The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the cognitive levels of play and the child selected play activities of younger and older preschool children. Hypotheses were formulated to examine this relationship, and the age and sex differences in the cognitive levels of play and the child-selected play activities.The Play Activity Observation Instrument (PAOI) was developed by the researcher. From Smilansky's cognitive levels of play, the PAOI assessed functional, constructive, and dramatic play. Modifying Rubin' s list of the most frequently observed preschool play activities, the PAOI assessed family-work, art, block, wheel toy, table, sand-water, and climbing play.The subjects, twenty-two males and twenty-two females, were enrolled in two preschool programs at a midwestern university. The younger group had a mean age of 41.8 months and the older group had a mean age of 54.0 months.Agreement among the seven trained observers, using was .7564. Data were collected three days a week for six weeks during thirty-minute observation periods.A multivariate analysis of variance used the sex and age of the subjects as the classification variables, and the cognitive levels of play exhibited in the child-selected play activities as the dependent variables. Post hoc analysis, using univariate techniques, was conducted to further interpret the results.Statistical analysis of the mean frequencies of cognitive levels of play exhibited in the child-selected play activities revealed the following results:Significant age differences were found for the cognitive levels of play (p<.0450): older children engaged in more dramatic play. No significant age differences were found for functional or constructive play.No significant age differences were found for the child-selected play activities (p .1214).No significant sex differences were found for the cognitive levels of play (p<.0889).Significant sex differences were found for the child selected play activities (p .0001), and for the child selected play activities by cognitive levels of play interaction (p<.0001).Sex differences could be interpreted only when examining specific child-selected play activities: (A) no sex differences were observed for family-work play; however, both sexes exhibited higher levels of dramatic family-work play and lower levels of functional and constructive family-work play; (B) females exhibited higher levels of constructive art play; (C) males exhibited higher levels of constructive and dramatic block play; (D) males exhibited higher levels of dramatic wheel toy play; (E) no sex differences wore found for table play or sand-water play; (F) males engaged in more dramatic climbing play.Significant differences were found for the overall child-selected play activities by cognitive levels of play interaction (p<.0001). Post hoc analysis indicated that there was more dramatic family-work play than functional or constructive family-work play, more constructive table play than functional or dramatic table play, and more constructive sand-water play than functional or dramatic sand-water play.Several educational implications were presented, including the following:Dramatic play has been linked to later symbolic functioning in creativity, problem solving and reading. This study indicated that the greatest potential for dramatic play occurred in family-work play.Since art, block, wheel toy, and climbing play evoked sex differences in the cognitive levels of play, teachers should encourage cross-sex play behaviors in these activities.

The purposes of the study were to determine the effects of a Home-Based program on the attainment of toddlers, to determine the effects of a Home-Based program on the attitudes and feelings of mothers, and finally, to study parent-child interaction.Subjects of the study consisted of fifty-nine Black mother-child dyads, and one Mexican-American mother-child dyad. All toddlers were born between October 1, 1971 and September 30, 1972 to mothers who were identified as indigent under Title I. The sample included males and females who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in the tutoring sessions conducted by trained aides. Sessions, each lasting seventy minutes, were held twice a week from September 1973 through the middle of June 1974. Mothers of experimental group toddlers were present at all tutoring and testing sessions. Control group mothers did not participate in tutoring sessions. Tutoring and testing were conducted in the home of the toddlers.Three instruments were employed in the study. The Preschool Attainment Record was used to measure the effects of the Home-Based program on the physical, social, and intellectual attainment of toddlers. The Social Reaction Inventory was employed to assess the effects of the Home-Based program on parental internal locus of control. The instrument measured the extent to which parents felt a sense of self-esteem and potency of control. The Infant Education Research Inventory measured the interactive behavior between mother and child.Three null hypotheses were tested in the study:1) there will be no statistically significant difference in the attainment of toddlers who participate in a Home-Based program and toddlers who do not participate in a Home-Based program, 2) there will be no statistically significant difference in parental locus feelings of control of parents who participate in a Home-Based program and parents who do not participate in a Home-Based program, and 3) there will be no statistically significant difference in parent-child interaction between parents and toddlers who participate in a Home-Based program and between parents and toddlers who do not participate in a Home-Based program.A null hypothesis of no difference between the means of the groups was rejected if the computed statistics, the F ratio from an analysis o f variance or a t value from a t test, exceeded the appropriate tabled value for the .05 level of confidence.A statistically significant difference was found to exist between the experimental and control groups in the physical, social, and intellectual development of toddlers. No statistically significant difference was found to exist between the experimental and control groups on parental locus of control. No statistically significant difference was found to exist between the experimental and control groups on parent-child interaction.The following inferences may be drawn from this study: 1) education of young children need not be jeopardized by the ill effects of poverty, early intervention through a Home-Based program may increase the attainment of toddlers, 2) the role of parents is significant in the development of the young child. The role of parent as teacher may be strengthened through the acquisition of pedagogical skills necessary to stimulate more development in young children.

Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2007. / "Publication number AAT 3281729"

Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2007. / "Publication number AAT 3266328"

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Sharon Walpole, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massey University, Palmerston North, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1987. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Jeannette E. Fleischner. Dissertation Committee: Linda Hickson Bilsky. Bibliography: leaves 141-157.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2005 / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 193 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-170).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Stuart Reifel. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-74).