This book provides research in the area of educational play for early childhood teachers and teacher educators. Following an introduction by the editors, the chapters of the book are: (1) "A Historical Overview of Theories of Play" (Olivia Saracho and Bernard Spodek); (2) "Playing with a Theory of Mind" (Angeline Lillard); (3) "The Social Origins of Mind: Post-Piagetian Perspectives on Pretend Play" (Larry Smolucha and Francine Smolucha); (4) "Seeing through Symbols: The Development of Children's Understanding of Symbolic Relations" (David Uttal, David Marzolf, Sophia Pierroutsukos, Catherine Smith, Glorgene Troseth, Kathryn Scudder, and Judy DeLoache); (5) "The Development of Pretense and Narrative in Early Childhood" (Robert Kavanaugh and Susan Engel); (6) "Play as an Opportunity for Literacy" (Kathleen Roskos and Susan Neuman); (7) "Play and Social Competence" (Gary Creasey, Patricia Jarvis, and Laura Berk); (8) "Social and Nonsocial Play in Childhood: An Individual Differences Perspective" (Kenneth Rubin and Robert Coplan); (9) "Play in Special Populations" (Fergus Hughes); (10) "The Cultural Context of Children's Play" (Jaipaul Roopnarine, Jennifer Lasker, Megan Sacks, and Marshall Stores); (11) "Play and the Assessment of Young Children" (A.D. Pellegrini); (12) "What is Stylish About Play?" (Olivia Saracho); (13) "Physical Environments and Children's Play" (Joe Frost, Dongju Shin, and Paul Jacobs); and (14) "Real and Not Real: A Vital Developmental Dichotomy" (Brian Vandenberg). Each chapter contains references. (KB)