American Journal of Play - Summer 2011

The newest edition of the American Journal of Play
is now accessible free online at www.journalofplay.org.

Children learn best through play according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play.

First, the importance of play in learning is evident in an in-depth interview with Lella Gandini, the Italian author and teacher and leading advocate for the Reggio Emilia approach to early-childhood education. See the full text at "Play and the Hundred Languages of Children: An interview with Lella Gandini." Next, play studies expert Scott G. Eberle explores how play relates to and amplifies Howard Gardner’s eight “multiple intelligences” in a thought-provoking essay, "Playing with Multiple Intelligences: How Play Helps Them Grow." Whether singing our ABC’s as children or practicing mental gymnastics in a game of chess, says the author, play brings delight and sharpens the senses as we acquire new skills.

Additional articles in this issue of the American Journal of Play include:

“Older-Adult Playfulness: An Innovative Construct and Measurement for Healthy Aging Research” by Careen Yarnal, Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Pennsylvania State University;  and Xinyi Qian, doctoral candidate in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Pennsylvania State University.

“Influences of Technology-Related Playful Activity and Thought on Moral Development” by Doris Bergen, Professor of Educational Psychology at Miami University in Ohio; and Darrel Davis, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Miami University.

“Fell Running and Voluptuous Panic: On Caillois and Post-Sport Physical Culture” by Michael Atkinson, Associate Professor in the Physical Education and Health Department, University of Toronto.

The American Journal of Play is published by The Strong in Rochester, New York. 

For more information, visit www.journalofplay.org.