Vivian Gussin Paley was an American pre-school and kindergarten teacher, early childhood education researcher, and author. Despite her status in the field today, she described the first thirteen years of her teaching career as "uninspired and uninspiring." She channeled her classroom experiences and observations into her writing, focusing on themes of communication, play, and children's moral development. Her works are valued for their deep insights into children's thinking and their empathetic approach.
Written by a recipient of a MacArthur award, this book focuses on the challenge posed by the isolated child to teachers and classmates alike in the community of the classroom. It is the story of Jason - the loner and outsider - and his triumph and homecoming into the society of his classmates.
In this look at the moral dimensions of the classroom, MacArthur Prize-winning educator Vivian Paley introduces a new rule - You can't say you can't play - to her kindergarten students. Paley uses this rule to explore how to keep children from being ignored by their classmates.