Early childhood is a time of great creativity. Building creativity into the learning environment should be natural, organic, as observant teachers follow the child. This article provide tools for building creativity through play across the creative arts including dramatic play, movement and dance, music, and visual arts. Additionally, play and…

Suggests using books to nurture development of children's positive self-images by employing Narrative Therapy, a family therapy technique. Discusses guidelines to help children behave in more socially mature ways. Defines terms used in Narrative Therapy and gives examples of techniques. Lists children's books by therapy category and suggests ways…

Discusses sexuality as encompassing all areas of children's development. Suggests ways to use contextual situations to discuss body functions, body parts, and reproduction to foster healthy understandings of sexuality as children develop. Includes descriptions of best practices in early childhood education matched with developmental expectations…

Describes historical attitudes about the education of children with developmental delays by classifying the trends into four time periods: (1) forget and hide; (2) screen and segregate; (3) identify and help; and (4) include and support. Provides contemporary information about early childhood inclusion in the least restrictive environment…

Provides guidelines for teachers in inclusive classrooms to help children with disabilities learn language and communication skills during everyday activities and routines. Key elements described include collaboration among team members, collecting naturalistic assessment data, developing activity-based objects, preparing an activity matrix, and…

Argues importance of a flexible approach to educating physically and developmentally disabled children, one that allows children to learn and play with attention to age, stages, temperaments, personalities and individual needs. Notes that staff attitudes and willingness to adjust schedules, plans, room arrangement, curriculum, and expectations are…

Provides guidelines to prepare for and monitor successful inclusion programs for children who require individualized health-related intervention to enable participation in early childhood programs. The framework includes establishing standards for care that are comprehensive, coordinated, family-centered, culturally relevant, community-based, and…

Describes characteristics of homeless families and their living conditions. Presents characteristics specific to homeless children, and discusses strategies for working with homeless children and supporting their families in early childhood care and education settings. (HTH)

Discusses the importance of social skills in young children, and the need for "naturalistic" procedures rather than teacher direction to intervene in social development of children with disabilities. Presents strategies for supporting social behaviors in preschoolers that foster social skills development in areas including large- and…

Suggests that classroom teachers need to reexamine the ease with which they use rewards to shape desirable behavior in children. Examines external and internal control, and problems posed by the use of rewards. Provides examples of how teachers can help develop intrinsic motivation in students without tangible rewards. (HTH)

Presents three keys for designing successful circle time: multisensory experiences, multilevel instruction, and multiple opportunities to learn. Includes related, responsive strategies to accommodate "hard-to-engage" children during large-group activities. (HTH)

Illustrates how early childhood professionals can and do play an important role in providing secure and developmentally appropriate educational environments for young children by facilitating and improving teacher-family interactions. Provides strategies for improving family involvement. (BB)

Proposes a new model of family involvement in early childhood education that empowers families as lifelong learners. Strategies that empower families include advocating for family-centered communities; developing relevant parent education; promoting developmentally appropriate programs; providing success-oriented learning experiences and…

Describes how a first-grade class in East Texas learned to garden in a project that allows children to plant seeds and watch their plants mature while developing skills in mathematics, science, reading and writing, and interpreting a calendar. (SW)

Suggests a way of teaching science to young children that is consistent with Piaget's interpretation of the child's spontaneous animism and that elicits a personal and in-depth response to knowledge. Describes construction and use of an environmental bubble to enhance children's interest in the night sky. (SW)