The purpose of the study was to examine Japanese and Korean kindergarteners' perspectives by asking them to photograph play and explain why their photos represent play (photo elicitation interviews). The participants consisted of 50 kindergarteners on Japan's main island and 50 kindergarteners in South Korea. Japanese and Korean kindergartners…

The Japanese early childhood curriculum provides ample opportunities for children to interact with nature and to learn about natural phenomena. However, using Kalland (1995) and Martinez's (2008) theories about Japanese constructions of nature, this paper argues that most Japanese early childhood experiences do not constitute direct contact with…

Research on playground design in Japan and England offers challenges to the logic behind how playgrounds in the United States are designed. This paper presents observations of outdoor environments for children and youth in Japan and England where the space is not only useful and safe but also contributes to learning and play that reflects the…

Excellence in design of child care and other preschool facilities is an emerging issue in the architectural profession. This bibliography is intended to aid architects and other designers, child-care directors, policy makers, and researchers to locate the most up-to-date and best sources of design-relevant information. The bibliography is based on…

The Commissioner's introduction to Volume 1 includes state school system statistics. Chapter I addresses vacation schools, playgrounds, and settlements, with discussion of poor children in major cities, playground conditions, playground social conditions, play psychology, and settlement-movement history. Subsequent chapters cover laws concerning…