Publisher's Synopsis
A contribution to the evaluation of nursery practice in Britain, this "natural history" of the activities of children and caring adults presents a comparative study of four types of provision for the under-fives - nursery schools, nursery classes, playgroups and day nurseries. The authors look at the "play" of three to five-year old children and the activities of the adults who care for them. They examine in detail children's choices of materials and their use of them, with special attention given to the way language is used by both children and adults during play. Also covered are the difference in the play activities of part-time and full-time nursery school children, and the transition from pre-school to first school.
