This article is the second in a two-part series. It presents an integrated overview of the construct of play and its development in infants, toddlers, and young children. The author describes developmental levels of play ranging from early sensorimotor— exploratory to symbolic play involving complex and planned multischeme sequences. In addition, functional components of symbolic play—agent, instrument, and scheme—are specified. Finally, the author presents a developmentally based, descriptive, and criterion-referenced protocol for the dynamic assessment of play in infants, toddlers, and young children.
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