Play from Birth to Twelve: Contexts, Perspectives, and Meanings

In light of recent standards-based and testing movements, the issue of play in child development has taken on increased meaning for educational professionals and social scientists. This third edition of Play From Birth to Twelve offers comprehensive coverage of what we now know about play and its guiding principles, dynamics, and importance in early learning. These up-to-date essays, written by some of the most distinguished experts in the field, help educators, psychologists, anthropologists, parents, health service personnel, and students explore a variety of theoretical and practical ideas, such as:

all aspects of play, including historical and diverse perspectives as well as new approaches not yet covered in the literature

how teachers in various classroom situations set up and guide play to facilitate learning

how play is affected by societal violence, media reportage, technological innovations, and other contemporary issues

play and imagination within the current scope of educational policies, childrearing methods, educational variations, cultural differences, and intellectual diversity

New chapters in the third edition of Play From Birth to Twelve cover current and projected future developments in the field of play, such as executive function, neuroscience, autism, play in museums, „small world“ play, global issues, media, and technology. The book also suggests ways to support children’s play across different environments at home, in communities, and within various institutional settings.

Editorial Reviews

„It is a delight to welcome this third edition of Play from Birth to Twelve, so brilliantly edited by Doris Pronin Fromberg and Doris Bergen. Such a comprehensive and genuinely helpful resource will prove of theoretical and practical value to all those who deal with children and who want to understand the roles of play in our early lives. Educators, health professionals, students, parents, museum personnel, city designers, and many others will find valuable material in these pages. The scope of the volume and its range of outstanding new and older research is a tribute to the insightful work of its editors. If the content of these essays directed more of our social and educational policy, we would surely have a better world.“

Kieran Egan, Professor of Education at Simon Fraser University, Canada

„Broad and deep with appeal to a wide range of practitioners, theorists, researchers, policy makers, and parents, this brilliant book is needed today more than ever before. The editors have provided a rich treasure trove of everything we ever wanted to know about play from theory to practice, and the distinguished chapter authors are recognized experts on play, child development, and education. Teachers struggling with the disappearance of play from current educational settings will find this third edition, up to date with surprising new content and perspectives on the future, to be a comprehensive resource.“

Kathryn Castle, Professor & Watson Endowed Chair in Education, Oklahoma State University, USA
– From the Publisher