Inspired by a variety of early childhood educators' observations and writings, the authors reflected on what a joyful classroom looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Although "joy is a developmental need and a vital necessity", the current emphasis in early childhood and elementary programs on assessment, accountability, and increased academic…

Interactions are the daily exchanges in words and gestures one has with others. As a teacher, the interactions he/she has with young children can make a positive difference in their lives. A teacher's powerful interactions with children play an important role in their emotional well-being and learning. Powerful interactions are not the same as…

"Inclusion" has long been a term used to describe the practice of including a child with special needs in age-appropriate general education classes in their home schools. Increasingly, the term is being used to describe the process of including very young children--infants and toddlers--with special needs in a setting comprised mostly of children…

Research shows that when children do not transition successfully to kindergarten, their academic and social-emotional progress can be hindered, whereas children who transition successfully actively engage in learning and adapt to the new setting (Harbin et al. 2007). It is important for early childhood educators to consider the stress for children…

Physics is the study of forces and motion--the science of matter and energy and the interaction between the two. The big idea the children explore, as well as the question they ask as they engage in physical knowledge activities related to physics, is "How does it move?" Many teachers translate naturally as they come to know the children they…

An effective piece of documentation, such as evidence or an artifact, tells the story and the purpose of an event, experience, or development. In this comprehensive discussion of documentation, the author describes effective formats, discusses audience and purposes, and choosing a focus. She walks readers through the how and why, and in sidebars…

Often a young child's challenging behavior results from emotional flooding--being overwhelmed by one's emotions. The authors explain that in children, the "thinking brain," the cerebral cortex, is not fully developed, and children get emotionally overwhelmed more easily than adults because they process their experiences through the "emotional…

Children with only months of life experience and brain development are just beginning to learn social problem solving. No wonder young children frequently make mistakes! Teachers tend to complain about tattling more than any other behavior. To many teachers, tattling is irksome, but there is more to this behavior than meets the eye. In this…

Describes purpose of private speech and stages of development of private speech from birth to age 8. Details ways teachers can support children's gradual internalization of private speech. Outlines procedures for assessing private speech progress. Notes classroom implications related to anticipating children's thinking, asking children to answer…

Notes the dangers of "generic" early childhood curricula. Draws on a teacher's journal to describe letting preschoolers build their own learning from "natural" learning materials--including plastic and cardboard pipes, palm branches, buckets, chains and pulleys--and how the teacher supported their growth. (HTH)

Describes a classroom management approach called developmental discipline that incorporates observation with knowledge of the individual child, situation, and child development to guide appropriate behavior. Discusses factors associated with behavior problems and how teachers can work with parents to apply developmental discipline techniques and…

Explains the concept of autonomy and its significance in young children's development. Includes suggestions for teachers who want to provide a classroom environment supportive of autonomy. Also discusses the benefit of autonomy-based instruction for school performance. (JPB)

Discusses ways for early childhood educators to encourage young children's creativity in music. Argues that teachers often present music as a teacher-guided activity used to control children, and that musical education can be facilitated by allowing children to guide their own musical explorations. (JPB)

Step by Step (Early Childhood Program) is an education reform program to engender democratic principles and practices in young children and their families. The authors interviewed 15 teacher participants in the yearlong Step by Step training to learn how the training changed their teaching practices and how their new practices affect the children…

Describes Pillow Talk as a ritual in which teachers talk in a relaxed and natural way with individual children in the preschool classroom as naptime begins. Suggests that daily one-to-one interaction with children can yield numerous insights about children's language and emotions and provide effective communication and rich language-learning…