Describes two teaching techniques for the foreign language classroom. The first involves the use of magazine pictures and simple drama techniques. The second, known as "task listening," asks students to listen only for certain things in a text and to carry out tasks such as completing maps, diaries, order forms, etc. (SED)

Describes a study of the relationship between the play styles of 2- to 3-year-olds and the types of social reactions they receive. Reports that gender is one significant determinant: high activity level in girls received few positive reactions from either peers or teachers, and traditional sex-role behaviors elicited more positive responses. (KH)

In communities all over the country, afterschool programs play an important role in keeping children and youth safe, providing them with important learning opportunities, and helping them become successful adults. Federal, state, local, and private investments in afterschool programs have grown in recent years due both to widespread public support…

Integration occurs when separate parts or elements are combined into a unified whole. This book focuses on classroom arts integration--equally incorporating skills in drama and reading comprehension into all lessons. Drama and reading comprehension share a multitude of authentic connections, including meaning making and interpretation. Each…

This book uses a collection of stories, or "cases," as a basis for reflection, discussion, and learning about the many roles "play" has in children's lives. Each of the 12 cases addresses an issue of play from one of three categories--the role of adults in play, the cultural meanings of play, and the issues related to play in…

This booklet describes "Samenspel Op Maat," an initiative started 10 years ago as a small-scale experiment to meet the growing need for day care for migrant children in Rotterdam. There are now hundreds of Samenspel groups in the Netherlands consisting of play afternoons for small groups of mothers and young children, usually under the…

This book examines how young children learn about race and racism, using data from a study of children in a racially/ethnically diverse day care. Seven chapters examine: (1) "Young Children Learning Racial and Ethnic Matters" (child development theories, research on children's racial/ethnic concepts, alternative perspectives on racial…

The purpose of the present study was to test the utility of a model of young children's social cognition as a predictor of preschoolers' social competence with same-age peers. The model investigated in this study proposes that three, relatively independent, domains of social-cognitive processes are pertinent to young children's peer relations. The…

The developmental origins and the longitudinal consequences of the infant-father attachment bond have been studied a number of times, but for the child-father attachment relationship, different developmental factors seem to play a role. It has been suggested that the importance of the child-father relationship may lie in the domain of coping with…

Storytelling with persona dolls (dolls that are given names, family histories, and other traits by teachers) is a powerful tool for teaching classroom and social skills, giving children words for and tools to manage their feelings, developing problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, expanding children's comfort with difference, undoing…

When school counselors, teachers, and parents use play techniques with an accepting, safe relationship, they foster development of children's interpersonal needs which are fused with positive experiences at school and at home. This paper uses Kaufman's (1989) model of interpersonal needs as a theoretical framework to support the use of play…

Read, Play, and Learn is a play-based curriculum designed to promote growth across all of the areas of development important to a young child. With a school-year's worth of ready-to-use lessons or modules, the curriculum provides story-related activities centered around themes such as enjoying seasonal festivities, sharing emotions, making…

Noting that the process of playing with blocks supports the groundwork for learning in every area of a child's growth, this paper discusses specific uses of building blocks in the early childhood curriculum to develop a child's physical, social, emotional, artistic, language, scientific and mathematics growth. The paper outlines the contributions…

Providing young infants with a loving and interesting environment through play will have a positive impact on their future. This book, designed for first time parents, provides simple and enjoyable activities intended to promote brain development during the first year. The book's introduction discusses the importance of the environment during the…

The use of creative drama in a multicultural classroom can allow a teacher to establish a student-focused base for experiential learning and can allow students from various cultures to use drama as a way of expressing their individual cultural differences. Using literature about various ethnic groups in creative drama can contribute to the…