to 4.5.…

The goals of this practicum were to: (1) create more suitable and stimulating structured environments that would engage severely/profoundly handicapped children in positive play situations in the classroom and in the home, and (2) teach parents and caregivers how to identify age appropriate and developmentally appropriate playthings. Inservice…

National concern about the growing number of identified children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased efforts in the research field (National Research Council, 2001; Odom et al. 2003; Simpson, 2005) and the U.S. federal government (U.S. House of Representatives, 2005) to provide specific recommendations regarding appropriate…