Young children have little difficulty in creating imaginary worlds inhabited by fantastic creatures. Their play often reaches into the realm of make-believe whereby they improvise situations. Playing shop, mother and father, or doctor are examples of children's ability to try out adult roles and behaviors in a safe context. At school, it seems…

Noting that play varies as a function of culture, gender, setting, and parent or teacher valuing, a study examined the play of children in Singapore. Subjects were 56 middle- and working-class preschoolers between the ages of 46 and 72 months who were videotaped at play in their homes and in the child care centers that they attended and rated on…

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the security of mother-infant attachment and of infants' cognitive development on mothers' and infants' ability to coordinate their attention to objects with the attention of another person. Fifty-eight 15- to 19-month-olds were videotaped for 10 minutes while they played with toys near…

This paper presents a brief overview of the array of neuroscience research as it applies to play and child development. The paper discusses research showing the importance of play for brain growth and child development, and recommends that families, schools and other social and corporate institutions rearrange their attitudes and priorities about…

This book contains papers presented at an "Interactive Research Conference" held in June 1996 at the University of Central England. The conference focused on the pioneering work of Professor Dorothy Heathcote in the field of drama in education. Twenty-three different countries were represented at the conference. The book has three…

This article reports a survey of members of the International Toy Library Association and others in order to describe the international toy library/lekotek movement today. Information from 37 countries was evaluated and the similarities and differences among the toy libraries/lekoteks identified, as well as the various philosophies, aims, and…

To help parents address those aspects of their child's development which may need special encouragement, support, or intervention, this digest delineates 11 categories of behavior for assessment. Parents should not be alarmed if their children are having difficulty in only a few categories, and they should not judge their children's permanent…

Stability and predictive validity in the language and play development of 41 toddlers were studied. Links between language and symbolic play of toddlers were examined at 13 and 20 months in terms of homotypic, heterotypic, or mediated models of association. In the homotypic model, performance on a variable is related to performance on the same…

A study addressed the general issue of whether or not a touring college drama production would somehow stimulate greater interest, on the part of elementary teachers and students, in the use of drama as a classroom learning medium. Specifically addressed were whether (1) educational gains would be realized; (2) data would show measurable gains in…

Research on the relationship between fathers and their children was provided to the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. Six areas were highlighted in terms of what has been learned about the father/child relationship, what information is still needed, and policy implications. Principal assertions included the following points: (1)…

Improvisational gaming is a technique involving the use of theater and drama in the teaching of other subjects. The student uses intuition, sense-memory, and imagination in a holistic approach to learning which teaches social skills while it teaches subject matter. Everyone can act and improvise; getting everyone involved is seldom a problem as…

Reports a study investigating the relationship between cognitive styles and the preschool child's use of play areas in nursery schools, using daily observation and two tests of analytic perceptual ability. (ED)

This article describes the development of adaptive experience from passivity through the internalization of social limits and compares it to the ritualistic defensive behavior of children from economically deprived homes. Demonstrates how teachers may use creative materials and activities along a structured-to-fluid continuum to affect a program…

The optimal place to accentuate a sound physical fitness program for children at the elementary level is within a well-designed playground. The playground can offer natural fitness development and within this setting the physical education teacher can be the most influential with all children, not just with those who are physically active and…