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Kansas Kids Ready for Learning

Play and Young Children

Two adults playing with two infants
"Children who experience success are more likely not only to want
to repeat the experience, but to want to take on new or more difficult
challenges as well. Play gives children the opportunity for success." -Rogers & Sawyers, 1988


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What We Know Age Level:
Newborn Development 0-3 months
Newborns Play and Learning 0-6 months
Infant/Toddler Play As A Way Of Enhancing Intellectual, Social & Emotional Development 0-3 years
The Beginnings of Literacy 0-3 years
Understanding Early Literacy 0-5 years
Developing and Supporting Literacy-Rich Environments for Children 0-8 years
More Evidence on how Play Enhances Cognitive Development 0-8 years
Providing a Literacy-Rich Home Environment 0-8 years
Better Kid Care: Play Is the Business of Kids 0-12 years
Babies Play and Learning 3 months – 1 year
Toddlers Play & Learning 1 – 2 years
Becoming Aware of Print (video) 2-5 years
NewPlay: A Vygotskian Approach, ages 2-5 years (video) 2-5 years
Draw Me a Story, Dance Me A Poem: Integrating Expressive Arts Fosters Emergent Literacy 2-6 years
What Are Children Learning When They Play 2-6 years
Dramatic Play 3-5 years
Preschoolers Play and Learning 3-5 years
NewTeacher Play Interaction Styles and Their Impact on Children’s Oral Language and Literacy Play 3-5 years
The Role of Pretend Play in Children’s Cognitive Development 3-8 years
Telling Stories with Blocks: Encouraging Language in The Block Center 3-6 years
Chopsticks and counting Chips: Do Play and Foundational Skills Need to Compete for Teacher’s Attention in an Early Childhood Classroom 3-6 years
Literacy-Rich Environments 3-8 years
Play and Literacy 3-6 years
From Play to Literacy: Implications for the Classroom 3-8 years
The Importance of Being Playful 3-8 years
The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play 3-8 years
Puzzles in Early Childhood Education: Putting the Pieces Together 3-8 years
When Children Imitate Superheroes 3-8 years
Block Play: Building a Child’s Mind 3-8 years
3-8 years
3- 12 years
5-6 years
5-8 years

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Activities Age Level:
Infant Play: Growth and Development Birth-1 year
Investigations: A Responsive Approach to Infant Curriculum 0-3 years
Learning Numbers Through Play 0-5 years
Making Music: Literacy Tips for Parents 0-6 years
Activities to Help Your Child Learn About Language 0-6 years
Educational Literacy Activities 2-6 years
Finger Plays and Action Verses For Children 2-8 years
Learning through Water Play 2-8 years
Rapid Naming 3-6 years
Prongo Fun Games 3-6 years
Creative Play Helps Children Grow! 3-6 years
Dramatic Play and Literacy 3-6 years
Nine Great Times to Read in Child Care Settings 3-6 years
Literacy Activities for Day Care and Preschool Settings 3-6 years
Literacy Activities for Kindergarten 3-6 years
Dramatic Play Theme Ideas 3-8 years
Toys: Tools for Learning 3-8 years
Draw Me A Story, Dance Me A Poem: Integrating Expressive Arts Fosters Emergent Literacy 3-8 years
Are We There Yet? Make Literacy a Part of Your Family Vacation 3-8 years
Creating a Literacy-Rich Classroom 3-8 years
Make the Connection: Technology and Literacy 3-8 years
Invention Playhouse 3- 12 years
Preschool/Kindergarten Activities 4-6 years
Pounce the Word matching Game 5-6 years
Invention at Play 5-10 years
Connecting a Computer Center to Themes, Literature, and Kindergartens’ Literacy Needs 5-7 years
6-8 years
6-9 years

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Special Needs Age Level:
Learning through Play: My Baby's Hearing 0-3 years
Universal Design for Play Tool 0-3 years
The Effect of Disabilities on Play Skills 0-5 years
Toys and Playtime Tips for Children with Special Needs 0-5 years
Universal Design Means Toys for Everyone 0-5 years
Identifying Toys with Universal Design Features: Multiple Considerations 0-5 years
Tactile Symbols 0-5 years
Toys and Playtime Tips for Children with Special Needs 0-5 years
Toy Adaptations 0-8 years
Play and Children with Special Needs 0-8 years
0-8 years
Promoting Positive Learning Outcomes through an Activity Base Approach with Young children with Severe Disabilities 2-6 years
2-10 years
3-5 years
Activity Ideas for Students with Severe/Profound/Multiple Disabilities 3-12 years

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