This statement defines and describes principles of develop­ mentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs for administrators, teachers, parents, policy-makers, and others who make decisions about the care and education of young children. An early childhood program is any group program in a center, school, or other facility that serves children from birth through age 8. Early childhood programs include child care centers, family child care homes, private and public preschools, kinder­ gartens, and primary-grade schools. The early childhood profession is responsible for establishing and promoting standards of high-quality, professional practice in early childhood programs. These standards must reflect current knowledge and shared beliefs about what constitutes high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood education in the context within which services are delivered. This position paper is organized into several components, which include the following:

Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs

FEIN, GRETA G. Pretend Play in Childhood: An Integrative Review. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 1095-1118. Pretend play is a pervasive behavior that has attracted considerable attention over the past decade. In the article, the research is reviewed in the context of the diverse theoretical orientations that have stimulated these efforts. The most productive theoretical positions tend to deal with selected aspects of the behavior (e.g., solitary or social pretense, developmental change, individual differences, environmental factors) rather than its entirety. Recent contributions have offered a refined account of developmental changes in pretense and an examination of the behavioral processes involved. Studies of individual differences suggest that pretense may reflect a stable personality trait, although evidence concerning antecedent factors is inconclusive. Training studies have demonstrated procedures for increasing spontaneous pretense, and some of these suggest a relation between enhanced play and improved performance on measures of social and cognitive functioning. Other procedures have been used to demonstrate a relation between pretense and creativity. Although outcome studies have become increasingly sophisticated, they pose numerous interpretive problems. Areas in need of further inquiry are discussed with respect to issues that require theoretical or empirical clarification.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1129497.pdf

Pretend play in childhood: An integrative review.

Pretend play has been claimed to be crucial to children’s healthy development. Here we examine evidence for this position versus 2 alternatives: Pretend play is 1 of many routes to positive developments (equifinality), and pretend play is an epiphenomenon of other factors that drive development. Evidence from several domains is considered. For language, narrative, and emotion regulation, the research conducted to date is consistent with all 3 positions but insufficient to draw conclusions. For executive function and social skills, existing research leans against the crucial causal position but is insufficient to differentiate the other 2. For reasoning, equifinality is definitely supported, ruling out a crucially causal position but still leaving open the possibility that pretend play is epiphenomenal. For problem solving, there is no compelling evidence that pretend play helps or is even a correlate. For creativity, intelligence, conservation, and theory of mind, inconsistent correlational results from sound studies and nonreplication with masked experimenters are problematic for a causal position, and some good studies favor an epiphenomenon position in which child, adult, and environment characteristics that go along with play are the true causal agents. We end by considering epiphenomenalism more deeply and discussing implications for preschool settings and further research in this domain. Our take-away message is that existing evidence does not support strong causal claims about the unique importance of pretend play for development and that much more and better research is essential for clarifying its possible role.

/pdf/the-impact-of-pretend-play-on-children-s-development-a-z4j3fenyhk.pdf

The impact of pretend play on children's development: a review of the evidence.

In this longitudinal study, the predictive relations between social difficulties in early childhood (grade 2) and subsequent internalizing as well as externalizing problems in middle childhood (grade 5) were examined. Of particular interest was whether early indices of social isolation would predict internalizing problems 3 years later. A longitudinal sample of 87 children were assessed in both grades 2 and 5 on a variety of measures, including sociometric ratings, peer assessments of aggression and isolation, and self-appraisals of social competence. In the second grade, observations of isolated and aggressive behavior were made, as well, and teacher ratings of internalizing and externalizing difficulties were obtained. In the fifth grade, teacher ratings of shy-anxious and acting-out behavior and self-reports of loneliness and self-esteem were collected. Consistent with previous research, results demonstrated predictive links between early peer rejection (unpopularity) and aggression and subsequent externalizing difficulties. Internalizing problems in middle childhood were significantly related to early social difficulties, particularly those of an internalizing sort, including poor peer acceptance, social isolation, and perceptions of social incompetence. Social isolation, then, may indeed be a risk factor in early development.

Children's Peer Relationships: Longitudinal Prediction of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems from Middle to Late Childhood.

Blackwell handbook of childhood social development.

The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children

Facilitating Play: A Medium for Promoting Cognitive, Socio-Emotional and Academic Development in Young Children

The intention of this book is to inform policy-makers, decision-makers, teacher educators, teachers and researchers about the importance of dramatic, social and emotional development of young children (aged 3-8 years). From varying professional perspectives, each of the authors, including David Elkind, Elliot Eisner, Patricia Monighan-Nourot, Sharon Kagan, Barbara Bowman, James E.Johnson and Doris Pronin Fromberg, has written a chapter which elucidates one or more of the following: an analysis of the reasons that dramatic and sociodramatic play have not been included in the curricula for all children in preschool and kindergarten in the USA and Israel; a demonstration through carefully ducumented research findings of how play contributes to children's higher levels of school achievement; and recommendations on how to influence administrators and teachers to include play as an important and supported component of the curriculum for every child.

Children's play and learning : perspectives and policy implications

Contents: Theoretical rational and pratical suggestions for professionals and parents, why and how to help children aged 4-12 understand and cope with death - A new valid and reliable questionnaire for Examination of Human and Animal Death Conceptualization - Children confronting death in their Community, School, Hospital, and adult's help.

Sara Smilansky

Papers

The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children

Facilitating Play: A Medium for Promoting Cognitive, Socio-Emotional and Academic Development in Young Children

Children's play and learning : perspectives and policy implications

On Death: Helping Children Understand and Cope

Clay in the Classroom: Helping Children Develop Cognitive and Affective Skills for Learning