Children and Play by Peter K Smith
The role of play in child development is a source of ongoing interest and debate. In this book, renowned expert Peter Smith offers an expansive definition of the term “play”, taking an in-depth look at its impact on children, as well as its adaptive value for birds and mammals, including primates. Using both contemporary and classic research, Smith examines how different age groups and sexes participate in a wide variety of play, including exercise and rough-and- tumble play, fantasy play and imaginary friends, and play with objects. The book gauges the function of play in early childhood education and makes the case for and against recess breaks in school. How play occurs in different societies and among various populations – including children with special needs – is also explored. With its comprehensive coverage of theoretical, historical, cross-cultural, and evolutionary perspectives, Children and Play holds significant insights for parents, educators, and clinicians.
"In his new book Understanding Children's Worlds: Children and Play, Smith brings his considerable expertise to a wide range of issues. . Overall, this volume provides a readable summary of the current research and theory on children's play, and it would be an excellent textbook or supplementary reading for an undergraduate or graduate class on child development, social development, or children's play." (American Journal of Play, 2011)
Peter K. Smith is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is co-author of Understanding Children's Development and co-editor of The Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development and of The Nature of Play: Great Apes and Humans. He has written widely on children's play, especially pretend play training, and rough-and-tumble play.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780631235224 |
| ISBN 10 | 0631235221 |
| Title | Children and Play |
| Author | Peter K Smith |
| Series | Understanding Children's Worlds |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | John Wiley and Sons Ltd |
| Year published | 2009-04-09 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |