Research on staff development suggests that teachers are more likely to benefit from training if they are able to learn on their own. This paper examines staff development for early childhood professionals, focusing on the need for an individualized approach and applying the findings to preschool education in Singapore. The paper considers the evolution of staff development from a patchwork of courses and workshops into a systematic plan of professional growth and maintains that early childhood educators need further professional training beyond their initial degree. In addition, the paper points to the importance of opportunities for early childhood teachers to reflect upon their teaching and to assess their ability to cope with classroom problems. The paper identifies an individualized approach to staff development that considers the organizational dynamics of the school as the most effective approach. A 5-step process of individualized staff development as described by D. Clough (1991) is summarized: (1) teacher/principal planning conference; (2) professional growth activities; (3) progress update conference; (4) continued professional growth activities; and (5) summative teacher/principal conference. The paper concludes by noting that an individualized approach to early childhood teachers' professional development offers an alternative to the traditional inservice training program. (KB)