Presents a case study of the experiences of six girls with the "Phoenix Quest" (PQ) computer game and compares the responses of 41 boys and 57 girls to the same game. PQ was designed to explore language and mathematics in ways appealing to girls. Celebrating and challenging a female protagonist was important to girls. (SLD)

Fifty-six preschoolers were placed in a high-active or comparison group based on a preschool rating scale. Individual types of behavior that differentiated between groups and an interaction of group with setting indicated that comparison preschoolers modulated changing activities during play and TV, whereas preschoolers with hyperactivity…

Reports on an experimental study to address the gap in research literature about the effectiveness of school counselors' use of play-therapy intervention as a way for children to communicate conflicts. Findings suggest that children whose coping skills hinder personal learning can be assisted with six sessions of child-centered play therapy.…

Describes the ways in which one group of Head Start children included narrative features in their naturally occurring dramatic play and engaged in behaviors similar to process writing. Extends information about narrative features by describing play behaviors similar to mapping and revision. Presents findings that are part of a larger…

Three experiments examined 3- to 5-year olds' understanding of the intended nature of pretend behavior. Found that 4-year olds understood intention as a mental cause of action and construed pretend behaviors mentalistically, but systematically associated ignorance of a specific animal with pretending to be that animal. Concludes that Lillard's…

Systematic naturalistic observations of imitation, theory of mind, play, and social contact were conducted with children with autism, adults with autism, children with learning disabilities, and normally developing young children. Although little imitation was observed in any but the normal young children, the autistic subjects showed less…

Uses classroom excerpts to examine issues of "playfulness" and "gaming" in computer-mediated communication (CMC). Offers theories and historical constructions of literacy and play for instructors to conceptualize the construction of boundaries between productive and nonproductive language behaviors in CMC. Argues that CMC's empowering capabilities…

Discusses the role of play in the elementary mathematics curriculum. Demonstrates that well planned play can add rigor to the second grade mathematics curriculum. (ASK)

Assesses interpersonal aggression and aggression toward inanimate objects in a free-play setting where children played video games. Results indicated that subjects who played video games with aggressive content exhibited more object aggression during free-play and more interpersonal aggression during the frustrating situation than youngsters who…

Examines practice play, symbolic play, games with rules, and constructions and their relation to Piaget's active education, the intentional social process of constructing understanding involving interest, experimentation, and cooperation within the play context. Recommendations for identifying the type of knowledge being constructed (physical,…

Discussion of the affective domain, learning, and motivation focuses on serious play as a suitable goal for situations requiring learners, both children and adults, to engage in creative higher-order thinking coupled with intense personal commitment and involvement. Suggests that interactive computer games offer opportunities to support serious…

Fifty-eight staff in 11 preschool settings were interviewed about their recall of observed sexualized play and behaviors of children in their care. Children's curiosity about genitalia, looking and limited touching were commonly observed. Children inserting anything into another child and oral-genital contact were only rarely observed. Concern was…

Discusses the role of play in the learning of mathematics. Describes a play for the third grade mathematics classroom that focuses on negative numbers and number concepts, and revisits Vygotsky from this point of view. Concludes that mathematically imaginative play can contribute greatly to mathematics learning in elementary school. (Contains 20…

Considers traditions, new trends, linkage of literacy and play, and implementation of literacy play in schools in Argentina. Notes that traditional approaches to literacy education do not work well in Latin America and supports the connection between literacy and children's play. (DLH)

Discusses a theory of interpretive reproduction--the importance of children's reproduction of and participation in their own peer cultures for their evolving membership in society. Describes themes of communal sharing and control in children's peer cultures, presenting examples of peer routines and activities. Considers the importance of…