Universal and culture-specific aspects of caregiver contributions to children's emerging play activities during the one-word period were studied in research designed to meet criteria for ecological validity. The sample included seven Mexican caregiver/child pairs in a major urban setting and eight pairs in a rural setting. All caregivers came from…

A 35-day applied behavior analysis involving a repeated measure multiple-baseline design across subjects was employed to determine if there was a functional relationship between enriched sociodramatic play and three kindergarten children's language performance. The strategy of the design was to apply the same treatment in sequence across matched…

Preschool children view television on an average of 4.5 hours or more daily, more than any other age group with the exception of senior citizens. With television viewing occupying such a great proportion of the preschool child's waking hours, the influence of television on the remaining play time, and particularly that of dramatic play, is of…

Designed as a teacher and therapist training tool, this booklet demonstrates how to make several types or kinds of puppets, and how to use them in a variety of classroom situations. The first section includes instructions for the following hand puppets: simple cloth, paper mache, knitted finger, paper bag, and Muppet types. The second section…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between young children's sociometric status and their communication patterns. A total of 43 middle class children enrolled in three preschool classes were asked to select three children they liked to play with (measure of social acceptance) and three they did not like to play with (measure…

The Preschool Interest Inventory (PSII) has been developed to meet the need for an informal measure of the interests, play behaviors, and communication skills of young children between the ages of 2 and 6 years, particularly those exhibiting delays in language development. The first step in the Inventory process is the Caregiver Interview. In the…

This guide provides a series of activities adapted for children's solitary play. Eight different categories are presented: construction, dramatic play, arts and crafts, science, small muscle/indoor games, music and movement, language, and food-related experiences. Each activity is organized according to materials, kit construction, and kit…

In a study that aimed to distinguish three levels of peer relationship and assess behavior at the three levels, a within-subjects design was used to investigate target preschool children's behavior toward their best friends, associates, and acquaintances in preschool classes. For 6 weeks, 22 target children in 7 classes were observed while they…

This study was intended to examine: (1) the kinds of conflict preschool children between 2 and 5 years of age become involved in; (2) the methods children use in dealing with such conflicts; (3) the outcomes of the conflicts; and (4) differences in behavior according to age and gender of children. Recorded were random samples of conflict…

A study of children's language use in narratives given during play examined the longitudinal development of different linguistic systems of narrative structure: pronominal, clausal, and temporal. The narrative and dialogue in play with small toy figures was observed in eight children between the ages of 2 and 7. The findings suggest certain…

Discussed are three issues in early childhood education that have been addressed extensively by the research literature, namely: (1) the risks of early academic pressures on young children; (2) the importance of play in early childhood education; and (3) interaction as the context for early learning. Several reasons that child development and…

This report surveys nine different toys with "victim" characteristics which are designed for children of 4-5 years and older. The toys were on display in toy shops, department stores, and supermarkets. The toys included doll-like figures with disfigurations, mutilations, mental and physical disabilities, heads which fly off, and eyes which can be…

Are children's same-sex affiliations due to genetically sex-linked behavioral tendencies or are they a result of power and privilege differentials in the larger society that discourage girls from engaging in cross-sex interaction? Sex cleavages in naturally occurring toddler peer groups were investigated by examining playmate preferences and…

Highlighting pertinent research in the area of young children's development of humor, this paper reviews four areas from a cognitive-developmental perspective: (1) humor as a cognitive process, (2) humor and the developmental process, (3) research on young children's humor, and (4) humor and early childhood education. First, the structural…

A study was made of the relationship between children's play behaviors and sociometric status, with particular attention to the influence of play materials on behavior. Subjects were 95 children, ranging in age from 44 to 60 months, attending 10 preschool classrooms. Sixty observations were made of each child's play behaviors. Sociometric measures…