In its fully revised second edition, this book is devoted solely to the study of sociodrama, a group learning process that provides practice in solving problems of human relations through action while uncovering the commonalities among people, allowing the thoughts, feelings, and hopes of all who participate to rise to the surface. This insightful guide helps participants in group work to come to a new understanding about themselves, each other, and the world at large by providing a living laboratory for practicing new and more satisfying ways to approach problems, clarify values, express feelings, and practice new behaviors. The theoretical and practical guidance offered in this book will help management and staff trainers, educators, psychotherapists, sociologists, theatre artists, pastoral counselors, and others in or planning on joining the help professions to provide a vital modality for energizing even the most passive groups. The expanded and revised second edition begins by showing the reader how to structure sociodrama sessions, how to facilitate the accomplishment of group goals through action, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of sociodrama directing. It also includes the historical and theoretical foundations of sociodrama so that the practice of sociodrama can be placed in larger context. The second part of the book focuses on the use of sociodrama in a variety of settings, including the work place, the school, the political arena, psychotherapy, and spiritual settings. This section also provides methods of marketing sociodrama and essays by other well-known sociodramatists from around the world. Students, scholars, and educators in the social sciences and the arts, as well as business professionals, will find Sociodrama: Who's in Your Shoes? an invaluable guide to this effective learning process.

Originally published in 1986, in this compendium of recent research on children’s play, acknowledged experts review the latest methodologies and ideas, examine salient problems, and reveal the application of current knowledge in several areas of professional practice at the time. Exciting new results embracing a wide area of investigation – the development and measurement of play in young children, the training of symbolic play, play and learning with computers, language play, play and handicapped children, play therapy, and outdoor play – will still be of considerable interest to teachers, nursery and day care personnel, social workers and students of psychology and education.

How do we save play in a standard-driven educational environment? This edited collection, Play and Literacy: Play & Culture Studies provides a direct answer and solutions to this question. Researchers and theorists have argued for decades that play is the best way to learn language and literacy for children. This book provides theoretical and historical foundation of connection between play and literacy, applied research studies as well as practical strategies to connect play and literacy in early childhood and in teacher education. This book features chapters on the history of play and literacy research, book-play paradigm, play in digital writing, book-based play activities, play-based reader responses, classroom dynamics affecting literacy learning in play, and using play with adults in teacher education such as drama-based instruction. Variety of chapters addressing the strong connection between play and literacy will satisfy the readers who seek to understand the relationship between play and literacy and implement ways to use play to support language and literacy.

This book overviews the sociolinguistic and psychological approaches to studying play and literacy. It offers research studies that relate different aspects of play to emergent reading and writing behaviors. The use of certain language structures, storybook reenactments, literacy activities during play, and notions of reality and pretense are considered. It also presents applied research on how manipulation of play environments, teacher involvement in play, and play training can promote literacy growth.

Play has been presented as the ideal intervention for almost every conceivable kind of problem experienced by children: emotional problems, attention disorders, learning difficulties, and social isolation. In this ground-breaking book, leading play theorists, researchers, and practitioners present their opinions and research results about the influence of play and of special play programs on different aspects of child development. The first section explores why play therapy is used and what play's specific role is in the classical play therapy approach. The second part is devoted to experimental play programs for different types of children with special needs. In the last section, the effects of modern play approaches in primary schools are discussed as well as the influence of these play interventions on cognitive and social skills. This is a book for practitioners and theorists in the field of play, who are not just uncritical consumers or idealizers of play, but who are concerned in searching for the real value of play in various therapeutic and educational settings.