Addressed primarily to those involving in teaching 3- to 5-year-olds, this book focuses on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are the heart of effective nursery teaching. The book emphasizes the climate of change within which the nursery teacher in Great Britain operates, and the ways in which teachers need to work with their teams to develop practice to take into account educational developments and societal changes. Chapter 1 describes the nursery team and presents leadership challenges for nursery teachers. Chapter 2 discusses the role of the early years coordinator, including policy development and staff development. Chapter 3 examines how nursery teachers can help children feel at home in the nursery setting and focuses on children's needs for equality of opportunity, physical security and safety, and emotional security. Chapter 4 discusses ways to help children develop social strategies and ways to organize space and time to enhance children's learning. Chapter 5 presents information on recordkeeping, curriculum planning, and child assessment. Chapter 6 discusses learning goals for young children, responsive teaching, ways teachers enable children to learn, and the role of play. Chapter 7 examines the nursery teaching profession and includes discussion of personal development, societal changes, the role of personal responsibility, and ways teachers can be agents of change for improving the status of early years teaching. Chapter 8 focuses on current issues in nursery education in Great Britain, including teacher qualifications, educational choice, curriculum and assessment, equal opportunity, and teacher training. (Contains approximately 175 references.) (KB)