The development of object play was longitudinally examined in 40 children ages 11 to 27 months. The types of object play observed in nondisabled children were observed in children with disabilities at comparable developmental ages. Duration and frequency of active involvement with objects were greater for nondisabled children than for children…

This longitudinal study videotaped six preschool children with various developmental delays, including language delays, during free play and modeling tasks, and examined whether reported parallels between symbolic play and normal language development were evidenced. Results supported previous reports, although variability across observations was…

Presents five articles on the interactions of play and culture in early childhood education. The workshop titles are: "Play and Cultural Differences" (Cronin and Jones); "Play in a Classroom of Iu-Mien Children: (Evans); "The Culture of Play: A Personal Perspective" (Jarman); "'But They're Only Playing': Interpreting…

Summarizes a dissertation that examines the theory and practice of dramatic play among middle school children. Finds that they are still adept and interested in dramatic play. Discusses four components describing the nature and product of the dramatic process (social interactions, metacognitive strategies, ideational processes, and content of…

Provides a positive reaction to Trawick-Smith's article (PS 528 613) and suggests practitioners use insight gained in providing appropriate modeling of various behaviors along the developmental continuum. Suggests that further areas of investigation include research in a more diverse population and ideas for practitioners to use to promote social…

The focus of this article on play training (when adults intervene in informal but purposeful ways in preschool children's spontaneous, symbolic play) is not on whether it works, but on why it works. A theoretical framework for examining adult/child play interactions, which reconciles diverse perspectives in the literature, is presented.…

Examined cross-sectional trends and contextual influences in the development of private speech among preschool children in Montessori and traditional classrooms. Found that diminished make-believe play, greater teacher direct involvement, and heightened time spent in transitions largely accounted for a lower incidence of private speech. (JS)

Examined associations between preschoolers' play and emotional competence with peers. Found that emotion regulation and emotion understanding made unique contributions to teacher ratings of children's emotional competence with peers. High pretend play levels related to high emotion understanding for both boys and girls, and high emotion regulation…

In this article, first I describe from observation the spontaneous vocalisations produced during free play by young children of 18 months to three-years-old. I propose that a focus on vocalisations can provide valuable insights into general aspects of children's play. Next I describe two musical play situations between toddlers and their mothers…

A developmental sequence of adult-infant social play is proposed in this paper. Many adult interactions with infants take the form of early social play, although such play is often thought to originate with the onset of peer interaction. The sequence of five levels proposed in this work is based on, and approximately reverses, the Howes (1980)…

Ten games and exercises designed to help handicapped children express feelings, develop trust and cooperation, and increase their body awareness and imagination are presented. Activities are explained to have been field tested in special education classes of Project PASE (Programs in the Arts for Special Education). Following a brief introduction…

The paper considers mechanisms to increase the motivation to play in mentally retarded persons. A taxonomy of playfulness (satisfactions derived from play) is outlined, followed by discussion of its application to stimulating participation in recreational activities. (Author/DB)

Simon and Smith (MPQ; v31 n1 p265-77 Jul 1985) obtained negative findings in their replication of Smith and Dutton's (1979) lure-retrieval experiment. However, this replication failed to support the conclusion that findings seriously undermine the credibility of all previous experimental studies of play. (Author/KS)

Discusses factors to consider in selecting toys for hospital use and for meeting individual needs (considering age, emotional needs, separation anxiety, fear, and language barriers). Also discusses cultural differences, the special role of medical play (and medical play materials), and reactions to medical events. (JN)