The ability to address complex technological, ecological, social, and ethical challenges in the 21st century depends on developing a citizenry capable of innovation and higher-order thinking. Early childhood educators have the opportunity to help children acquire these abilities right from the start. Central to this endeavor is a more reciprocal…

Every child is different. Some have difficulty expressing their ideas verbally. Some struggle to get along with peers or follow classroom routines. In each case, however, one thing is the same: improved learning and behavior requires strong self-regulation skills. Children develop foundational skills for self-regulation in the first five years of…

Informational texts include books as well as text in other formats such as magazines, newspapers, and online articles. The primary purpose of informational text is to provide information about the natural and social world. Literacy research cites many reasons why nonfiction/informational texts should be included in primary classrooms. The…

What types of theater performances are appropriate for preschoolers? What might toddlers get out of a visit from a cellist who plays a song and demonstrates the different sounds she can make with her instrument? Would inviting a local jazz dance group to perform be beneficial for your early first-graders? The author spoke with a musician, the…

Good literacy instruction begins with immersing children in diverse texts--educators need to marinate students in literature so that, over time, it soaks into their consciousness and, eventually, into their writing. In this article, the author describes her experiences with a writing workshop for the 5- and 6-year-old children in her class. She…

Effective communication is essential for young children's academic and social competence. During the preschool years, children acquire the language and communication skills necessary to express their needs, thoughts, and feelings in social interactions, and they learn to respond appropriately to others. Through effective communication, they also…

When educators take play out of schools, children learn to separate play from learning. In reality, children access learning "through" play. Despite research efforts to promote the academic, physical, and cognitive importance of play in the lives of children, some school systems have reduced or eliminated playtime for young children. In…

The year 2010 is the 238th anniversary of Friedrich Froebel's birth, yet his spirit and philosophy of teaching are alive in the hearts and minds of 14 Texas early childhood teachers. In 2006, teacher education students at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), San Antonio, were inspired by Froebel, the founder of early kindergartens. Wanting…

Young children are actively working to make sense of the world, including what it means when people disagree about deeply held beliefs. Early childhood is a time when understandings of differences are formed. Guided explorations about differences in beliefs are important because they help children develop healthy attitudes about spiritual…

In the United States, only 2.2 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers and 5 percent of child care workers are men. Other countries have much higher rates, but the percentage of men in U.S. early education has remained between 2 and 3 percent for the last several years. There are many reasons why so few men become early childhood educators.…

Preschool and kindergarten classes in the United States are entering a time of unprecedented diversity and demographic transformation. Teachers must plan and implement a curriculum that reflects, supports, and values the varieties of cultural backgrounds, religious affiliations, socioeconomic classes, and language groups that children represent.…

Men matter to young children. Furthermore, people can see that men care about children. Men are, in fact, rare in early education and care settings. Nationally, men comprise 5 percent of the child care workforce and 2.2 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers. A representative, diverse workforce that promotes professional opportunities…

Self-regulation involves to the ability to both control one's impulses and engage in a particular behavior on demand. It is a skill used not just in social interactions (emotional self-regulation) but in thinking (cognitive self-regulation) as well. Research shows that children's self-regulation behaviors in the early years predict their school…

Throughout the course of life, all adults make transitions, so do young children. Because young children are more vulnerable in general and they have experienced far fewer transitions than adults, they often experience greater challenges. As a result, the field of early childhood education has historically expended much effort in understanding and…

The author spent four years embedded in a multilingual kindergarten classroom in which children spoke six different languages and several more years observing multilingual Head Start classrooms. She shares numerous examples of young dual language learners actively figuring out the way written language works in their first and second languages.…