This issue of the ACEA resource series focuses on the role of sociodramatic play in early childhood development, giving recommendations and examples for developing children's social understanding through play. Sections include the following: (1) "Developing Understanding through Play," which introduces the concepts; (2) "Complex…

Play should be taken seriously because of its relevance for future workers. Current research indicates that the most successful workers are creative and socially capable rather than merely highly skilled or intelligent. Play enables children to develop lifelong interpersonal skills that will enhance success in the future workplace. Play scenarios…

A practicum project was designed to retrain preschool personnel on the importance of indoor play and on their role during play sessions. Workshops and training sessions were developed to examine the physical environment of the classroom, discuss play theories, and review skills that children can develop during play sessions. Pre- and posttests,…

This resource booklet focuses on the definitions, developmental stages, and the benefits of socio-dramatic play. The booklet deals with the players, shows how adults can support children's play, describes the play environment, and offers some suggestions for development of curriculum based on play. The booklet discusses children's approach to…

An exploratory study of structured and unstructured play was conducted with a small number of severely disturbed and normal children 9 to 13 years of age. Specifically, the investigators characterized psychopathology from a cognitive-developmental perspective by focusing on the Piagetian "scheme" and its manifestation in the play and…

This article discusses play as necessary for children if they are to develop satisfactorily from a social, moral, physical, or intellectual point of view. Children must be provided suitable opportunities for play, graded for age, adjusted to sex and other personal differences, and related to prevailing activities, popular interests, community…

This study was designed to gather information about the kinds of play engaged in by five- and six-year-old children. Two groups of kindergarten children, one from upper middle income families and the other from lower income families, were asked to name their favorite things to play with at home. Nine categories of home play preferences were…

This trainer's guide is designed for day care center directors and others responsible for teacher training and parent education who wish to develop and present workshops based on the manual "Blocks - A Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood." The guide is divided into five sections, called "sessions," which correspond to the…

PLAY WHICH INVOLVES NATURAL MOVEMENT HELPS THE CHILD TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROPERTIES OF MATTER AND ABOUT HIMSELF. AN EXPANSIVE AND VERSATILE USE OF SPACE FOR LIVING INCREASES WITH EXPLORATION. FREEDOM TO MOVE IS INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL. NEW EXPERIENCES ARISING OUT OF CURIOSITY AND INTERACTION WITH HIS OWN FAMILY AND OTHER…

This paper examines the interrelationship between children's acquisition and use of symbols and the development of imaginative play. The paper focuses on the use of pretend play as an expression of the child's capacity for symbolic functioning and as an index of intellectual development. The first section of the paper reviews developmental changes…

In emphasizing the importance of play and toys in a child's development, this article describes the kinds of toys suitable for preschool children of all ages. Floor toys, building and hammering toys, transport, and imaginative and creative play are some of the topics covered. (JK)

Suggests that drama provides an excellent opportunity for children to learn about history, especially children who have not yet reached the formal operational level of development. Describes a program coordinated with a historical museum in which children reenact a school day in 1888. (ARH)

Through examples of both a child's imagination and pretend play activities, demonstrates how a child's imagination is the thinking function that sets the stage for play, while actual play consists of a child's understanding and representation of reality. (HOD)

An account of how the author's son began writing as a play activity, issuing tickets to neighbors, attempting to read and interpret signs, and participating in making shopping and duty lists in the household. Includes observational recommendations. (CRH)

Investigates whether the Piagetian forms of sensorimotor, symbolic, and constructional play--together with controlled demographics such as socioeconomic status, age, and sex--predict social-emotional variables on the Devereux Child Behavior Rating Scale. (RH)