This guide for teachers of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds focuses on the observation and direction of learning through play. Each chapter covers a specific curriculum area: Block Building, The Graphic Arts, Woodworking, Manipulative Materials, Modeling Materials, Paste and Collage, Sand, Water, Food, Housekeeping, Music and Movement, Physical Activities, Books and Stories, The Social Studies, The Communication Arts, Science, Mathematics, and Planning and Management. Included in each chapter are several worksheets designed to direct the teacher's attention toward the way materials and equipment are used by the children, how the classroom functions, what children learn in a particular setting, and the role of the teacher in helping the children. Also included are discussions of what is to be learned, and lists of objectives, behavioral indications, pretests and posttests, and additional theoretical and practical resource materials. (SG)