In the ongoing Sibling Adoption Study of sibling relationships, data gathered from three methods was used to assess the sibling relationship in the home. This report focuses on comparison of the information about the sibling relationship gathered from each method. Eighty-four middle-class families with younger siblings, aged four to six, and older…

This study investigated the gross motor development of children at two day care centers, one with a movement-oriented physical education program and the other with an unstructured free play period. Also studied were the biological factors of age and sex. A total of 146 children were tested during a 3-year period. During the last two years,…

This paper examines the philosophic basis of "play" in physical education. The discussion considers: (1) current and historical perspectives of "play" in physical education; (2) why physical educators have an aversion to any "play" in their classrooms; and (3) the immediate need for the play-directed experience to be the cornerstone of physical…

This book contains descriptions and illustrations for 49 pieces of handmade or improvised equipment suitable for children. Included with each piece are: (1) information pertaining to the objectives for using the equipment; (2) necessary materials and instructions for construction; (3) suggested individual, partner, and/or group activities for use;…

Children may cognitively know that an object of fear is pretend, not real, but still feel fear and anxiety. A review of the development of reality from the psychological and cognitive perspectives shows that the growing child's interaction with mother, family, and environment helps the child gradually develop an understanding of reality. Teachers…

This paper analyzes a conversational episode from a study of children's play in an educational setting to demonstrate conversational analysis as a research methodology. The analysis reveals the interactional means by which a dramatic play sequence is orchestrated. Children are seen to be sophisticated in their use of talk to create and shape the…

The role of play in disabled and nondisabled toddlers was investigated and the impact of maternal stress on the dynamics of mother-child interactions was evaluated in a study involving 20 mother-toddler dyads (10 of which consisted of physically disabled toddlers and their mothers). Results of interviews revealed that mothers of disabled children…

Recounted in these two very brief papers are ways a mother arranged the home environment to teach basic skills to her 2-year-old child while enabling her daughter to play in a constructive way. The first paper focuses on learning colors and letters, storyreading at bedtime, and beginning reading activities when the child started to speak.…

With reference to Fenson's (1984) study of American children's pretend actions and utterances, this study examined the development of pretend actions and utterances in the play of 16 Japanese firstborn children. Subjects, whose cognitive and language development had been followed experimentally since the age of 6 months, were nonretarded…

The effects of three play contexts on young children's turn taking, topic maintenance, and topic change skills were investigated. Participants were 40 normally-developing, English-speaking Caucasian children of middle-income parents; they ranged in age from approximately 4 years to 6 and one half years. Subjects were subdivided into younger and…

This book is designed for use by parents at home to help them encourage the development of necessary skills in their preschool-age children through play and other daily living experiences. The activities are presented as a series of short paragraphs written in the first person from the child's perspective with a box that the child can check when…

Summarized in this volume are concepts, presented and developed at a roundtable discussion by scientists and child health professionals, focusing on aspects of children's play behavior. Participants sought to answer three questions: (1) What is play behavior and what is known about it? (2) How does play contribute to infant and child development?…

Preschool children's fears of animals and the dark were investigated in an effort to examine how preschoolers use play as a medium for expressing fearful emotions. A total of 48 children participated in the study. Interviews with parents were used to identify 12 preschoolers who were anxious about the dark and 12 who were anxious about dogs; 24…

This document, designed to introduce all ages to a selection of popular Chinese games, describes these games and provides instructions and materials for making the items needed to play most of them. Section 1 suggests class activities that can be related to some of the games. Section 2 presents instructions for the physical or outdoor games of:…

This paper reviews literature on teachers' roles in children's play, discusses implications for teacher education, and proposes ways to help teachers better understand and perform their roles. Discussion focuses on research identifying four teacher roles: observer, organizer, participant/leader, and trainer. Research also shows that large numbers…