Research has indicated a gender disparity in early education environments in terms of student-teacher interaction, fostering of different types of play, varying use of praise and gender-specific messages, and stereotypical messages in literature or play materials. This article outlines areas within a classroom that teachers or child care providers…

Discusses how young children with disabilities may be supported in environments with same-aged peers without disabilities. Examines the unique issues involved in supporting young children, and presents guidelines to help practitioners and families make informed decisions about creating supports for young children. Delineates examples of…

Uses ecological perspective to discuss the basic needs of young homeless or transient children and how early-childhood practitioners can meet their immediate and long-term needs. Presents suggestions for supporting homeless/transient children in the classroom. Discusses how empowering teachers can create more positive attitudes toward, and…

Describes the development and use of the Verbal Plan and Evaluation program, an instructional model applicable for free play time and based on Vygotsky's view that teachers' active involvement in children's verbalization of planning and evaluating play activities facilitates the development of their mental processes. Presents teaching strategies…

As a teacher deals with the frustrations of classroom management and her fears concerning control, she finds what it means to "let go" to the process of living and learning with young children. Her method of dealing with issues of classroom community involves teacher reflection on action, listening to stories of children, and telling stories of…

Describes how dance was incorporated into African and Native American cultural study units. Notes that when dance was used, children's participation level was high and they showed evidence of integrating new knowledge into current information. Provides suggestions for educators to teach dance to students through increasing body awareness,…

Discusses the effect early-childhood educators have on children's identity development--their stories of themselves. Examines children's abilities to produce narratives, and considers the role of nonverbal expression in the making of children's identities. Notes the social context of these stories. (JPB)

Highlights points that guide the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education: the learner is a social being who possesses rights and is an active constructor of knowledge; the instructors' role is one of collaborator and co-learner, guiding and facilitating, as well as researching; and knowledge is socially constructed, encompassing…

Describes the dispositions comprising decency. Discusses how children acquire a sense of decency through the learning cycle of caring and serving, and describes how serving and caring strategies in family and school can promote decency through caring for self, others, the environment, and through service to others. Emphasizes the importance of…

Notes that, while children are born with an innate curiosity to learn, by the time they reach school, their motivation has often been lost or replaced by extrinsically motivated learning strategies. Discusses the development of intrinsic motivation in the early childhood years, and how teachers and caregivers can foster and strengthen it. (TJQ)

Observes that the major challenge teachers confront is resisting the urge to be a "know-it-all," to dispense facile answers, to stop the inquiry. Concludes that only after surmounting the fear of being without an answer and after a conscious decision is made to listen thoughtfully can real learning begin. (SD)

Describes rationale and first-week-of-school activities of a project to implement multi-age classrooms composed of kindergarten, first, and second grade students who spend 3 years in that classroom. Notes that the project's goal is to empower children as learners by allowing them to help design the curriculum and set goals for their own learning.…

This article explores conversations between preschool children and their teachers in the classroom environment. Teachers have an opportunity to engage students in cognitively challenging conversations at critical times during the day: book reading, playtime, and mealtimes. The article provides examples of the types of conversations preschool…

Current demands for professionalism from society are great, and future educators are concerned that they do not have the stamina and resources to fulfill their personal roles. This research examines 453 reflective writings of 151 preservice teachers, child and youth care providers, and counselors who, despite being asked to identify how their…