Reviews the literature concerning children's humor. Discusses major characteristics of early humor based on the child's level of developmental mastery, and proposes a conceptual model of humorous play. (RJC)

Analyzes videotapes of 42 children of 4-5 years and 24 children of 7-8 years playing doctors and nurses. Children were aware of the serial order of activities that occur in medical examinations. (RJC)

Examines collaborative writing and the importance of children's talk as they write. Provides several examples of children's dialogues during collaborative writing and role-playing sessions. (MM)

Relations between children's ability to apply gender labels, their tendency to sex-typed behavior, and their parents' attitudes and reactions toward sex-typed behaviors were studied. (PCB)

Two hearing-impaired children, aged three and five, were observed in free play as they alternated between integrated and segregated settings. Results indicated that the level of cognitive play was not consistently influenced by the social setting, and that the children engaged in more socially advanced play in the integrated setting. (Author/JDD)

Studies seven experiences of 69 infants of 12 1/2 and 17 1/2 months in dyadic play with mothers, fathers, and first-borns. Mothers and fathers were more alike than different in the amounts of play experiences they created, and infants experienced a more enriched environment with parents than with first-borns. (RJC)

Reviews examples of projects, thematic units, and specific activities that preschool teachers can use to enhance the educational opportunities of gifted and talented students in their classrooms. (MDM)

Examines relationships between child and adult art, proposing an exploration of meanings of children's art activity by examining relationships between art-making and other activities of the same developmental period. The paper posits some basic human needs and considers how various activities might serve as instrumentalities to realize such goals.…

Research affirms that preschoolers learn best when following their natural dispositions to explore, wonder, question, create, and play. Preschoolers attending early education programs should not be treated like smaller versions of older kids. They need a well-equipped classroom with an ambience that fosters their social and emotional development.…

Used a teacher rating scale and coded videotaped observations to examine 30 toddlers' emerging social competence in an unfamiliar peer group during a 4-week summer camp. Found a correlation between the prosocial component of the teacher rating scale and observations of children's interactive-functional play and overall rate of interactive play…

Argues that Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" (ZPD) can be redefined as a nonlinear dynamic model. Presents a mathematical reformulation that generates a variety of developmental patterns and has the capacity to show under which conditions unwanted or unsuccessful developmental paths may occur. Illustrates how this reformulation…

Improvisation teaches students that they have the power to create. Drama can be a rehearsal for life, where students learn from successes and mistakes. Topics for improvisation can relate directly to class work or stimulate discussion of new topics. The article examines three steps for teaching improvisation (verbalization, visualization, and…

Reviews existing evidence and presents new evidence supporting the view that gender segregation in play may be in part the result of gender differences in physiological and behavioral reactions to emotional arousal and its regulation. Suggests that differences in contexts that elicit arousal in boys and girls may also contribute to gender…

Examined effects of exposure to print and interaction with a more knowledgeable adult partner on 56 kindergarten children's environmental print knowledge. Results suggest that exposure and functional experiences with adults in print-enriched play settings may offer an important opportunity for young children to associate meaning with print. (WP)

Two studies examined 19 preschoolers' ability to distinguish between pretense and reality, testing whether emotionally charged events can cause children to lend probability to pretense. Subjects were assigned to various conditions including termination or no termination of pretense and emotionally colored pretense play scenarios. Found that, even…