Highlights considerations in designing high-quality, developmentally appropriate indoor play environments for all children. Suggestions for arranging classroom space focus on arrangement and accessibility of play areas. Tips for selecting and arranging play materials relate to ensuring diversity of play materials, increasing and maintaining…

Relationships between parental report of children's peer play at home and indicators of children's school readiness were examined. Behavior ratings and observational data were collected for preschool children from an urban Head Start program. Play competencies exhibited in the home environment were significantly associated with prosocial behavior…

This study examined preliminary psychometric properties of the Teaching Practices Observation Scale (TPOS), a newly developed observational taxonomy for assessing teacher behaviors during free play with young children. Behaviors of 42 child caregivers and junior kindergarten teachers were coded using a combination of time-sampling, event-sampling,…

This study of 55 preschool children examined frequency of play and problem-solving activities, and management, collaboration, and assistance interactions as a function of relationships with teachers and peers. Findings revealed that problem solving occurs with peers and teachers; play overwhelmingly occurs with peers; management and assistance…

Common elements among unschooled families include an environment conducive to exploration and experimentation, adult models and facilitators of learning, and underlying trust that children will learn. Public education limits its expectations of children to narrow standards of behavior and academic achievement, whereas unschooling allows children…

This study examined effects of class size (ranging from 20 to 40) on preschoolers' social interaction with peers and teachers in Korea. Findings showed that teachers' behaviors did not differ significantly when their education and training backgrounds were similar. Class size did influence children's peer networks and their play behavior.…

Relations between children's peer play competence and other relevant competencies were investigated using two samples of urban Head Start children. Dimensions of peer play were examined concurrently with emotion regulation, autonomy, and language. Children exhibiting high levels of peer play interaction were found to demonstrate more competent…

This study examined variation in mother-infant interactions, father engagement, and infant cognition as a function of country of origin, socioeconomic status, and English language proficiency in a national sample of Latino infants (age 9 months) born in the United States and living with both biological parents (N=1,099). Differences between…

Since the world has been transformed through technology and global competition, children of the twenty-first century need much higher literacy and mathematical skills than their grandparents. Yet, at the same time, children need time to play and time to develop at a natural pace. In this article, the author shares and explains "triangulated…

Mother-child play of 12-month-old infants (N = 130) from maltreating (N = 78) and nonmaltreating (N = 52) families was analyzed as a context that integrates infants' developing social and cognitive skills. Play was coded from semistructured and unstructured play paradigms. No group differences were found in infants' play maturity. Infants from…

Discusses the importance of "sweetening" language and literacy experiences by using everyday-life language in playful ways. Maintains that listening to children's language, modeling literacy engagement, playing with language as children do, and loving children unconditionally are primary conditions for optimal, developmentally…

This study explored early childhood teachers' views relating to culture and play by collecting information from them on cultural differences and parental perceptions of play, culturally appropriate play (CAP) practices and barriers in its implementation. The participants of the study were 14 early childhood educators working in long day care (LDC)…

This study investigates features of interaction between children that are linked to the development of understanding of mind, and asks whether these associations are evident across different relationships. Comparisons are made of the naturally occurring conversations in a sample of 43 4-year-old children, each observed with a sibling and with a…

This article argues that children in a particular virtual community are learning through their participation in the discursive and social practices of the community. Using Wenger's model of "communities of practice" the article illuminates examples of children's learning that were a direct result of collaboration towards a common goal.…

While much time has been spent deliberating about the definition of play, little emphasis has been placed on what children themselves perceive as play. The aim of the present study was to examine social context as a cue for children's perceptions of play and learning. Ninety-two children aged between four and six years (mean four years nine…