At preschool age, it is generally accepted that children's main pursuit is play. In particular, pretend play has a major role in supporting a preschooler's learning processes. Early pretend play involves object substitution, before later progressing to the incorporation of invisible objects. The purpose of the presented study was to validate that…

Background: Children's holistic development includes physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, moral and affective development and lies in early childhood development education (ECDE). According to research, children learn through different age-appropriate teaching and learning pedagogies. Therefore, the importance of implementing a play-based…

This book began as a deep discussion among administrators, teachers, researchers, teacher educators, and educational consultants concerned about the critical reduction of play, engaged learning opportunities, and intellectually stimulating experiences in classrooms for toddlers through the primary grades. This group made a pact to organize and…

Scholars conventionally find play difficult to define because the concept is complex and ambiguous. The author proffers a definition of play that takes into consideration its dynamic character, posits six basic elements of play (anticipation, surprise, pleasure, understanding, strength, and poise), and explores some of their emotional, physical,…

The extent to which academic instruction should be a major goal of the curriculum for preschool and kindergarten children is a constant topic of debate among the many parties concerned with early childhood education. The main argument presented in this report is that the traditional debates in the field about whether to emphasize so-called free…

This article compares progressive conceptions of childhood in the educational philosophies of John Locke and John Dewey. Although the lives of the two philosophers were separated by an ocean and two centuries of history, they had in common the following things: (1) a relatively high level of experience working with, and observing, children that is…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss a novel life cycle approach to education for sustainable development (ESD) where the students become "design thinkers". Design/methodology/approach: A case study on the creation, development and utilisation of educational games by university students is presented. The paper discusses the…

The modern ideal of international cooperation, which it is desired to incorporate in the future education of the young, is based on the two main principles of solidarity and justice. In this essay, the author discusses two aspects on the problem of solidarity: (1) moral aspect; and (2) intellectual aspect. In connection with the moral aspect, the…

Over the past several decades, a substantial library of research has been collected on the exceptional educational value that kids receive from outdoor, free play. What was once thought of as a way for children to wind down before bedtime or blow off steam while at school, is now known to be a key factor in a child's intellectual, social,…

Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition, discusses the relationship of play to the physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth of the child. Author Fergus P. Hughes focuses on the historical, sociocultural, and ethological context of play; the role of development in play; and the wide range of theories that provide a framework for…

A review of The Psychology of Play (Penquin, 1968) by Susanna Millar. (DS)

Found no correlations between types of play behavior and speech measures, that identification of objects upon verbal request was not related to any type of play behavior, and that comprehension of verbal requests for functional or representational play was positively correlated with the display of such play. Journal availability: J. B. Lippincott…

Concludes that the role of the teacher as researcher in children's development of thinking and socialization through play is multi-dimensional. The initial function is the internal analysis of children's thinking and interaction within a variety of settings. (Author)

Discusses children's play in conjunction with intellectual development, language, and social benefits. Suggests that play develops personality, encourages personal relations, stimulates creativity, adds to happiness, and advances learning. Encourages parents and teachers to provide children with richly varied play experiences to promote cognition,…

The general European discourse of childhood presents children as innocent and vulnerable, but within this discourse different images of "the perfect child" exist. In this article ideals for upbringing are studied as they are represented in French, German and Dutch printed advertisements for children's products. The sample consists of 290…