Assesses interpersonal aggression and aggression toward inanimate objects in a free-play setting where children played video games. Results indicated that subjects who played video games with aggressive content exhibited more object aggression during free-play and more interpersonal aggression during the frustrating situation than youngsters who…

Examines practice play, symbolic play, games with rules, and constructions and their relation to Piaget's active education, the intentional social process of constructing understanding involving interest, experimentation, and cooperation within the play context. Recommendations for identifying the type of knowledge being constructed (physical,…

Discussion of the affective domain, learning, and motivation focuses on serious play as a suitable goal for situations requiring learners, both children and adults, to engage in creative higher-order thinking coupled with intense personal commitment and involvement. Suggests that interactive computer games offer opportunities to support serious…

Fifty-eight staff in 11 preschool settings were interviewed about their recall of observed sexualized play and behaviors of children in their care. Children's curiosity about genitalia, looking and limited touching were commonly observed. Children inserting anything into another child and oral-genital contact were only rarely observed. Concern was…

Discusses the role of play in the learning of mathematics. Describes a play for the third grade mathematics classroom that focuses on negative numbers and number concepts, and revisits Vygotsky from this point of view. Concludes that mathematically imaginative play can contribute greatly to mathematics learning in elementary school. (Contains 20…

Considers traditions, new trends, linkage of literacy and play, and implementation of literacy play in schools in Argentina. Notes that traditional approaches to literacy education do not work well in Latin America and supports the connection between literacy and children's play. (DLH)

Discusses a theory of interpretive reproduction--the importance of children's reproduction of and participation in their own peer cultures for their evolving membership in society. Describes themes of communal sharing and control in children's peer cultures, presenting examples of peer routines and activities. Considers the importance of…

Explains how older siblings can teach and motivate toddlers while they play. Parents can augment traditional parenting by making the most of their children's playtime activities. This paper describes how to create fun learning experiences for toddlers and their siblings and discusses the role of older siblings who are in elementary school,…

Two studies calculated the amount of time boys and girls spent playing with toy dishes and tools, examining whether this varied as a function of children's perceptions of social expectations of gender, awareness of gender stereotypes, and situational constraints. Results indicated that situational and perceived social constraints influenced…

Today, fewer city blocks preserve the confidence of lifestyle and urban geography that sustain traditional games and outdoor play. Large groups of children choosing sides and organizing Red Rover games are no longer commonplace. Teachers must encourage free play; urban planners must build cities that are safe play havens. (MLH)

Research on solitary play most often views solitary in contrast to social play. Children who play alone more than is typical fall into four groups: shy and non-shy soloists, isolated, and depressed children. Only the latter two groups present clear concerns during the preschool years. Solo play should be viewed as an important developmental…

Discusses the value of toys as tools to aid children's development within Montessori education. Presents a history of toys from ancient civilizations to modern corporations. Discusses the role of toys in cognitive development, their importance in providing an enriched environment for children's play time, and the relationship between work and play…

There is a great deal of narrative in play and also of play in narrative, especially in the narrative and play of young children. Part of the reason for this may be that they share an important pattern or structure in the way they work as mental instruments, "mimesis." Mimesis is a mode of representation in which the relation between the symbol…

Objective: To examine mother and child's touch patterns in infant feeding disorders within a transactional framework. Method: Infants (aged 9-34 months) referred to a community-based clinic were diagnosed with feeding disorders (n = 20) or other primary disorder (n = 27) and were case matched with nonreferred controls (n = 47). Mother-child play…

Infants' early phonetic perception is hypothesized to play an important role in language development. Previous studies have not assessed this potential link in the first 2 years of life. In this study, speech discrimination was measured in 6-month-old infants using a conditioned head-turn task. At 13, 16, and 24 months of age, language development…