Presents a study of social- and object-directed behaviors of preschool children in same or mixed age dyads. Subjects were three- and five-year-oldpreschool children. (BD)

Discusses the roll of playing with various materials as young children investigate their world. (SL)

Methods of teaching the mentally retarded child how to participate in games and sports are described here as well as suggested activities. (JD)

This study explored the relationship between symbolic representation in dramatic play and art and cognitive and reading readiness levels of kindergarten children. Results indicated children at different cognitive levels performed significantly differently on the Metropolitan Reading Readiness Test and spent significantly different amounts of time…

Eight German and eight Italian children were observed during their first year in preschool. Cultural differences and similarities in play and behavior and sex differences are reported. Findings suggest that strategies that children use to enter kindergarten or a new group exist universally. (Author/RH)

Presents the case study of an elective mute child. Describes the effects of sibling play therapy and lists implications for school counselors who might use group or sibling play therapy in their developmental guidance programs. (ABB)

Presents the case study of a 10-year-old boy treated for grief following the traumatic witnessing of his father's murder. Describes using nondirective play therapy with puppets to help the child work out feelings of guilt, anger, and grief. (ABB)

Discusses the benefits of activity therapy for preteens and adolescents, where the client is engaged in nonverbal modes of relationship--games, free play, movement, drama, music, art or other activities, as the chief therapeutic media in which conflicts are resolved and intellectual and emotional energies freed. Reviews the literature, describes…

Examines the nature of children's creative drama in different cultures (English speaking, Chinese, and Amerindian) through a case study approach. Details other research items that modified and amplified this study. Describes some substantive outcomes and provides indicators for subsequent ethnographic research in the field. (MS)

Presents an overview of research on classroom drama which shows that its use produces positive effects on children's reading, writing, and oral language. Suggests additional questions requiring exploration, and urges researchers to emphasize qualitative rather than quantitative analyses. (ARH)

Discusses how unit building blocks can be used to enhance five major interrelated aspects of child learning, namely, physical, emotional, social, intellectual (cognitive), and intuitive development. Also presents six ways to encourage good block playing among children. (BB)

Free-play observation of 12 preschoolers (normal or mentally retarded) in integrated and segregated settings on four occasions during the school year indicated a steady increase in positive social interaction over time for normal children in both settings and for retarded children in the integrated setting. (Author/JW)

Classroom teachers can help children with speech and language impairments to use their language more effectively and with greater variety through activities encouraging and promoting student leadership, social interaction, dramatic play, and nonverbal adaptation. (CB)

Gaze patterns of retarded and nonretarded infants (N=16) during play and instruction with their mothers were compared at two developmental ages (5-10 and 11-16 months). Regardless of group, situation, or age, infants were overwhelmingly oriented toward the toys. Configurations of looking patterns were more consistent across ages among the…

Discusses research results that demonstrate that nonlinguistic symbolic deficits of language-impaired children may actually reflect resource allocation constraints and cross-modality deficits. Discusses implications of studies that contrast symbolic action development in normally developing children with that in children with specific language…