Children, Play, and Development / Edition 4

by Fergus P. Hughes

Overview

"Quite simply, this is the best text on play and development I have ever read. It was thought provoking while being reader-friendly at the same time. This work is very thorough and would be an excellent text for undergraduate or experienced in-service graduates. "
—L. Kathryn Sharp, The University of Memphis

A comprehensive look at children's play from birth to adolescence

Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition, discusses the relationship of play to the physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth of the child. Author Fergus P. Hughes focuses on the historical, sociocultural, and ethological context of play; the role of development in play; and the wide range of theories that provide a framework for interpreting play.

The changes in this thoroughly updated Fourth Edition include new information on cultural differences in object play, a critique of experimental research on play across cultures, brain correlates of aggressive play in humans and animals, the development of the young child's ability to distinguish between reality and make-believe, computers in the classroom, the development of emergent literacy, and the impact of attachment on children's development.

Key Features

• Offers thorough coverage of theoretical perspectives on play, showing readers how theories contribute to a scientific understanding of play
• Provides an up-to-date review of the literature, with nearly half of the references new to this edition
• Includes a rich variety of pedagogical features that illustrate key points and help stimulate class discussions
• Presents Putting Theory Into Practice sections (two per chapter) that contain practical applications of theory and research

High-Quality Ancillaries

Instructor Resources, including Power Point slides, test questions, activities, a sample syllabus, teaching tips, and web resources, are available at http://studysites.sagepub.com/hughes4e/.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412967693
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	04/02/2009
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Fergus P. Hughes is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay From 1972 until 2004 he was a professor of Human Development and Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he taught courses on child development, adolescent development, life span human development, and children’s play. In 2004 he assumed the role of Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which he held until his retirement in 2007. He is currently engaged in scholarly writing and teaching courses in the University’s Adult Degree Program.

He is the author or co-author of eight books and numerous book chapters and scholarly articles dealing primarily with childhood cognition and children’s play. The first edition of his book Children, Play, and Development appeared in 1991, and has since been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. In addition, he serves as a professional consultant and regular contributor to The Child Parenting Journal, a national Australian parenting magazine.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. The Context of Play
1. Historical and Theoretical Viewpoints
2. Ethological and Cultural Perspectives
Part II. The Development of Play
3. The First Two Years of Life
4. The Preschool Years: From 2 to 5
5. Play in Later Childhood and Adolescence
Part III. Individual Differences in Play
6. Gender Differences in Play
7. Play in Special Populations
Part IV. The Benefits of Play
8. Play and Intellectual Development
9. The Social Benefits of Play
10. The Uses of Play in Therapy
Glossary
References
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Quite simply, this is the best text on play and development I have ever read. It was thought provoking while being reader-friendly at the same time. This work is very thorough and would be an excellent text for undergraduate or experienced in-service graduates.

L. Kathryn Sharp

This book conveys the fundamental importance of play in the lives of children. I feel that professionals in-training need to examine play deeply with a textbook such as this.

Kimberly M. Ray

"This is one of the most inclusive books on play I have yet read."

Adoption Reply Card - Donna C. Williams

With solid support from research and theory about development and learning, Hughes provides insight into and support for the seminal importance of play in children’s lives.

Ann Barbour

"This is one of the most inclusive books on play I have yet read. "— Donna C. Williams

Adoption Reply Card

In this revision of the 1995 edition, Hughes (U. of Wisconsin-Green Bay) continues to elucidate the functions of play in normal child development and in the therapeutic milieu, while incorporating new cross-cultural research in the field, coverage of Vygotsky's increasingly influential views, and early childhood educators' language of developmentally appropriate practice. Each chapter concludes with a putting-theory-into-practice section. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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