Play : the pathway from theory to practice / Sandra Heidemann & Deborah Hewitt.

Revised edition of: Pathways to play : Redleaf Press, c1992.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-236) and index.

Preface -- Acknowledgment -- Introduction -- 1: Play Is The Main Event: Valuing Play -- Theories of play -- Play in the twenty-first century -- What children learn during play -- Advocating for play -- Reflection questions -- 2: Props And Peers: Learning The Basics Of Play -- Play with objects -- Social play -- Sociodramatic play -- Reflection questions -- 3: Setting The Stage: Organizing For Play -- Time -- Space and play materials -- Types of play encouraged by play materials -- Planned experiences -- Continuous cycle of improvement -- Reflection questions -- 4: It's Not Always Easy: Recognizing The Influences On Play Development -- Culture and language -- Gender -- Temperament -- Lack of experience with play -- Exposure to violence -- Gifted and talented -- Special needs -- Reflection questions -- Finding Out More: Observing, Evaluating Play Skills, And Using The Play Checklist -- Observing and assessing a child's play -- Using the play checklist -- Play checklist -- Explanation of the play checklist -- Evaluating play skills -- Willie: a case study -- Reflection questions -- What Will The Child Do? Writing Goals From The Play Checklist -- Developing A Plan -- Writing goals -- Next steps -- Reflection questions -- 7: What Will You Do? Planning For Play Skills -- Developing a lesson plan -- Your role -- Planning your role -- Which role to use -- Reflection questions -- 8: Heart Of The Plan: Choosing Teaching Strategies -- Pretending with objects -- Role-playing -- Verbalizations about the play scenario -- Verbal communication during a play episode -- Persistence in play -- Interactions -- Entrance into a play group -- Problem solving -- Turn taking -- Support of peers -- Reflection questions -- 9: Case Studies: Putting It All Together -- Asheley: a case study -- Lori: a case study -- Value of reflection -- Continuous cycle of improvement -- Afterword -- Appendix A: Play checklist and planning form -- Play checklist -- Planning form -- Appendix B: Suggested reading list -- Appendix C: Children's book list -- Glossary -- References.

From the Publisher: Play skills are life skills; as children develop them, they also learn important social skills that they will use throughout their lives. Teachers will find successful strategies for implementing changes in the classroom to enhance the environment for play and techniques to help support children's development. This is the revised edition of the well-respected and relied-upon handbook Pathways to Play. Play contains activity ideas that encourage play skills, checklists to help identify where children are having problems, specific teaching strategies, and assessment options. This new edition also examines how play theory translates into practice.