Description:
This book focuses on key issues and current research evidence of links between children's behavior in outdoor play environments and children's development. Specific attention is given to ways that outdoor play environments are extensions of other development settings, like the classroom or family. Since most work up to this point has focused on development in indoor classroom settings or in other developmental contexts, this book makes an important contribution.
Brief description: Craig H. Hart is Professor of Family Sciences at Brigham Young University.
Review Quotes:
"By focusing on playgrounds as a common theme, Children on Playgrounds offers some new perspectives on peer relationship research. As many peer relationships are played out (positively or negatively) on the playground, this perspective is particularly important because it is less visible to teachers and counselors. The inclusion of data from other countries will enable researchers to begin to answer questions about the respective roles of development and culture in children's social orientations." -- Patricia G. Ramsey, Mount Holyoke College
"These chapters represent the work of some of the field's outstanding researchers in children's peer relations, peer status, and children's friendships. The authors utilize appropriate research designs and multimethod approaches to generate reliable data that can be of use to educators and researchers alike." -- Andrew J. Stremmel, Virginia Polytechnic Institute