Proposes woodworking as an appropriate play media for preschoolers. Points out the educational opportunities of woodworking and outlines the contents of a prospective "Carpenter Shop." Discusses precautions to be observed when children work with tools. (DR)

Studies 12- to 24-month-olds in a series of videotaped tasks assessing single object manipulation, relational play, pretend play, distractibility and persistence. Develops eight relatively subtle measures of three aspects of individual differences in infant behavior: developmental level, attention span, and exploratory diversity. (Author/NH)

Nonhandicapped elementary age students (N=9) learned to interact with six of their socially rejected mildly/moderately handicapped peers in small group free play sessions. Results suggested that natural reinforcers involved in interacting with socially rejected peers may not be strong enough to maintain responding over an extended period of time.…

Eight stump-tailed macaques were reared individually and either given all of their daily social experience in darkness or given half in the dark and half in the light. Results suggest that vision is especially important in the maintenance of assertive behaviors and in the instigation and direction of aggressive behaviors. (Author/RH)

The essential nature of drama is a liberating act of imagination, of self-transcendence. A session is described in which the class maintained the delicate balance of dual consciousness and focused its attention and empathy on an illusory but possible world, creating and being responsible for the meaning of its construction. (MT)

At a summer program designed to create a purpose for writing, 18 children moved from everyday language to diction appropriate to monks experiencing a significant moment in communal life. Scribes copied the children's words in a careful italic hand, providing pressure for even more precise diction and dignity of language. (MT)

Reading and drama are closely related in the learning process, interacting to develop the same personal resources in the child, building links between print and experience, dream and reality, self and other. The pressure and authenticity of the drama can help children create new knowledge and make different and necessary connections. (MT)

The review of toys and play behaviors notes the existence of two different but somewhat related forms: social play and cognitive play. Nonstructural factors (other than the presence of particular toys) affecting children's play behaviors are examined, as are peer influences on toy use and play. (CL)

A summary of research on affective and cognitive development in young children with Down syndrome notes that affect and cognition seem as closely interrelated in Down syndrome as in nonretarded children. Overall findings indicate that from birth to two, children with Down syndrome experience significant delays in development of both affective and…

Students in four secondary school classes were taught two lesson topics, the first by dramatic reenactment, the second by lecture/seatwork. Concept acquisition, retention, and students' attitudes toward the instruction form were measured. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Let's Play to Grow, a club for families with handicapped children, helps special children develop social and recreational skills. Special families meet monthly to learn how to enjoy and accept themselves. Parents develop relationships with other families with similiar problems. (DF)

Despite much effort by scholars, the definition of play remains a problem. Observers of preschool children tend to rate constructive activities as play; this has implications for play criteria. Types of play recorded may be appreciably affected by the time frame of observations and the use or lack of supplementary interviews. (RH)

Comparisons of mother-child interaction styles exhibited during free-play sessions in the home between six mother-multiply disabled child dyads and six mother-normal child dyads indicated that mothers of disabled children exerted more direct influence during play interactions than their counterparts. Normal children were involved in more…

Analyses of play suggested more sophisticated levels in segregated than integrated settings. There were no differences between the two settings in appropriateness of play, type of interaction, percentage of attending to teacher-directed learning activities, or quality or quantity of their language in the two settings. (Author/CL)

The beginnings of representational play were examined in 16 visually impaired children (18-38 months). Nine children demonstrated some symbolic acts at a mean age significantly earlier than the literature suggests. Presence of symbolic acts was significantly related to use of the word "no," two-word combinations, and general sensorimotor skills.…