The intention of this theoretical paper is to present a reversal theory interpretation of play phenomena. Reversal theory, a developing theory in psychology, concerns the complex relationship between experience and motivation. One of the central charactieristics of the theory is that it attempts to understand why so much of human behavior is…

The benefits of play are discussed, blocks to play behavior (such as inhibiting authority messages) are pointed out, and additional blocks to play behavior for the handicapped are mentioned. (SBH)

Describes the three major approaches to play therapy: psychoanalytic, structured, and relationship approaches. Discussion focuses on problems of interpretation in the psychoanalytic approach, release of pent-up emotions in the structured approach, and phases of play and therapist guidelines in nondirective, relationship therapy. (RH)

Studies suggest that the left insula may play an important role in speech motor programming. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the role of the left insula in the production of monosyllabic or multisyllabic words during overt and covert speech conditions. The left insula did not show a BOLD response for multisyllabic…

At an ungraded, democratically structured school, we documented 196 naturally occurring interaction sequences between adolescents (ages 12-19) and children (ages 4-11) who were at least four years younger than the adolescent. Children and adolescents appeared to be drawn together by common interests and play styles, personal attraction, and…

Achievement in most academic areas depends on reading. This study examines the relationship between play therapy and reading. Twenty-four first graders from two North Louisiana schools, who were repeating first grade and who had scored lowest on the Gates MacGinite Reading Test (GMRT) and the Stanford Reading Achievement Test the previous year,…

Research on the cognitive development of play skills in young handicapped children is reviewed, focusing on two Piagetian styles of play--sensorimotor (exploratory) and symbolic (pretend and dramatic). The review emphasizes developmental patterns, areas of deficit, and implications for intervention in various handicapped groups. (Author/JDD)

Suggests that parents who are aware of the differences between home play and school play more fully understand and value the role of play in the early childhood curriculum. Discusses benefits of school play along several dimensions, including interaction with peers and adults, group size, materials, planning, and guidance. Suggests ways for…

The author builds on arguments he has made elsewhere that good commercial video games foster deep learning and problem solving and that such games in fact promote mastery as a form of play. Here he maintains that some good video games engage players with an important type of play, namely of play as discovery, of play as surmising new possibilities…

This study examined the effects that a multi-component intervention had on play behaviors and mean length of utterance (MLU) of eight Head Start children at risk for language delays and social skill development. The intervention consisted of three components: (a) a planning period included reading a story book that illustrated the play theme and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the multimedia social stories on the duration of appropriate social engagement of 3 young children with autism. Using a multiple-baseline-across-participants design, the multimedia social stories were implemented, and observations of 10-min play sessions were conducted three times per…

Inclusive settings are challenging age-old stereotypes about how children with and without disabilities interact. Peek inside a preschool inclusive classroom and one will often find typically developing children altering their games so that children with disabilities can play along. At circle time, children who need help sitting up are supported…

Children on the autism spectrum often demonstrate atypical joint attention, leading some researchers to consider joint attention deficits a core feature of the autism spectrum. Structured measures, such as the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), are commonly used to provide a metric of joint attention. To explore the assessment of joint…

Emerging digital technologies enable teachers and students to access and manipulate sights and sounds in their school environments. The challenge is to systematically include these new media in academic environments, and to include adults who are ill prepared in technical issues as primary guides in this effort. This article suggests that child's…