| Description |
xiii, 127 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (p. 115) and index. |
| Contents |
pt. 1. Sources of play. Domesticity: Houses and castles ; Housekeeping ; Family relationships ; Family tensions ; Animal families -- Scary stuff: Chasing, catching, escaping ; Catastrophes ; Death -- The environment: Holes and rocks ; Creatures ; Weather -- The curriculum: "Long ago and far away" -- pt. 2. Aspects of play. "Wishful thinking:" Changes in childhood ; Education and democracy ; The habits of democracy ; Habits of mind -- Laws, rules, and understandings: Natural and social laws ; Fairness ; Tradition and lore ; Playing and reality ; Observing play ; Children initiating rules ; Emotional safety ; Children as observers ; Establishing a playground culture -- Playing games: On the hardtop ; The games ; Choices ; Competition ; Physical exertion -- Age, gender, and race: Age and gender ; Sex, sexism, and race -- Influence of the media: TV, comics, toys, films, and video games: Popular media ; Limited direct effect of media influence ; Influence of the observer ; Violence ; School values -- Epilogue: Wondering about the future -- Appendix A: Mission Hill School, a Boston pilot school -- Appendix B: The Mission Hill newsletter. |
| Summary |
Why is play important in the lives of children? What crucial aspects of learning are being neglected in the current near-elimination of recess time in public schools? Playing for Keeps, co-authored by the well-known writer and educational leader Deborah Meier, and two colleagues with equally long experience in schools, explores these questions. Based on close observations on a public school playground, the book shows children at play in a relatively natural, unstructured environment. The reader is virtually there, seeing, listening in, able to appreciate the children's curiosity, humor, intelligence, and inventiveness. Readers will recognize the children's voices and ways of thinking, and perhaps be reminded of their own childhood, their own children, or the children they teach. The authors comment on the observations, adding to the reader's own perceptions. This lively, engaging book makes a strong case for the importance of free exploration, wonder, imagination, and play to the learning and growth of children. It should contribute significantly to the understanding of all those concerned, professionally or personally, with the welfare of our school-age population. |
| Subject |
Mission Hill School (Boston, Mass.)
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Playgrounds -- Massachusetts -- Boston.
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Play -- Social aspects -- Massachusetts -- Boston.
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Child development -- Massachusetts -- Boston.
|
| Added Author |
Engel, Brenda S.
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Taylor, Beth.
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| Other Form: |
Online version: Meier, Deborah. Playing for keeps. New York : Teachers College Press, c2010 (OCoLC)734735880 |
| ISBN |
9780807750957 (pbk : alk. paper) |
|
0807750956 (pbk : alk. paper) |
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