Early childhood professionals take on numerous roles: They inspire; they nurture; they foster creativity in the young and impressionable minds of tomorrow. And while each one of these roles holds equal importance to the other, none is more important than the role of the observer. But when a teacher has 15, 20, or more children in his/her class, it…

Every early childhood program has its own aspirations for the children and families it serves. Whatever it is early childhood educators hope to achieve, their success will depend on how fully they are able to help each child and family develop a sense of belonging in their program. To learn is to risk and to venture--and most won't risk and…

Teachers' view of children and childhood is rapidly changing in response to the pressures of modern life, new research on brain development and learning, as well as the belief that many young children in the United States are not ready for school. There are powerful messages coming from commercial, social, and political interests, as well as from…

From the moment of birth, children form and develop relationships with others in their world based on exchange. Children recognize that engaging in such encounters offers them the opportunity to enter into a relationship with another individual and to nurture that relationship through the exchange of messages and gifts, items and ideas. At Boulder…