Preschool boys' pretense and coconstruction of shared meanings during two play sessions (superhero and generic toys) were investigated with 58 middle-class boys ("M" age = 54.95 mos.). The frequency of dyadic pretense and the coconstruction of shared meanings in the play were coded. The frequency of pretense did not vary across the…

The influence of superhero versus nonsuperhero toys on boys' physically active and imaginative play was studied in 29 dyads (n = 58 middle-class preschool boys; M age = 54.95 mos, SD = 5.28 mos). Each dyad participated in two play sessions: 1) superhero toys (media related) and 2) nonsuperhero (nonmedia related) toys. Dyads were observed for the…

This study investigated the effects of prop realism on the play of 24 preschoolers. Observations of play sessions revealed that highly realistic props and low-realism props elicited equal amounts of group dramatic play. However, low- realism props generated greater diversity of play themes, more fantasy role enactments, and more nonintended use of…

Reviews Pianta and Cox's book, which covers the significance of early school transitions; the ecology of transitions into and through kindergarten; facilitating transitions for children from diverse backgrounds; and implications of the kindergarten transition. Cautions that while the book provides a strong empirical foundation, it does not provide…

Examined the influence of curriculum preparation on children's content knowledge of dramatic play centers' themes, dramatic play behavior, and theme-relevant conversation during play. Found that theme familiarity may have been a critical factor. Posttest content knowledge was positively related to frequency of dramatic play. Teacher effects on…