Molly wrote this article thirteen years ago. It is a fitting counterpart to the preface of this publicaton because it predicts the role of nature across the planes of education even before the Erdkinder was tested. The article combines contemporary environmentalists with Montessori's seminal insight into the developmental impact of nature on the…

The author describes a model designed to "improve science learning in 30 minutes" using an alternative perspective on a language-based kinaesthetic approach to teaching science. Identification of pupils' learning styles is commonplace throughout the education system, using the simple model of establishing whether the learners are…

The conversation about young children and their use of technology has dramatically changed over the past ten years in the early childhood education community and in the general public. It appears the debate has moved forward from the question posed by Vail (2001) in her article titled, "How Young Is Too Young? When It Comes to Computer Use,…

Young children are frequently exposed to sounds such as speech and music in noisy listening conditions, which have the potential to disrupt their learning. Missing input that is masked by louder sounds can, under the right conditions, be "filled in" by the perceptual system using a process known as perceptual restoration. This experiment…

Infant/toddler teachers take a child-centered, emergent approach, meaning that they observe the children at play, ask themselves what they are interested in learning, and design developmentally appropriate curricula to meet and extend those interests. This curriculum development technique leads to "possibilities for the child to develop deeper…

The role of caregivers requires that they continuously assess the needs and performance of children and provide the support necessary for them to achieve their potential. A thorough understanding of child development, including the role and impact of sensory development, is critical for caregivers to properly evaluate and assist these children.…

Three-dimensional mind maps are a highly effective tool for providing engaging, kinaesthetic and sensory experiences for young children, with real objects used to promote the sharing of knowledge and the creation of connections. The use of real objects allows children the opportunity to connect with those objects at a personal level, thus placing…

It used to be thought that there were only five senses: touch, vision, hearing, smell, and taste. It is now known that a person has two additional senses. They are the proprioceptive sense, which allows individuals to know where their body parts are located in space, and the vestibular sense, which allows individuals to detect motion. However, in…

Early childhood educators use several learning centers in a classroom to target growth in different developmental areas, but as a preschool teacher, the author was always impressed by how children addressed multiple areas of development at the sensory table. Understanding that sensory experiences were important for preschoolers, the author wanted…

In this article, the author responds to a teacher's request for an advice on how to help a 5-year-old child in her class who has difficulty moving from place to place. The author states that the child has a problem on processing information and sensations that have to do with what he sees. This is called "visual-spatial processing" or…

This study examined the effectiveness of Sensory Stories on "circle time" behaviors in preschool children with autism. This single-system ABA design with a convenience sample of four participants consisted of one week for each A phase and two weeks for the B phase. The intervention phase (B) consisted of reading a Sensory Story from one…

When their infants were 6 months of age, mothers were assessed for self-efficacy (low, moderate, and high illusory control) and knowledge of infant development to determine their impact on mothers' behavioral sensitivity and affect during a feeding task at 9 months (N=70). Mothers' sensory sensitivity to digital images of infants' negative and…

This paper reflects on a collaborative project between Manchester City Art Gallery and Manchester Metropolitan University (2003-2004). The project's aim was to attract very young children and their families to the gallery. This paper will not report directly on the research methods used or the outcomes of the project but, rather, will explore…

The body is probably one of a child's first science experiments. Young children are curious about their own bodies and how they work. They love to explore how they move (and do not move), the sounds they makes, how they look, how different textures feel on their skin, even how it tastes when they suck their thumb. Activities suggested in this…

This study examined exploratory behaviors used by 12 infants who were congenitally blind and 12 infants who were sighted to note similarities and differences in exploration. By including both groups of infants and matching the infants by age and their mothers' education, direct comparisons could be made between the groups. No differences were…