This article investigates the role of play and playlike activities (imagination, art) in developing and using symbolic tools. We understand processes of development of symbolic tools as coordination between two types of relationships: the subject-object relationships and the subject-subject relationships. This coordination begins when a new,…

This qualitative study investigated young children's mathematical engagement in play with wooden unit blocks. Two boys, ages 6 and 7, were independently observed completing the task of filling outlined regions with the various sets of blocks. Three major mathematical actions were observed: categorizing geometric shapes, composing a larger shape…

This article introduces an empirical analysis of the potentials and contradictions of a "narrative playworld intervention" aimed at changing the pedagogical practices of a Finnish mixed-age elementary school classroom in spring 2004. In the playworld, students and teachers explore different phenomena by taking on the roles of characters…

Playing checkers, football or more recently, computer games, is an important part of the latency child's culture. The ability to play games demands a level of emotional development similar to that needed to cope with the emotional/developmental demands characteristic of latency. A game shared by the therapist and child provides a picture of the…

Although much psychological research has been conducted on children's conflicts with peers from as young as one year, very little attention has been paid to the question of the motivation underlying these conflicts. Nevertheless, what a child tries to achieve in a conflict can be highly relevant for understanding his/her conflict behavior,…

Many strategies and interventions exist in the education of young children with disabilities. One area of intervention is that of social interaction, including social skills instruction, peer interaction strategies, and play skills. Interaction and social skill strategies for use with children with and without disabilities for the purpose of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of visual strategies with preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their peers during play group sessions. A changing-criterion design was implemented with three preschool-aged children with ASD while they participated in play groups with four typically-developing peers.…

Although a vast literature has indicated that stimulant medications are effective for reducing inappropriate behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the effects of stimulant medication on ancillary behaviors (e.g., play) have yet to be investigated with the same rigor. We used a reinforcer assessment procedure to…

The processes involved in drama and the dramatic play of children are essentially the same in that they rely on an imitation of nature, involve a transformation of reality through imagination, connect seemingly irrelevant elements creatively, and bring a temporary, limited order to an emotional experience. When child's play is used as a basis for…

This dissertation explores the possibilities for releasing playfulness in adults through creative drama. A playful attitude, the capacity to enjoy action for its own sake, is difficult to maintain in a technological society which demands rational control, achievement, and conformity. Creative drama can provide a way to develop playfulness in our…

Discusses young children's emotional responses during medical examinations and procedures, developmental changes in how they conceptualize illness causation, and the role of play to reduce stress. Describes how teachers can best facilitate structured dramatic medical play therapeutically. (KB)

Describes frame play as a type of play in which children and teacher jointly plan the theme, roles, and actions and produce an extended imaginary play situation that can be repeated. Presents other types of play and discusses teachers' role in supporting theme development, resource organization, and environment transformation. Analyzes frame play…

For the thirty-eighth time, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

A discussion of dramatic play and its implementation. (CH)

Contains six short articles on therapeutic play. Each article is an edited version of a paper delivered at the XIV World Congress of Pediatrics in Buenos Aires on the subject of children in the hospital. (JMB)