Describes the collaborative literacy activity that occurred in one teacher's sociodramatic play center in a multi-age classroom (K-2) and a kindergarten classroom. Finds the children in the multi-age group engaged in a larger amount and a broader range of collaborative literacy activities than did the kindergartners; and the collaborative…

States that toys can be used in the social studies classroom to help elementary students learn and retain relevant content. Discusses how to incorporate toys into the classroom. Lists toys, games, and lesson plan ideas that can be used when teaching history, geography, and economics. (CMK)

Studied the symbolic play that occurs in activity corners set up around toy-objects in Greek kindergartens. Found notable differences in levels of symbolism and complexity of the play. Concluded that the most favored groups were those in which: (1) classroom space was polyvalent, permitting its informal re-organization; and (2) the teacher was an…

Suggests the Internet has introduced the play element into student and corporate work culture. Examines a series of InterChange transcripts to demonstrate how discourse that combines serious and playful purposes works to provoke and mediate conflict. Concludes that students use serio-ludic discourse to critique and to negotiate power relations and…

Presents results of a study of the home literacy experiences of three Dominican preschool children in New York City and examines the implications for educational practice. Data suggest that children found print materials an interesting part of their world, and that they engaged in literacy play and also explored literacy while watching television…

Examined effects of ethnolinguistic differences on social proximity between Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking Chinese children in a day care center. Found that each group of children was more likely to be in closer proximity to children speaking their own language than to children speaking the other language during free choice floor- and group-time…

This article discusses ways that educators and caregivers can enrich traditional block play for young children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Strategies are provided for arranging the physical environment, using accommodations for children with disabilities, setting the stage for block play, interacting with children, and evaluating…

This study examined effects of participation in an integrated play group on the social skills of two 6-year-old twins with autism. Following intervention with adult coaching, typical peers implemented the play group techniques in weekly play group sessions. The autistic subjects showed dramatic increases in shared attention to objects, symbolic…

Examined value of construction play scores on Lunzer Five Point Play Scale at 4 years as predictor of later mathematical achievement. At grades 3 and 5, found little significance in relationship between play performance and mathematical achievement. At grade 7 and in high school, each area of construction play and standardized test scores was…

Explored 122 children's perceptions of their child care experiences in classrooms of varied quality. Found that children verbalized accurate understanding of procedures, events, and activities, but responses differed by classroom quality. Play was the favorite activity of all children in all classrooms. Mean behaviors, circle time, and nap time…

Examined changes in play and verbal behavior during center-based activities of 283 children in Title I public school preschools. Found that children were involved most in parallel play, and the amount of parallel play increased across the year. Associative and cooperative play decreased. The amount of talk from girls to teachers increased over the…

Examines how using play to promote literacy in preschool can interfere with play and become a stumbling block to literacy. Discusses concerns related to access of literacy materials in the play environment, adult intervention, and assessment during play. Urges educators to provide moderate amounts of literacy materials, intervene sensitively, and…

Reactions to peers' distress were recorded for 52 toddlers (hosts), 18 to 36 months old, who were observed playing with familiar peers in their own homes during 2 sessions, 6 months apart. Four contextual factors were explored: the host's responsibility for the guest's distress, similarity between the toddler and the distressed peer, relative…

In Hong Kong, early-years teachers face professional challenges in adopting a creative and child-oriented pedagogy in which play-based learning is central. The paper illuminates teachers' understanding of play, approaches used, difficulties faced, and their power in finding solutions. Six Hong Kong kindergarten teachers participated in an in-depth…

"Time, Place, and Play," is a short phrase, but is summarizes three very big concepts--history, geography, and culture--that are part of the elementary social studies curriculum. This article relates the story of how twenty-five elementary and middle school teachers, meeting over several weeks in a university class, designed a unit of study on the…