Study of same-sex play networks found that between ages four and six, the size of girls' play networks decreases along with the number of girls excluded. Although results did not confirm the hypothesis that the size of boys' play networks increases, there was a trend for boys in the older classes to exclude fewer playmates from their networks. (AA)

Three possibilities for the pathogenesis of childhood autism are considered. Little evidence exists for autism as a basic affective disorder, as proposed by R. P. Hobson, but growing evidence supports childhood autism as a basic cognitive disorder, as the author argues. The author's original theoretical perspectives are revised. (SLD)

Examined two series of fantasy play interactions, one in which a young child succeeded in directing the play of her peers and one in which a child was less successful at similar influence attempts. A theory of double-voiced discourse illustrates how dual-orientated talk facilitates children's efforts to influence peers during fantasy play. (54…

Discusses play as preparation for life, and the role of aggressive play. Provides guidelines for caregivers to help children modify their aggressive play, and for working with parents to help reinforce positive, prosocial behavior in children. (HTH)

This paper formulates guidelines for the design of children's play environments to optimize children's creativity during play. The paper defines "play," discusses Jean Piaget's work on cognitive adaptation, discusses creativity in the context of cognitive adaptation, and proposes designs for play environments to produce behavioral adaptation that…

Presented is a parent's viewpoint that criticizes assessment methods that diminish appreciation for diverse ways of knowing, discourage discovery and project-based learning, diminish the natural problem-solving aspects of play, and perpetuate the single right answer form of assessment. Assessment that values the child, includes all interested…

This paper describes the Early Childhood Social Skills Program developed at the University of Pittsburgh's Early Childhood Research Institute. The paper discusses specific social skill strategies as well as steps for implementing the peer-mediated social skill program in an integrated preschool setting. (JDD)

Improvisational role-play is presented as a teaching strategy that can help students with hearing impairments learn to use a variety of language forms while growing in literature appreciation. The teacher develops lesson plans around a story the children are reading, and students enter into the characters' roles, exploring the situations that…

Professionals (n=201) working with child sexual abuse victims rated the normalcy of various behaviors with anatomical dolls for children ages two to five. Respondents agreed that overtly sexual behaviors were abnormal for nonabused children, but ratings of ambiguous behaviors varied depending on respondent's profession, gender, and years of…

Parents play a role in their children's consumer education by helping them distinguish between consumer necessities and digressionary consumption practices. Strategies for children's consumer education are outlined, and programs for money management are described. (LB)

Describes one teacher's efforts to understand children's aggressive play by reading literature that suggests children use play to construct meaning, viewing the Ninja Turtle cartoon show, and interviewing children about their superhero play. Male and female roles in play, aggression and violence, and television commercialism are discussed. (LB)

Children were tested at ages four and six for recall of clusterable objects under play and sort conditions. Conceptual clustering predicted recall performance of six-year olds in both conditions and of four-year olds in the sort condition. The stability of memory variables was low with the exception of free recall. (BC)

This study examined the strategies teachers use to promote social play in a mainstreamed early childhood program that included five children with special needs and five nonhandicapped peers. Results indicated that teachers can successfully facilitate peer play through initiation of play, participation in group play, elaboration of group play, and…

Argues for an understanding of play as a flux between the imagination and attempts to test consequences of "what if" questions. Discusses leading educational theorists' views of the role of play. Suggests that school authority which reduces creative play closes off children's means of finding answers to some vocational questions. (SG)

Compared social interactions of persuasive preschoolers to those of dominant and less persuasive peers. In comparison to other children, persuasive children made more attempts to persuade, used a moderate number of extremely friendly or aggressive strategies, and had a lower rate of compliance. (GLR)