Book excerpt: Child Guidance Through Play gives child guidance theory, constructs, examples, and practical suggestions for dealing with the difficult behaviors seen among most children ages 2 to 7. This text is invaluable in providing practical applications and techniques for preservice and inservice teachers who use a play-centered active learning philosophy. You will also find many suggestions for limit-setting and developmental methods using play to facilitate development of the child's social skills. Features Demonstrates teacher's actions in setting limits with cartoon-like figures, providing a quick reference to content topics (Ch. 3). Provides a listing of resources including Internet sites for parents and pre-service teachers to consult when dealing with difficult behavior (Ch. 8). Key concepts are illustrated and personalized through the use of vignettes. Chapter 8 offers an inventory for pre-service teachers and parents to determine the type of play philosophy that is compatible with their values. Includes techniques by noted scholars and psychologists, including Erikson, Mahler, Freud, and Piaget. Author bio: Charles H. Wolfgang has provided discipline training nationally and internally for over 25 years. He has been a classroom teacher at the preschool, elementary, and middle school levels; a counselor in a boarding hig school; and a school principal and owner/manager of his own private preschool/day care center. His theoretical framework is based on his scholarly work as a professor of education at The Ohio State University, The University of Virginia, and Florida State University.