This collection of papers reviews the effects of sport and physical activity on children. It is organized around six sections representing the basic disciplines that contribute to a broad view of the child in sport and physical activity: physiology; medicine; growth and development; psychology; sociology; and motor learning. Although each paper…

The purpose of this research was to investigate egocentrism and to investigate the relationships between egocentrism, popularity, and certain playground behaviors for students in Grades 1-5. More than 200 students participated in the study. The results showed that: (1) egocentrism decreases with age, (2) males were less egocentric than females at…

A discussion having two stated purposes: (1) to compare older therapeutic approaches with innovative approaches currently being employed with children in residential treatment; and (2) to indicate ways in which new therapeutic roles have affected the training of psychology interns and the work of staff psychologists. (Author/JM)

Discriminant analysis was used to explore the influence of the relative ages of siblings on their dyadic interactions, and to explore which interaction behaviors might discriminate among families and among interaction situations. Six dyadic interaction situations of 30 minutes duration were observed among members of 12 normal families. The…

This report presents a pilot study which collected preadolescents' retrospective reports of their preschool experiences with the television program, "Sesame Street." One-hundred-five fifth and sixth graders ranging from 9 to 12 years of age were asked to think back to when they viewed "Sesame Street" in their younger years and…

Preschool children's fantasy views of their fathers who had left home before the children were 3 years of age were investigated by trained observers during three separate 20-minute doll play sessions conducted within 12 consecutive school days. Ninety-six pairs of black, white, and hispanic mothers and children ranging in age from 5 to…

The sex role choices of preschool children were observed for two years in a free play situation to determine what the consequences of such choices are for the types of play chosen and for social behaviors. The sex role factor was plotted on four quadrants: Masculine (M), Feminine (F), Androgynous and Low on both M and F (LMF). The children who…

This study of the interaction between first- and second-born preschool-aged siblings in a naturalistic setting investigates imitative, prosocial and agonistic (aggressive) behavior in terms of age, sex and spacing variables. Thirty-four dyads of same sex siblings were observed for two 1-hour periods in their homes. The younger siblings averaged 20…

Data on the process and impact of introducing play therapy in children's hospitals in England and Wales are presented in this book. The effects of the introduction of play therapy on children's behaviors in children's wards and on the relationships between parents, doctors, nurses, ancillary staff, and playleaders are described. The responsiveness…

This elementary and secondary drama guide contains activities to help teachers make drama more creative and more imaginative and rich for students so that they will have a rich appreciation of and taste for the theatre when they grow up. The many and varied activities described are first categorized into three main areas: awareness, interaction,…

Categories such as commanding, requesting, and explaining were used to analyze communicative intentions in conversations of 108 children, aged five through nine, during three sets of play activities varying in task specification and leadership role assignment. Results showed that the frequency and variety of communicative intention categories…

This study develops an action research approach to the investigation of children's games and sports activities. Eight hypotheses concerning the differential effects of participation in organized sports and participation in child-directed games are generated from a review of theory and research. Hypothesis 1 postulates that participation in…

The document provides information on the PREP Program for young moderately mentally retarded children, a program which offers individualized instruction in selected play skills, small group activity to facilitate the practice of play skills, and the encouragement of purposeful play within a stimulating free play environment. It is explained that…

Written in Spanish and focusing on block play activities in the context of early childhood education this manual provides guidelines on expanding such activities for Spanish-speaking teachers of preschool and primary school children. The content of the manual is oriented to the learning styles and special interests of Spanish-speaking children.…