An online survey of early childhood professionals who were employed by a national child care company examined beliefs and practices regarding the rights and abilities of young children to express views and be heard. Participants represented seven US regions, and comprised a sample of 107 preschool professionals working directly with children ages…

Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

In 1992, the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), in conjunction with Wheelock College (Boston), sponsored its second workshop on children's play, entitled "Play and Cognitive Ability: The Cultural Context." This volume reflects the presentations and discussions held at the workshop, offering perspectives on children's play…

This study describes the application of Bakhtin's theories of dialogism to nineteen 5-year-old preschool children's communication strategies and the ways children appropriate meaning in block play. The observed frequency of communication strategies used in three different naturally emerging social relationships--1) individuals, 2) dyads, and 3)…

Crucial to the successful inclusion of young children with disabilities is the premise that benefit occurs when children socialize with peers and are actively involved in preschool activities including play. Playgroups are often primary to learning in typical preschool classrooms since it is within playgroups that preschool-age children learn both…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a planned mastery motivational physical play session on physical activity (i.e., heart rate [HR] and physical play intensity [PAHR greater than 50]) in toddlers (N = 21), as compared to a nonplanned free play session. Participants wore a monitor to measure HR over two, 30 min play…

Most research on violent video game play suggests a positive relationship with aggression-related outcomes. Expanding this research, the current study examines the impact group size, game motivation, in-game behavior, and verbal aggression have on postgame play hostility. Consistent with previous research, group size and verbal aggression both…

This arts-based research illustrates how young children engage in "graphic-narrative play"--a personal fantasy-based experience depicted on paper--while representing imaginary worlds centered on the topic, "what the future will be like". The descriptions show how the children not only made representations, but also manipulated…

Play is, by definition, internally motivated, flexible, spontaneous and voluntary. Yet some researchers claim to have taught children with autism to play using behavioural interventions that are heavily structured, repetitive and make use of external reinforcements. In the current systematic review, we examine the extent to which these claims are…

The school curriculum addresses issues of structured environmental education; however, what informal opportunities are afforded to children at school to interact and expand their knowledge of the world around them? This small case study attempts to elucidate children's experience of the school playground environment. The findings suggest that…

Children with autism exhibit significant deficits in their ability to spontaneously imitate the play actions and descriptive gestures of others. Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) is a naturalistic imitation intervention designed to teach spontaneous imitation skills during play. This study assessed the effectiveness of parent-implemented RIT…

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the variability and predictors of expressive vocabulary development in children with autism and very delayed language. Method: This study involved 35 children with autism whose initial chronological ages were between 20 and 71 months and whose initial expressive vocabularies were less…

This workbook brings together activities to aid in motivating children to concentrate, listen, respond, think, and learn. The activities rely upon play-like tasks involving drama, music, and other forms of creative expression. The activities are organized by the season in which they are appropriate and include songs, dramatic sequences, stories,…

This manual describes the benefits and procedures for implementing a developmental play program. It is intended to be used by both the leader--a counselor, teacher, or other professional--and students who have been trained in the peer facilitator skills. The manual does not include a detailed training program for peer facilitators, but the nature…

This booklet discusses the use of structured table activities in preschool programs in Australia and alternatives to these activities, such as free play. The booklet notes that structured table activities tend to be teacher-directed, passive, non-creative, and focus on goals set by the teacher. They often do not address the learning requirements…