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Children's play tells family members and early childhood teachers so much about development.

Nurturing relationships help young children develop their social and emotional wellness which includes their ability to play with others, learn new things and experience emotions. As you bond with your students, they’ll learn social and emotional skills by watching the way you handle situations and use your emotions. Here are three things you can do on a daily basis to support the development of these skills in your preschoolers: Teach Students to Resolve Conflict in a Healthy Way When children…

Early childhood professionals have individual preferences about how they like children to behave (Eddowes, Aldridge, & Culpepper, 1994). Early childhood professionals also play a critical role in helping children accept themselves as unique (Aldridge, 1993). While students preparing to work with young children learn about cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development, they often neglect to study personality development (Aldridge & Cowles, 1990). The study of personality is important because a child’s temperament influences the teacher more than the child’s intelligence…

Tested in classrooms by Instructor readers, these activities include hosting a math-and-science pumpkin party, creating masks from around the world, and keeping a tree journal.Read full story here.  

At times, getting a hold of my students' parents becomes quite challenging. My phone calls go unanswered. Any correspondence I send in the mail gets returned. Notes that are sent home with Junior do not make it into the hands of his mom or dad. This is why I recommend sending postcards. Most major bookstore chains have free postcards available near the exit doors. Here are some advantages for using postcards as a way to communicate with parents.Read full story…

Three-year-old Klaire called me on the telephone. “Grandma, look what I got!”  Amy, age five, was painting her original wood sculpture. The teacher passed by and commented, “Amy, I think you might like that better if you put on another coat.”  Accepting the teacher’s suggestion, Amy went to the lockers, selected a coat, and put it on as she returned to the painting area to find out if the teacher was right.Read full story here.

Many approaches to early childhood education don't place a major importance on learning outdoors, but nature is an important learning environment for children.

Valerie has been teaching three year olds for the last fifteen years. Many of the children in her classroom live in single parent homes or alternate caregiving situations (like children living with grandparents). Families cope with unpredictable schedules, multiple jobs, and sometimes unstable housing situations, along with high crime rates in their neighborhoods.Read full story here

How do you feel about your classroom design? Is there something you could change or tweak that would provide a better learning experience for the children in your care?

An early childhood environment is many things: It's a safe place where children are protected from the elements and are easily supervised, and it's where the important activities of the day take place, such as playing, eating, sleeping, washing hands, and going to the bathroom. Beyond the basics, however, an environment for young children implements and supports a program's philosophy and curriculum.Read full story here.