Describes how a teacher can personally assume a role and thereby facilitate students' role playing. (DD)

A set of boxes with incongruous animal pictures and a set of plastic Bristle Blocks were presented to 20 preschool children and 20 college students to investigate or play with as they wished. The time spent in investigative exploration and play was recorded over three 10-minute sessions on separate days. (Author/JMB)

This study tested the hypothesis that when extrinsic rewards for an intrinsically interesting activity are withdrawn, the activity acquires aversive properties through the arousal of anticipatory frustration, which causes decreased interest. Subjects were 64 7-year-old children. (Author/JMB)

Mildly developmentally delayed 3- and 4-year-old children (N=16) were paired with nonhandicapped younger or older children to evaluate effects of companion status on social and play behavior. The subjects' peer interactions improved substantially only when paired with nonhandicapped older children. (Author/DB)

Dramatic play games emphasizing creative thinking and listening skills offer an emotional outlet for the entire class. Games involving pantomime, musical instruments, and communication are described. (CB)

Because exercise has become another form of structured work for many adults, play is suggested as a motivating factor for middle-aged adults. Various aspects of exercise are discussed including the concepts of pleasurable activity, self-expression, and absorbing activity. (CB)

The relationships among decentration, decontexturalization, and integration in the same children were investigated to reexamine sequences of actor-object play for the purpose of revising and extending previous models. The results contribute to the understanding of complex play by establishing the variability of component relationships and…

This paper critically examines recent studies investigating the relationship between dramatic play and story comprehension. Four issues to be addressed are (1) play and contextual variables; (2) treatment effects on different subjects; (3) length of effects; and (4) size of effects. Recommendations for future research are made. (Author/MT)

This step-by-step approach to class plays will allow students to explore literature, think creatively, and learn to work together. Discussed are how to teach acting, choosing a story, teaching the story, rehearsing, and creating costumes and sets. (MT)

The behavioral dynamics of three different types of early mother-infant interactions were examined. Mothers were instructed to play with, imitate, and hold the attention of their infants. Frequency of vocalization, gaze direction, and smiling by both interactants, tactile play by the mother, and crying by the infant were recorded. (PCB)

Reexamines Froebel's philosophical viewpoints on children's social development in light of the significance of social forces, children's deliberate imitation of each other during play, and parent roles. Illustrates Froebel's theories on the social aspect of learning with two observations recorded by his co-workers and one letter written by Froebel…

At-home observation of 40 sibling dyads was conducted to describe sex-role characteristics of school-aged same-sex and cross-sex siblings. Male dyads interacted less than other sibling groups, while older sisters in female or male-female dyads engaged in the most teaching and managing. Older sister dyads exhibited the greatest role asymmetrics.…

Ways in which teachers can interest students about learning more about the United States are presented, focusing on a planned "pretend" visit to a particular state or region. Research topics include geography, history, population, climate, chief products, and background information. State tourism agencies are listed. (CB)

The Symbolic Play Test was given to 31 socially impaired and 29 sociable elementary grade children retarded in language comprehension, of similar intelligence (profoundly retarded to normal). Play test age and spontaneous pretend play were similar in sociable Ss but, in the socially impaired, spontaneous pretend play was lower than play test age…

Two studies are reported on the assessment and training of parent-child interactional skills in developmentally handicapped mothers. The results suggest that developmentally handicapped mothers can be taught to provide more effective and stimulating interactions for their young children. (Author)