This paper provides an extensive discussion of children's play, including examination of theoretical, developmental, measurement, and classroom or playgroup perspectives for teachers of children between the ages of 2 and 6 years. The first section offers a brief overview of theories of play and describes several distinguishing features of play,…

Based on the view that play is profoundly mutual and social, this book compiles chapters by distinguished psychoanalysts, clinical psychologists, social workers, and developmental psychologists, who offer a rich, integrative view of the many dimensions of early play as it occurs among peers, between parent and child, and in the context of therapy.…

Observed behaviors of 37 female and 23 male Australian preschoolers. Found that only 20% engaged in thematic pretend play (linked to perspective taking, language development, impulse control, divergent problem solving) whereas 24% used cooperative social play (linked to divergent problem solving). Results suggest need for assistance in the…

This article examines the pervasive influence of progressive education and travel on a public school kindergarten teacher's professional life. In a statement included in her handwritten list of goals for the children in her classroom, she echoed John Dewey, noting that a kindergarten child should "....live life fully and well because this is a…

This paper draws from continuing research into the growth of sociability and cooperation in young children. It began in the mid-1980s and has continued periodically in a range of early years educational settings across the 3-6 age range. The research has underpinned the development of an observational tool. This tool--the Social Play Continuum or…

The question/answer-based computer game "Age of Computers" was introduced to replace traditional weekly paper exercises in a course in computer fundamentals in 2003. Questionnaire evaluations and observation of student behavior have indicated that the students found the game more motivating than paper exercises and that a majority of the…

Individual differences in creativity across the lifespan have been identified, but little research has focused on the development of creativity during early adolescence. This project examined individual differences on two measures of creativity in early adolescence as well as the predictability of adolescent creativity from pretend play behaviors…

Little change has been noted over 10 years of research into teacher knowledge and confidence to teach science in the early and primary years of schooling. There is a significant body of research demonstrating that early childhood and primary teachers lack confidence and competence in teaching science. However, much of this research blames the…

The aim of this study was to examine what four-year-old children repair in their speech. For this purpose, conversational self-repairs (N = 316) made by two typically developing Finnish-speaking children (aged 4 ; 8 and 4 ; 11) were examined. The data comprised eight hours of natural interactions videotaped at the children's homes. The tapes were…

This article has two broad objectives: (a) It reviews the theoretical and practical literature on the use of games to facilitate social and emotional learning (SEL). (b) Based on this review, it argues that games are a powerful way of developing social and emotional learning in young people. In addition, we draw on our collective experience as…

The purpose of the research study presented in this article is to look at the ways that a specific group of children think about their families and to develop contextualized methods for listening to children's perspectives about their families. It starts with a brief presentation of the theoretical and pedagogical context where the study has been…

At a brisk pace, research findings focused on children's play are finally reaching the light of day in popular media. No longer left sitting in archives of academic journals, the benefits of play to lifelong success have been touted in radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. It gives early childhood professionals a powerful, credible…

Although there is interest in the educational potential of online multiplayer games and virtual worlds, there is still little evidence to explain specifically what and how people learn from these environments. This paper addresses this issue by exploring the experiences of couples that play "World of Warcraft" together. Learning outcomes were…

This study documented the ways in which the spontaneous narratives of a focus group of young children reflected the ways in which these children constructed meaning about their world and their place in it. Participants were six kindergartners who engaged in extended episodes of imaginary, dramatic play and produced complex descriptive narratives…

Discussed in the monograph are procedures and conclusions of Dr. Catherine Garvey's research on the social speech of 48 preschool children. It is explained that each S was observed and videotaped while in a playroom with two other children. Findings are cited for the following areas of study (with sample conclusions in parentheses): social…