Meta-analyses of the hypotheses that relationships exist between play and problem solving, and between play and creativity, were conducted. The data set for the meta-analyses included studies designed to investigate the relationship between play and fluency or originality, or between play and problem-solving behavior. The meta-analyses of…

The purposes of this study were to investigate (1) the level of development of four target vocal and gestural symbols (Doggie, Cup, Car, and Fiffin, a novel concept), and (2) the relationship of symbolic maturity to the use of symbols in combinations. Thirty infants (15 boys and 15 girls), between 82 and 91 weeks of age, were observed for…

A study was undertaken in order to examine (1) the nature of the representation or prototypes underlying children's make-believe object uses, (2) the types of mental activities through which objects are allowed to substitute for real objects, and (3) the awareness children have of processes involved in their choosing and pretending. A total of 18…

Dramatic activities, tasks that unite language learning with bodily movements, voice intonation, emotion, and imagination, may be eased into the traditional classroom structure to enrich and enhance the intellectual aspects of language learning and to motivate students. These activities can be modified to meet the needs and difficulty levels of…

Five deaf infants with hearing parents enrolled in a parent-infant intervention program using total communication were videotaped during free play sessions with their parents. Videotapes of each child at program entry and program exit were analyzed. The functions of children's gestures, pointing responses, communicative vocalizations, and signs…

In this study, 33 hearing and 29 deaf preschoolers were observed during outdoor free play at their respective schools over a seven-month period in an effort to determine if their friendships were unstable and transitory. Four issues were addressed: (1) the possibility that maintained and non-maintained friends serve different functions (this was…

This article outlines key characteristics of Singapore's national values and the preschool education context, and provides a discussion of what the spirit of play could be like in Singaporean preschools. The article uses Deweyan principles to advocate for socially just curricula in Singaporean preschools that embrace "play" as a vehicle…

Author takes an unromantic look at the real possibilities of making industrial work more satisfying. (Editor/RK)

Discusses the problems encountered when counseling a student who does not wish to talk. Suggests that counselors have many objects about office, including games, on which students can focus attention to facilitate movement from nonverbal to verbal. A case study is included. (Author/HMV)

Several characteristics of children's play were noted by observing the playground activities of Vietnamese refugee and American children. The Vietnamese children tended to participate in highly structured games while their American peers often chose spontaneous play--games with structures that go beyond or destroy rules. It is suggested that…

To document the frequency of sharing in the context of classroom activities, a total of 116 preschool children 3 to 5 years of age were observed for half-hour periods in 17 classrooms of 4 preschools. Sharing was defined as interchanges in which the original holder grants to another child the partial use, or possession of a thing. All observations…