Play for the sake of play, without any secondary goals, if of utmost importance for children's wellbeing and development. In this book you'll find guidelines to support children with disabilities' play. Providing ready-to-use information in a lay-person language, this book is for parents, teachers, rehabilitation professionals, toy manufacturers, policy makers and all persons interested in the topic of play for children with disabilities.

"Supporting Play in Early Childhood: Environment, Curriculum, Assessment, Second Edition, is based on the premise that play should guide curriculum development because children learn through play. With a focus on why and how to teach children through play, this text is aimed at educating current and future teachers of children from birth through age eight."--Publisher's website.

Helping young people learn through play is the focus of this publication, aimed at teachers and future teachers of children from birth through age eight. Current research presented here examines the positive effects of play on children's social/emotional, cognitive, and physical development. The reader will learn how to assess a child's learning through play, making play a more practicable teaching mechanism. They also will learn step-by-step recommendations for establishing a classroom that promotes play and developing play-based programs designed for children in specific age groups: infants and toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten children, and primary-age children. Incorporating play into the program of special needs children not only is addressed in each age-specific section, the author pays particular attention to this topic in a stand-alone section. Educators also will value the list of recommended Web sites for further research on the subject, as well as lists of materials and books perfect for play centers.

This book straightforwardly describes how adults can support children’s free play, with a holistic, inclusive &practical approach.

Combining a rich theoretical foundation with practical tips, advice and case studies, Messy Play in the Early Years provides an informative and practical exploration of the unique qualities, characteristics and learning possibilities of messy play. Packed with valuable insights from research and theory, along with practitioner’s experiences, this accessible book will bolster readers’ understanding and appreciation of messy play and demonstrate how a range of material engagements can enhance young children’s development and learning. Exploring an array of resources and a broad spectrum of approaches, including adult-and child-led inquiry, chapters consider how the specific sensory qualities of materials encourage problem-solving, scientific thinking, creativity, self-regulation and self-expression as children discover and make sense of new phenomena. With examples of international practice and reflective questions throughout, the book highlights a variety of approaches to meeting differing time, space and budgetary needs, simplifies preparation and planning, and empowers practitioners and children to understand and use messy play effectively. An essential guidebook to supporting an engaging and rewarding journey into messy play, Messy Play in the Early Years will be an invaluable resource for early years students, practitioners and parents looking to understand and enhance children’s learning possibilities.

Based on the pioneering work of Mary D. Sheridan, Play in Early Childhood is a classic introductory text to play and development – key topics for all those who work with young children. Updated for a contemporary audience and fully evidence-based, it explains how children’s play develops and how they develop as they play. With over eighty illustrations and observations of play from birth to six years, this new edition presents classical and contemporary literature, making clear links between play and all areas of children’s development. It includes activities to consolidate thinking and suggestions for further reading throughout. Play in Early Childhood considers: the development, value and characteristics of play issues relating to culture, adversity and gender play from recreational, therapeutic and educational perspectives the role of parents/caregivers and professionals in supporting play Suitable for those new to the area or for more experienced workers wanting a quick reference guide, this easy-to-follow book meets the needs of students and professionals from a wide range of health, education and social care backgrounds, including early years professionals, playworkers, children’s nurses, speech and language therapists and social workers.

"There are three reasons why this book deserves to be taken seriously. The first is because it concerns ‘play’, and this is a challenging and multi-faceted subject. The second reason is because it examines play during the first three years of life, which is a crucial period for the developing child in many aspects (i.e. physical, emotional, cognitive, etc.). The third reason is the book’s virtues, the most important of which are the clarity of thought displayed by its authors, the systematic descriptions of play contexts and play between children and adults, and the accessible style in which it is written.” International Journal of Early Years Education Key Times for Play takes a broad look at the importance of play for children from birth to three and sets play within the framework of a child's whole development. The book combines theory and practice and is illustrated by many examples from direct observation of children. Key Times for Play is organised in relation to key characteristics of children from birth to three, each of which are looked at in relation to how very young children play. The implications of this for how adults interact with young children and how they provide, support and develop play experiences is a major focus. A key theme of the book is the emphasis on a holistic approach to young children's play. Play is therefore looked at in relation to all aspects of the child's day and the separation of play and work and care and education is challenged. Key Times for Play is suitable for the student undertaking a level three qualification, but wishing to continue onto a degree course. It is a challenging text for these levels, but because it keeps a practical approach, it remains accessible to the reader.

A practical book for teachers consisting of 10 YC and TYC articles on the importance of integrating rich content-based, teacher-guided instruction with meaningful child-centered play to nurture children's emerging capabilities and skills.

A important overview on the importance of children's play, and types of self-directed play.

This book will help practitioners to ensure that they are doing all they can to include children with special educational needs. The author looks at several conditions such as Asperger's Syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Down's Syndrome and ADD/ADHD and shows how play can be adapted to help alleviate the difficulties children with these additional needs might have. As more and more children with a higher level of special need come into mainstream schools, teachers, nursery nurses and teaching assistants have the responsibility of ensuring that they have access to all aspects of learning. This book offers guidance on what play is, how to adapt activities to suit children with special needs, how play can help recognition of children's progress, the most common types of special need, how play can be used to help raise self-esteem, and resources for further help. Written for those working in mainstream settings, the author shows how including children who have special needs in play can help to provide great opportunities for learning and for developing social and communication skills.