Friedrich Froebel, an early advocate of the use of play in kindergarten teaching, argued that the ultimate goal of education was developing the creative person. According to Froebel, teachers could promote creativity through play by using gifts, occupations, and mother play songs. By contrast, Johann Herbart called for a subject centered…

This book offers ideas that can help families find the simplicity of enjoying nature. These outdoor activities address the young child, leave room for the child's own interpretation and improvisation, and allow adults to look at nature through the eyes of their children. Respect for nature is an underlying message throughout the book. The over 100…

The effect of the presence of a parent on the frequency and complexity of the social behavior of children at two cooperative preschools was studied. It was expected that securely attached children would explore their environment more comprehensively and competently when a parent was present than would insecurely attached children. Parents…

The relationship between children's play patterns and types of teacher intervention were studied in four preschool play settings. Subjects were preschool head teachers and children in 10 preschools. Each classroom was observed during the free play period on five consecutive days. Children's play behaviors were coded according to 12 categories of…

Describes the experiences provided for disadvantaged children aged 4-14 years through an enrichment program, begun in 1973, which aims to foster feelings of closeness and love in a rural setting. Groups of 20 children are bused to a farm each day for two one-week periods during the summer. (ED)

This study attempted to refine the assessment of the effectance of four-year-old children through observation of their play. Two scales were developed; the first scale defined organization, involvement, and interpersonal responsiveness in play while the second operationally defined psychosexual content of play. The results confirmed the validity…

A workshop leader and consultant makes an impassioned plea for more and better movement education. Provides ideas for focused movement explorations and discusses the overall goals and advantages of this new breed of physical education. (ED)

A total of 36 normally developing children of 13-30 months of age were evenly divided into three age groups and observed while playing with their mothers. Their communicative behaviors were recorded according to intent and level. Intent was classified as comment, request, and reject; levels were nonverbal, verbal-contextual, and…

This booklet contains an outline of, and recommendations based on, a study of 128 New Zealand children in special groups mainstreamed into kindergartens and play groups. Research goals were to explore how mainstreaming had been implemented, whether special group children were profiting from the environment's educational opportunities, and whether…

In this play, aliens from a distant galaxy visit an Earth site in three time periods, observing people as they deal with the environment. The aliens bring their wisdom and vision of the future to show children of the present what to do to avoid a grim fate. The lessons are suitable for grades 3-6, and include from 18-32 speaking parts plus cues…

This booklet presents a series of play activities and interventions to facilitate development of social and communicative skills in young children who have visual impairments, hearing impairments, or both. The more than 100 activities attempt to increase the early communication and language competencies of young children. An appendix provides an…

A program of science activities for children in the early childhood years and their parents is offered. The three different formats of the Playtime Is Science program are adaptable to a variety of settings and schedules. The Parent/Child Activity Program includes one parents-only session in which participants learn that routine chores involve…

These papers focus on four themes: (1) young children: active learners; (2) physical education: the forgotten aspect of early childhood education; (3) dance: bringing movement as art into the early childhood curriculum; and (4) the child as an energetic, moving learner. Common threads of emphasis were woven through the content of the…

This study examined the strategies teachers use to promote social play among special needs students and their nonhandicapped classmates. Children with special needs confront teachers in mainstreamed early childhood programs with the responsibility of promoting social interaction and peer acceptance among children with different levels of maturity,…

Black and white middle SES preschool boys and girls were compared on the frequency with which they interacted socially with peers (people orientation) and on the frequency with which they engaged in nonsocial activity which involved being occupied with some material or task (object orientation). They also were compared on the frequency with which…