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…

Reviews research on three issues related to the first edition of the developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children: (1) the prevalence of DAP; (2) teachers and parents beliefs about DAP and influence of beliefs on practice; and (3) how appropriate and inappropriate practice…

Relates a preschool teacher's personal experiences and feelings about professional growth and development. Discusses the concept of professionalism, experiences illustrating the process of becoming a professional, negative aspects of professionalism, and the realization of professionalism. (TJQ)

FirstSchool is a school reform approach to early schooling for children 3 to 8 years old. It was developed over the past five years through a collaborative partnership among families, schools, communities, and institutions of higher education. The approach responds to the needs of all young children--especially in African American or Latino…

Problems of integrating children from early education programs (3-to-5-year-olds) into the structure and curriculum of kindergarten are discussed in relation to the changing roles of both kindergarten and early education teachers. (BRT)

Discusses the development of aggression in young children, methods for dealing with it and ways of helping children acquire more prosocial behaviors. (Author/SB)

Touch matters. Humans need nurturing touch for optimum emotional, physical, and cognitive development and health--especially in infancy. Positive touch lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain. Drawing on research and anecdotal evidence to support the importance of touch to children's well-being, the author makes a case for…

Author describes practical guidelines for teachers in handling the subject of death with young children. (Editor)

Discusses implications of the possibility that the state of New York will recommend that compulsory education for children begin at age four and that one year be taken off the top year of high school. Ways early childhood professionals might respond to the issue are indicated. (RH)

Maintains that teachers of young children--at the kindergarten level, for example--need to exhibit understanding rather than patience in working with these children. Asserts that patience is rarely necessary when one is understanding. (BB)

The authors describe the first stages of NAEYC's new initiative, Supporting Teachers, Strengthening Families. This national initiative is intended to help early childhood professionals in preventing child abuse and neglect and promoting healthy social and emotional development. The article reports on responses about these topics from 1,800 early…

Enumerates negative emotions that early childhood teachers may feel when first encountering the handicapped child and suggests ways to overcome these feelings. (KS)

Reviews current research on the individual temperament of young children and recommends strategies to understand and build upon children's personality strengths. Discusses the influence of adult perceptions and misperceptions on children's personality development. (DT)

Notes that educators familiar with factors that support resiliency can shore up protective mechanisms in young children. Defines resilience in children, discussing 11 protective strategies that teachers can employ to fortify resilience in children in areas of personal characteristics and traits, and family and community factors. Suggests that…

Describes the process of implementing a positive multicultural educational plan in the early-childhood classroom. Explores techniques in expanding teacher knowledge, changing teacher attitudes, and implementing new ideas; also covers skills necessary to making multicultural education effective, what the plan should teach children, opportunities…