About me
Dorothy Sluss has spent a lifetime studying how young children grow and develop through play. She began as a teacher in the preschools and primary schools of southwest Virginia for over a decade and worked with the governor’s office to pilot the first publicly funded program for four-year-old children. Earning her doctoral degree at Virginia Tech, she worked at East Tennessee State University, Clemson University, the College of William and Mary, and James Madison University. Dr. Sluss has authored numerous articles and published four books including her latest, Supporting Play: Environments, Curriculum, and Assessment (2018, 3rd Ed).
Dr. Sluss served as a board member and vice-president of the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education and has been a leader in the National Association for the Education of Young Children having served as a presenter and college program reviewer for the past twenty years. Additionally, she has server as the president of the United States chapter of the International Play Association (IPA/USA), American representative on the international IPA board, president of The Association for the Study of Play (TASP), and president of the Virginia Association of Teacher Educators.
She has received the Brian Sutton Smith Award for Outstanding Play Scholarship, the Edgar Klugman Award for Contributions to Play Research, the International Play Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Play Advocacy, and the Dr Play award. She also received the Clemson University HDER Teaching Award and was recognized as a Madison Scholar at James Madison University.
Upon her retirement from James Madison University in 2017, she was recognized with the designation of Professor Emerita. She continues to write and advocate for the young child’s right to play.