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The idea that a seemingly frivolous activity such as play can promote children’s literacy development is very intriguing and has prompted a large amount of research activity over the past several decades. In order to assess the status of this line of inquiry, and to provide guidance for future research, we undertook a critical analysis of 20 recent investigations of the play–literacy interface. We first attempted to understand the ‘story’ that each study told–how the problem was framed, the solution path, the claims that were made, and the evidence that supported these claims. We then engaged in critical analysis of the studies, challenging both what was said (i.e. the claims) and what was not said nor addressed. We agreed with the major claims of 12 of the 20 studies, judging the research to be sound and complete. These studies supplied strong evidence that play can serve literacy by: (a) providing settings that promote literacy activity, skills, and strategies; (b) serving as a language experience that can build connections between oral and written modes of expression; and (c) providing opportunities to teach and learn literacy. However, our critical analysis of these studies also revealed a number of limitations and unresolved issues, including concerns about definitions, theories, methodology, lack of progress in establishing causal connections with development, and dominance of the ‘play as progress’ rhetoric.

S Children's earliest discoveries about written language are closely tied to daily activities as they interact with others in writing and reading situations. Thus, one way to examine literacy in its earliest forms is to explore literacy knowledge in the practice of ongoing activity. Using activity as the basic unit of analysis (Leon'tev, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978), this study investigated young children's literacy activity within play settings designed to reflect authentic literacy contexts in children's real‐world environment. Three literacy‐related settings were created in an Even Start preschool class: post office, restaurant, and doctor's office. Over a 7‐month period, 30 preschoolers (fifteen 3‐year‐olds; fifteen 4‐year‐olds) were observed 1 day a week as they engaged in their free‐play activity. Data were qualitatively analyzed using the constant‐comparative approach, and five key features of context described. Results of the study indicated that in the course of play activities, children demonstrated declarative knowledge about literacy (e.g., roles, and names of literacy objects), procedural knowledge (e.g., routines), and strategic knowledge (e.g., metacognition). In these contexts, 3‐ and 4‐year‐old children adapted the tools of literacy for specific purposes and engaged in strategic behaviors in a variety of problem‐solving situations, giving evidence to the rich repertoire of literacy knowledge and inventive heuristics they bring to these informal settings. Los primeros descubrimientos de los niños acerca del lenguaje escrito están estrechamente relacionados con las actividades en las que están inmersos mientras interactúan con otros en situaciones de escritura y lectura. Por lo tanto, una forma de examinar la lectoescritura en sus formas iniciales es explorar el conocimiento de la lectoescritura en la práctica de actividades en curso. Usando la actividad como unidad básica de análisis (Leonátev, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978), este estudio investigó las actividades de lectoescritura de niños pequeños en situaciones de juego diseñadas para reflejar contextos de lectoescritura auténticos en el entorno del mundo real de los niños. Se crearon tres situaciones de lectoescritura en una clase de Jardín de Infantes: el correo, el restaurante y el consultorio del médico. Durante un período de siete meses, se observó a 30 niños (15 de tres años; 15 de cuatro años), un día por semana, mientras estaban deDIE dicados al juego libre. Los datos se analizaron cualitativamente usando el enfoque constante‐comparativo y se describieron cinco rasgos clave del contexto. Los resultados del estudio indicaron que, en el curso de las actividades de juego, los niños demostraron conocimiento declarativo acerca de la lectoescritura (p.ej., roles y nombres de objetos viculados a la lectoescritura), conocimiento procesal (p.ej., rutinas) y conocimiento estratégico (p.ej., metacognición). En estos contextos, los pequeños de 3 y 4 años adaptaron las herramientas de la lectoescritura a propósitos específicos y se involucraron en comportam...

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This study examined the effects of adult mediation and literacy-enriched play settings on environmental and functional print tasks for 177 minority preschoolers reared in poverty. Eight Head Start classrooms were assigned to one of three conditions: (a) a literacy-enriched generic ' 'office'' play setting with an adult (referred to as "parent-teacher") encouraged to actively assist children in learning about literacy; (b) a literacy-enriched off ice play setting with a parent-teacher asked to monitor the children in their literacy play, without direct intervention; and (c) a nonintervention group. Prior to, during, and following the 5-month intervention, the frequency of each child's handling, reading, and writing of environmental and functional print was assessed through direct observation. Videotaped samples of the off ice play setting, collected weekly throughout the study, examined children's uses of print and functional items and their interactions with peers and parent-teachers. Following the intervention, each child was administered environmental and functional print tasks. Results indicated that although no differences were found for children's understanding of the functions of print items, parentteachers ' active engagement with children in the office setting significantly influenced their ability to read environmental print and label functional items. Qualitative analyses further detailed activities and strategies used in representative play frames. These findings suggest that adult interaction in literacyenriched play settings may represent an important opportunity for assisting minority children who live in poverty to think, speak, and behave in literate ways.