The authors describe a game that students can play on the first day of a game theory class. The game introduces the 4 essential elements of any game and is designed so that its sequel, also played on the first day of class, has students playing the well-known Monty Hall game, which raises the question: Should you switch doors? By implementing a…

Sex differences in play are apparent in a number of mammalian species, including humans. Prenatal testosterone may contribute to these differences. The authors report the first attempt to correlate gender-typed play in a normative sample of humans with measurements of amniotic testosterone (aT). Testosterone was measured in the amniotic fluid of…

The motor control of 49 unmedicated boys clinically diagnosed with ADHD, case-matched with 49 non-ADHD boys, was assessed while playing Crash Bandicoot I, a SonyTM Playstation platform computer video game. In Crash Bandicoot participants control the movements of a small-animated figure through a hazardous jungle environment. Operationally defined…

The effects of an intervention designed to facilitate interactions between two older, typically developing children and their younger siblings with Down syndrome were investigated using a multiple-baseline design across behaviors and participants. The researchers used written materials, modeling, role play, and oral feedback to teach two…

There are several benefits in engaging children in dramatic plays. Aside from the motor skills involved in performing in a play, children are provided with opportunities in building their physical development. In addition, children can also enhance their language, social, and emotional development when they participate in dramatic plays. In this…

This article focuses on how young children build math skills in everyday play and activities. Children focus on six categories of mathematical content including classifying, exploring magnitude, enumerating, investigating dynamics, studying patterns, and exploring spatial relations. The article gives advice to both teachers and parents on how they…

This article presents an example of a project designed to get children of different ages working together and working for each other. The project relied quite heavily on children creating a dramatic context and the author shows how the dramatic element has the potential to affect their learning in positive ways. The provision of a shared…

To investigate the effects of child-caregiver ratio on the quality of caregiver-child interaction in child-care centers, 217 caregivers (ages 18-56 years) from 64 child care centers were observed during two structured play episodes: one with a group of three children and one with a group of 5 children. As predicted, a child-caregiver ratio of 3:1…

The element of play is underutilized in the secondary classroom in spite of the fact that play produces unique opportunities for meaningful learning. The ways in which the elements of epic poetry, Beowulf, and the Old English diction differed from the modern usage is discussed.

The validity generalization of the Preschool Learning Behavior Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 2000) dimensions was assessed for low-income, urban, preschool children. A three-factor structure was found: Competence Motivation, Attention/Persistence, and Attitude Toward Learning. This structure was congruent with the PLBS structure…

We compared the incidence of imaginary companions and impersonated characters in 152 three and four year old children (75 males and 77 females). Children and their parents were interviewed about role play in two sessions. Although there were no sex differences in verbal ability or fantasy predisposition, there was a significant difference in the…

Research on the meaning of play accelerated in the 1980s, but play in children with profound multiple disabilities is a topic, that is not discussed very often in research. In this article, play in children with profound multiple disabilities is in focus. The aim is to highlight studies on play as a tool for learning and early stimulation, and for…

The introduction of Internet access into over 30,000 UK schools has led to the adoption of a variety of disciplinary policies, procedures and practices. Critically engaging with writings on panopticism, this paper explores the surveillance of student online activity. It is noted that Internet surveillance in schools includes control through…

For Dr. Sabrina Thomas, dolls are not just child's play. In fact, they are the subject of her research, which recently landed her a $40,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thomas, an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at North Carolina Central University, was awarded the grant to write a book on the history…

This article discusses the use of play as a medium for extending and enriching the communication exchanges and symbolic language of children with autism. It provides a case illustration of how an adult-facilitated dramatic peer play led to a breakthrough in symbolic behaviors in a 9-year-old girl with autism. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)