Play: The Pathway from Theory to Practice

by Sandra Heidemann, Deborah Hewitt

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.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Sandra Heidemann is an early childhood education specialist with decades of experience focusing on special needs. A former MN AEYC board president, she has worked as a teacher, trainer, and author, coauthoring Play: The Pathway from Theory to Practice. She lives in Minnesota.

Reviews

[Stacy Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for any early childhood educator or child care provider!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains many good ideas for facilitating play, the "real work of childhood", with young children. It includes tips on including children who are speakers of English as a second language and children with a variety of delays/disabilities. I especially appreciated the observational checklists of play behaviors and plan to use them in assessing progress toward IEP goals.

[Kay Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with lots of practical application. There is a checklist to help with observation and great suggestions to help children learn through play.