Examines a hypothesis built on the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Parten that children's play becomes increasingly intersubjective during preschool years. The results provide support for the hypothesis that social play of preschoolers becomes increasingly shared from 3-4.5 years of age. (Author/BB)

Six articles in this special section discuss toys in the child- care center and the importance of unstructured materials; early childhood professionals' remembrances of favorite toys; criteria for selecting toys; ways of making the most of basic play materials; a safety checklist; and ways of training teachers to understand what makes a toy good…

Reviews "Gender Play: Girls and Boys in School" (Barrie Thorne), which, using ethnological methods, analyzes children's gender differences in playground and classroom behavior. (ME)

Explores the beliefs of an elementary school teacher who consistently used drama in her classroom. Finds that the use of drama is contingent on the teacher's beliefs about the kinds of support provided within the school, about the value of drama, and about her own ability to structure effective drama experiences. (SR)

Compared the nature of conflict and its resolution during free-play among preschool children with and without disabilities. Results indicated conflict occurred relatively infrequently and was of short duration. Disabled children tended to have more object possession disputes than other disputes; nondisabled children had more disputes during…

Presents Jungian approach to school counseling which places emphasis on importance of positive therapeutic alliance in activating self-healing archetype embedded within children's psyches. Explains Jungian theory and counseling methods, then presents case study of 8-year-old third-grade boy and his 15 sessions of therapy. (NB)

Describes the use of a preschool Parents' Box, a set of activity kits for parents and children to use together, including books, puppets, puzzles, music and dance supplies, and art projects. Provides examples of the labels for the activities, each providing instructions and a suggested age level. Notes that parents and children responded…

Examined factors associated with young children's aggression. Observed 104 toddlers during free play with same-sex peer, with both mothers present. Found that early out-of-home care was not related to aggression. Boys were more aggressive than girls. Observed aggression and mother-reported externalizing problems were associated significantly with…

A study compared effects of continuous reinforcement (play) and alone conditions as controls during functional analyses for 66 individuals whose self-injurious behavior (SIB) was maintained by escape. SIB was lower during both control conditions than it was during the test (demand) condition. SIB was lowest during the alone condition. (Author/CR)

A study examined the effects of play-group composition (segregated or integrated) and category of play materials (functional, constructive, or dramatic) on cognitive level of play and language use of 24 preschool children with developmental disabilities. There were no effects for play-group composition, but category of play materials significantly…

The interactions between adult and child in an open-ended preschool activity were studied with adult-child dyads. Two teachers and six children participated. Findings show that an important aspect of open-ended activity is the unfolding and developing of the activity, and that children are active partners in constructing the activity. (SLD)

Discusses, in poetic form, the writing of the play "Salvador" from the perspective of the author. Explains her thoughts about writing for children, including didactic relationships with children, didactic functions of art, and how adults teachers try to create a sterilized, lifeless, good-thinking, and artificial world for children when they are…

Studies specific play behaviors of parents and toddlers when playing with baby dolls and a clown as indices of gender-role socialization by parents. The clown and dolls elicited different play behaviors from both the parents and toddlers. Same sex parent/toddler dyads engaged in different types of play from opposite-sex dyads. (MMU)

Investigated the relationship between joint attention and toddler's race, sex, and SES. Found that joint attention related to a "persisting" mother, whether or not the toddler accepted the initial maternal bid. Females engaged in joint attention bouts and nonpersistent maternal responses after the bid was accepted more often than males. Race and…

Presents suggestions for creating a relaxed, stimulating environment in early-childhood programs. Discusses preparation for transitions, thoughtful planning of the class schedule, and ways to use waiting times creatively. Includes suggestions for helping children know what to do next and using sign language to change activities. (KB)