Mrs. Keenan, a preschool teacher, observed her 3-year-old granddaughter Riley pull, tug, and stack piles of holiday boxes on the floor. She remembered that her child care director had suggested using boxes as a curriculum theme, but she hadn't given much thought about the idea until now. She said to herself, "I wonder if my children would be as…

Argues that worksheets are limited teaching tools because they do not address preschoolers' developmental needs such as hands-on play. Presents characteristics of early learning that can be facilitated by play, which fosters children's social and language development, physical skills, and creative and critical thinking. Suggests that learning can…