This paper examines the reasons for including drama in elementary curricula; the relationship of drama to children's developmental needs; and appropriate strategies for teaching drama to young children. Reasons for teaching drama include drama's stimulation of high-level thinking and collaborative work. Drama and improvisation also require high…

Superhero play among preschool children appears to be quite different from socio-dramatic play. While exhibiting characteristics of socio-dramatic play, superhero play does not facilitate the development of social or verbal skills. Observations of television programs indicated that superhero play provides little opportunity for verbal reasoning,…

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an instrument designed to measure the dramatic and sociodramatic play activity of young children. A total of 31 children were selected from early education programs on the basis of sex and socioeconomic status. The spontaneous classroom dramatic play behavior of each child was…

This package contains five home-based intervention curricula for families with children between 12 and 30 months of age. Three independent curricula (each emphasizing children's language, play or social development) enlist the mother's aid as observer, teacher and researcher, and promote a three-way interaction among mother, child, and…

Recently, children's play has gained considerable attention, and important concerns have emerged. The volume presents a review and critical analysis of the research and theoretical knowledge on the educational play of young children. The chapters reflect a range of philosophies on various aspects of children's play. Each chapter includes a review…

Now in a thoroughly revised and updated second edition, this volume presents a variety of play approaches that facilitate children's healing in a shorter time frame. Invaluable for clinicians working within managed care and all those seeking to optimize limited time with clients, the book describes effective methods for individual, family, and…

The purpose of this Spanish-language manual is to help preschool teachers better understand theoretical concepts related to children's play. Following a preface that discusses UNESCO's activities related to early childhood education, the two main sections of the manual discuss children's play between 0-2 years and 2-7 years. Each section includes…

Identifies "play-party" games as simple musical games requiring no instrumental accompaniment. The games were popular on the 19th-century American frontier. Recommends using these as class learning activities. Provides several lists of resources and includes notational scores and activities for two songs. (MJP)

Examined the collaborative literacy learning that occurred in a literacy-enriched sociodramatic play center. Literacy behaviors were coded from transcripts of 15 hours of free play. Found substantial cross-age literacy-based collaboration, with almost half the interactions involving older children helping younger children. This collaboration was…

Discusses the importance of allowing children to become involved in a variety and complexity of play situations so that they may have opportunities to develop and fine-tune their strategies for making decisions. Describes a thematic sociodramatic center created for this purpose in a kindergarten classroom composed of Native American and Hispanic…

Functional, constructive, dramatic, and social play behaviors were observed in two classes of hearing-impaired kindergarten children--one using sign communication and the other using oral communication. Children in the sign-based class demonstrated higher levels of social play behavior and lower levels of aggression than the other class.…

Describes behavior change among five behavior-disordered, multiply handicapped primary students exposed to daily play sessions with nonhandicapped children for 10 weeks. Concludes that nonhandicapped children elicited positive social interactions from behavior-disordered playmates, particularly when specific playmates were assigned. Contains 17…

Explores the question of whether or not Mighty Morphin Power Rangers-type aggressive play is developmentally appropriate for the early childhood classroom. Compares results from research in child development to the reality of television programming, highlighting the relationship between television violence and children's aggressive behavior. (AA)

Describes the format of, and topics covered in, the Partners in Play training model, which is designed to enrich children's play in child care settings through the development of play training for parents and caregivers. Training focuses on techniques and strategies that help adults understand and facilitate play. (BB)

Discusses the dynamics and development of prosocial play activities for children with a variety of handicapping conditions. Suggests ways for teachers to facilitate the participation of children with special needs. Contains 14 references. (Author/LB)