The relationship between play unit complexity and the behavior of 24 normal 3- to 6-year-olds was examined in three Viennese kindergartens. Play units were rated as simple (a unit with one obvious use and no sub-parts or juxtaposition of two essentially different play materials, e.g., puzzles or clay), or super (a complex unit which has three or…

This study analyzes the interaction patterns and behavioral characteristics of mentally ill and well mothers and their young children. The children were between 1 and 4 years of age. The group of mentally ill mothers was comprised of 18 schizophrenic and psychotically depressed women each with a history of at least one psychiatric hospitalization.…

This bulletin for kindergarten teachers comprises five papers about the use and value of play in the kindergarten curriculum. Topics discussed include the values of various pieces of indoor and outdoor play equipment commonly found in the kindergarten; the nature of young children and their learning; the definition of play; the teacher's role as…

Filial therapy is the process of training parents in the ideas and techniques of play therapy, so that they can continue therapy at home. Extending the same idea to the school would reach less severely disturbed children who might not otherwise receive therapy, and would expand the therapeutic community to reach many more children. Teachers, as…

This paper reveals ways in which teachers can use roles and role playing to facilitate children's understanding and expression, by giving an example of a drama in which the teacher assumed a role. In this dramatic situation, a group of eight-year-olds and nine-year-olds was asked to assume the roles of American Indians whose valley was threatened…

This paper stresses the essential role of concrete play experiences in the early childhood curriculum. The paper examines the value of play, shows how to facilitate language arts development through planned play activities, notes that play provides the early sensory experiences that are the foundations for language arts development, points out the…

This study investigated the mutual control and influence patterns in mother/child social interactions. A total of 28 mothers and their 3-year-old children participated in the study. All of the families were black with average income below the poverty line, and the average maternal educational level was 10th grade. Behaviors of each mother and…

Recent concern with the ecological context of childrearing has sparked research interest in the effects of children's environment on their behavior. This study describes toy availability and use in naturally occurring childrearing environments, and then examines relationships between these aspects of the environment and peer interaction. It was…

A study involving 16 preschool students was conducted to determine whether severely handicapped preschool children could learn normal classroom behavior through the single treatment variable of exposure to the regular classroom environment with normal peers. Systematic observation of the children's free play and verbal interaction, independence in…

This paper describes various types of child care services available for preschool children in West Germany. The paper emphasizes the importance of play in children's cognitive and social development. Preschool experiences guided by a trained staff are considered an important complement to family life. According to the paper, West Germany is…

This booklet was developed from the premise that the activity of drama is central to a child's language experience. Its purpose is to help the classroom teacher initiate drama activities, understand the relationship of the activities to one another, use drama activities as an integral part of the classroom curriculum, and determine whether the…

Evidence which suggests that pretend activities become increasingly independent of the presence of realistic objects is examined in this paper. Results of research on pretend behavior in children 1 1/2 - 2 years of age are described and analyzed. Striking changes in pretend behavior are shown to occur during the second year of life. Pretend play…

This booklet uses both words and photographs to describe behavior patterns typical of children from one to two years old and to suggest home play activities appropriate for use with children of this age. The booklet is organized into four age ranges: 12-15 months, 15-18 months, 18-21 months, and 21-24 months. Within each of these sections, a…

Where does leisure lead--to philosophical changes, to changes in our behavior and its effect within and with our environment, to a different society? Are we moving from a work to a leisure ethnic? Leisure Today is concerned with the challenge expressed above and with the educational responsibilities for experiences and the consequent individual…

This paper reports on an experiment carried out by the Chinese language program at Oberlin College to use play production as a means of teaching spoken Chinese. The experiment was inspired by the fact that teaching spoken Chinese cannot be solved by traditional classroom methods, particularly at the intermediate level. The lack of texts, the…