Noting that, in terms of language acquisition, the "basics" at schools should parallel the "basics" of common sense family life, this book examines the connections between play, language development, and learning in young children. Chapter 1 deals with the role of the teacher in a changing society. Chapter 2 addresses some of the important issues regarding the education of young children. Chapter 3 discusses the problem of class size, and chapter 4 outlines ways in which the educational system must change in order to prepare children for the future. Some of the authors' developmental research on children's conceptions of play are reviewed in chapter 5. Chapter 6 examines how play serves to link children's imaginations and fantasies to the real world. Chapter 7 explores the differences between imagination and pretend play, both of which serve to foster cognitive development, while chapter 8 looks at developing a curriculum to promote optimal language development and examines how the social nature of play provides a natural environment for complex language use within the classroom setting. Different perspectives on the topic of second language learning are offered in chapter 9. Chapter 10 focuses on some of the problems associated with teaching children to read. The final three chapters of the book are concerned with the use of play as an effective diagnostic and therapeutic tool for emotional and developmental problems. Contains over 100 references. (TJQ)