This book discusses ways that blocks can be used with young children to help them develop different intellectual, motor, and social skills. The book is divided into four sections organized by block type: (1) unit blocks; (2) hollow blocks; (3) table blocks; and (4) homemade blocks. Each section describes the block type, gives reasons for using the…

This 40-minute instructional video illustrates the unique benefits of play therapy for children who have been physically or sexually abused. It describes how play activities fit into the reparative process and provides helpful pointers for practice. The uses of art supplies, the sandtray, puppets, dollhouse, masks, and more are highlighted.…

The eight projects in this guide, developed for grades K-6, present various aspects of American Indian culture. The activities include discovering the importance of bear claw necklaces, making Kachina doll sack puppets, understanding the lifestyle of Plains Indians, interpreting the stories of Indian shields, making Indian games and toys, doing…

This paper reviews Piaget's stages of play and discusses the implications of play for early childhood education. The three stages of play identified in Piaget's research are: (1) practice play, (2) symbolic or make believe play and (3) games with rules. The characteristics of each type of play are presented and examples of play at each stage are…

This study examines the degree to which young children are influenced by the familiarity of an adult participant in their pretend play with toys which vary in resemblance to highly prototypical objects (e.g., cup-like cups or doll-like dolls). A group of 29 children, mean age 21 months, was divided into two experimental groups balanced by sex; 15…

Developed as part of a federally funded project for young handicapped and non handicapped children, the handbook contains suggestions for parents and teachers about creative use of materials found in the home. Provided are illustrations, lists of materials needed, explanations of purpose, and procedures for construction and use of 18 materials…

To assist the early development of children in a poorly educated, rural four-county area of North Carolina, the Early Childhood Library Project trained parents and babysitters to teach preschool children by using educational games and materials supplied by the library. Equipment was purchased and made available to the community, story hours were…

This volume is the first in a series of Handbooks dealing with the child development aspects of any good day care program. The Handbook is divided into five sections. Chapter One covers the principles of day care that must be the foundation of any program. It reviews the developmental needs of children from birth to age three, and outlines some of…

Intended for parents, the manual is for a 12 week parent education course on the mental stimulation of young handicapped children. Major objectives of the course are helping the child feel positively about himself and helping the child develop his intellectual abilities. Material reinforcements are offered parents who meet criteria for attendance,…

Describes learning experiences for preschool and primary age children involving simple machines. Discusses how toys give children an opportunity to explore and understand the technical aspects of our world. Surveys a variety of commercially produced toys to help children explore friction and motion. (CW)

Discusses the value of tool-use activities to help toddlers develop emerging skills, experience creative expression, and understand means-end relationships. Provides examples of opportunities for using objects as tools, including language acquisition, self-help activities, dramatic play, sensory experiences, and object manipulation. (DST)

This report begins by discussing the role of the New York Education Department; community education agencies; school boards, administrators, teachers, and their associations; community-based organizations; and the role of other state and local agencies in creating collaborative approaches to early childhood programming. Several collaborative early…

This final report reviews activities and achievements of the "Let's Play!" project, an effort to apply assistive technology (AT) to promote the play skills of infants and toddlers with disabilities within their natural environments. The federally supported project was designed to assist county early intervention programs and developed,…

During a crisis, parents can do a great deal to help their child deal with grief and anxiety. This special issue provides information and promising practices that might be helpful in dealing with various crisis situations. Provides the following articles: (1) "Children Killing Children" (Kevin Dwyer); (2) "Disaster: Helping Children…