Children observe, listen, feel, taste, and take apart while exploring everything in their environment. Teachers can cultivate nature investigations with very young children by offering infants natural objects they can explore and investigate. When adults introduce nature in the earliest stages of development, children will be open to new ideas and…

The authors explore the importance of early attachments; the effects of separation on infants, toddlers, and 3-year-olds; and ways teachers can support children and families during separations. They discuss the predictable stages of the Emotional Cycle of Deployment, a model used with military families, and strategies teachers can use to help…

Reviews research on the early development of symbolic play. Suggests that symbolic play begins to emerge near the beginning of the child's second year and continues to play an important role in his or her development throughout the preschool years. Proposes basic techniques caregivers can use to facilitate and promote the development of symbolic…

Considers the ways in which young children, their families, and teachers and staff benefit from older adults' participation in early childhood and day care programs. Discusses the recruitment, screening, training, orientation, and supervision of older adults in early childhood programs. (BB)

In the few programs in which systematic evaluations have been conducted, quality day care has been found to be associated with intellectual gains, with the acquisition of adaptive social skills, and with healthy physical and emotional development. (Author)

Explores several approaches to infant/toddler education and offers suggestions for developing an effective program that reflects the best of what is known about how infants and toddlers grow and learn. (RH)

Nature studies are an often overlooked part of healthy child development. Living in urban or suburban areas can present a big obstacle to studying the natural world with any authenticity or depth. Quite often, the only sense of nature children have is from picture books, stuffed animals, play sets, and nature programs on television and in…

The challenge is ever present for NAEYC's chapter Affiliates to find new members who want to make a commitment to the organization and to have fresh, innovative ideas that will sustain local groups. Involving undergraduates in local Affiliates contributes to preparing the next generation of leaders, a necessary strategy for preserving and…

Gardens are complex and require a variety of skills. Gross- and fine-motor activities, science concepts, language and literacy development, math, and community involvement are all part of the preschool gardening project the authors describe. They list gardening books for children and suggest container gardens for urban school settings. The authors…

The author describes a parent art program, how it works, and ways to implement it. She emphasizes the strengths of parent programs as a way to support and enrich existing arts education, not as a replacement. Hansen describes the art kit--the adult's teaching resource--and the basic four-part process: presentation, demonstration, an art activity,…

Effective early childhood teachers use what they know about and have observed in young children to design programs to meet children's developmental needs. Play and active learning are key tools to address those needs and facilitate children's early education. In this article, the author discusses the benefits of active learning in the education of…

Contends that early childhood educators need to understand how exposure to computers and constructive computer programs affects the development of children. Specifically examines: (1) research on children's technology experiences; (2) determining best practices; and (3) addressing educators' concerns about computers replacing other developmentally…

Reviews two videos. "Caregivers Guide for Drug Exposed Infants" addresses the effects of fetal drug exposure on children's physical, emotional, and social development and illustrates caregiving techniques. "Foundations for Being a Successful Director" offers professionals advice on stress in the workplace, taking care of…

Provides an overview of research on the effects of maternal employment on child behavior and development. (CM)

Television for children can help them broaden their experiences, develop values and understand more about human feelings. An example of this type of educational television is Ripples," a series of 15-minute color programs for in-school viewing by children in kindergarten and early primary grades. (AJ)