Craig H. Hart is Professor of Family Sciences at Brigham Young University.

"By focusing on playgrounds as a common theme, Children on Playgrounds offers some new perspectives on peer relationship research. As many peer relationships are played out (positively or negatively) on the playground, this perspective is particularly important because it is less visible to teachers and counselors. The inclusion of data from other countries will enable researchers to begin to answer questions about the respective roles of development and culture in children's social orientations." — Patricia G. Ramsey, Mount Holyoke College"These chapters represent the work of some of the field's outstanding researchers in children's peer relations, peer status, and children's friendships. The authors utilize appropriate research designs and multimethod approaches to generate reliable data that can be of use to educators and researchers alike." — Andrew J. Stremmel, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

• FOREWORDA. D. PellegriniACKNOWLEDGMENTSLIST OF CONTRIBUTORS1. Introduction: Toward a Further Understanding of Children's Development on PlaygroundsCraig H. HartPART I: History and Theory of Outdoor Play2. Historical and Contemporary Influences of Outdoor Play EnvironmentsLynn Hartle and James E. JohnsonPART II: Conflicts on Playgrounds3. Conflict and Context in Peer RelationsWillard W. Hartup and Brett Laursen4. Bullies on the Playground: The Role of VictimizationDan OlweusPART III: Playground Behaviors and Peer Relations5. Playstyles of Peer-Accepted and Peer-Rejected Children on the PlaygroundGary W. Ladd and Joseph M. Price6. Patterns of Social Behavior on the Playground in 9- to 11-Year-Old Girls and Boys: Relation to Teacher Perceptions and to Peer Ratings of Aggression, Withdrawal, and LikeabilityLisa A. Serbin, Keith Marchessault, Valerie McAffer, Patricia Peters, and Alex E. Schwartzman7. Using a Wireless Transmission System to Observe Conversation and Social Interaction on the PlaygroundSteven R. Asher and Sondra W. Gabriel8. Ethnic, Gender Partner, and Activity Preferences in Mixed-Race Schools in the U.K.: Playground ObservationsMichael J. Boulton and Peter K. SmithPART IV: Family Background Influences and Children's Playground Behavior9. Children's Aggressive and Socially Unskilled Playground Behavior With Peers: Origins in Early Family RelationsGregory S. Pettit and Amanda W. Harrist10. Parental Disciplinary Strategies and Preschoolers' Play Behavior in Playground SettingsCraig H. Hart, Michele DeWolf, and Diane C. BurtisPART V: Playground Behavior and Literacy Development11. When the Playground Enters the ClassroomBecky L. Reimer12. The Role of Soccer in a Narrative ContextKathryn M. Borman, Chester H. Laine, and Denis S. Lowe13. Themes in the Peer Relations Literature: Correspondence to Playground Interactions Portrayed in Children's LiteratureCraig H. Hart, Lea McGee, and Sue HernandezCONCLUSION14. Children on Playgrounds: Applying Current Knowledge to Future Practice and InquiryCraig H. HartINDEXES