This guide for trainers offers a comprehensive child-centered perspective on training field workers in early childhood education. The theme of the role of play in child growth, development, and learning runs throughout the guide while its form, a series of structured exercises to help trainers handle all aspects of the subject, emphasizes the importance of appropriate training methodology. The first section of the manual helps trainees understand their own personalities, which is intended to help teachers assess their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the influences, attitudes, and values that underlie their interactions with children. The second section explores adult perceptions of children and childhood, building on a theoretical and researched base. The next two sections teach trainees aspects of program design such as the use of space, time, and materials, providing a systematic guideline to develop classroom programs and interactions. The fifth section describes several strategies and methods to enhance teacher skills in relation to individual expertise and the sociocultural context, with an attempt to develop value for local crafts in the classroom. The last section deals with strategies for parental involvement and community support. Five appendices give further details on movement, games for training, ideas for activities, selected videos useful in training, and science activities. Contains 46 references. (TJQ)