Many early childhood educators are seriously concerned about bullying and aggression. Children's negative social behaviors also dominate the media and are the focus of much current research. Recent studies result in some progress in understanding the early origins and harmful effects of physical and relational aggression and designing…

Most children engage in rough play, and research demonstrates its physical, social, emotional, and cognitive value. Early childhood education settings have the responsibility to provide children with what best serves their developmental needs. One of the best ways teachers can support rough play is by modeling it for children. When adults model…

Children begin forming social and emotional intelligence at birth. They need the support of a caring adult at first, and then later interactions with peers, in order to encounter the experiences that will guide their brain development in the social and emotional domains. With the help and input of others, children begin to understand, express, and…

It is important for teachers to make the activities they present, including games, opportunities to promote children's development in one or more domains. Teachers need to select games that are developmentally appropriate. It is relatively simple to modify traditional games, such as Musical Chairs or Simon Says, to be cooperative instead of…

Teachers of infants need a large bunch of key ideas and activities of all kinds to unlock in each child the treasures of loving kindness, thoughtful and eloquent use of language, intense active curiosity to learn, willingness to cooperate, and the deep desire to work hard to master new tasks. Teachers can tune in to each child's special…

"Joint productive activity" (JPA) is a research-based strategy for effective teaching and learning. JPA fosters social and cognitive development among young learners. In this article, the authors describe JPA, connect the research to practice, and discuss how they use JPA at their early childhood center.

Suggests that parents can encourage independence, self-reliance, and healthy self-concept by involving children in appropriate household tasks. Describes a six-week project designed to encourage parents to attain this goal. (KS)

Reviews strategies and techniques to enhance prosocial development. Suggests ways for involving whole classrooms, entire school systems, parents, and communities in creating classroom and home climates for prosocial expectations and learner support. Gives specific activities, strategies, guidelines, and resources. (ET)

Discusses the use of authentic assessment during creative learning activities in kindergarten classrooms to document growth and support further learning. Provides an example of how authentic assessment was used to document the social progress of one child during kindergarten. Concludes that authentic assessment of children's activities and…

Discusses research which shows the development of compliance in infants and young children. Describes the relationships between compliance and attachment to parents, childrearing style, timing and setting of control techniques, and development of self-control and problem-solving abilities. Discusses the importance of mother-child relationships for…

Suggests looking at group dynamics when managing conflicts between children in the classroom. Uses an example from the classroom to demonstrate how teachers can facilitate safe and fair conflict management, increase cooperative behavior, and, as a result, contribute to children's self-esteem. Discusses careful observation in the classroom,…

Discusses effects of peer relationships on preschoolers' social development. Peer acceptance is important for successful social interaction and adjustment to school, whereas antisocial behavior is associated with rejection. Family interaction and experience are connected to peer acceptance. Suggests approaches that teachers may use to facilitate…