Developed as a companion volume to the very successful The Play's the Thing, this book defines and analyzes the concept of master player based on videotaped observations of preschool children at play. By inter weaving sequences of play together with their dialog about them, the authors model how teachers can work as a team to develop their understanding of a particular child and of the value of children's quality play and how they can support it. The in-depth discussion between the authors reveals the multi-faceted nature of play, individual differences in both teachers' and children's styles, and the complexity of intervention decisions made by teachers.