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People are not born with a conscience. Conscience does not appear because of "message" books with moral lessons or a grade school campaign for character or a high school course on ethics. Just as children are born to talk and walk, seeking positive social engagement is part of the fabric of humanity. Talking, walking, and caring, however, must have catalysts to flourish. For conscience, the catalyst is the care and guidance of parents, teachers, and other loving adults. The critical period for this catalyst is the first three years of life. Development of a conscience begins in early childhood with compassion and sympathy, followed by empathy. Together, compassion, sympathy, and empathy form the foundations of conscience during early childhood.

Akira, a 4-year-old boy, wanders into a classroom of 3-year-olds, observing the younger children. He goes over to Masaharu who is having a problem making a piece fit on a puzzle and offers him help. Masaharu succeeds and his mentor applauds his efforts. This interaction shows an older child supporting a younger child through scaffolding. Using scaffolding, a more mature or more competent peer or an adult might offer hints--without actually providing the solution--to help a child progress in a task. The interaction between Akira and Masaharu is indicative of how children in many Japanese preschools help each other. In Japanese preschools that subscribe to group-oriented approaches that strongly encourage children's social interactions, scaffolding between children, as well as between teachers and children, is evident everywhere. When scaffolding a child's learning, it is important to vary the degree of assistance, according to the learner's needs. Effective scaffolding depends on teachers' ability to engage children's interest and on their asking open-ended questions that support children's thinking and reflection. Questions should acknowledge children's existing knowledge and experiences, and guide their thinking to a higher level in their zone of proximal development. In scaffolding, children's active participation is important. Additionally, it is important for teachers to support children's scaffolding of other children's learning by offering them opportunities to do so and by encouraging younger and older children's interactions.

Miss Jessie was hired because she was bilingual, but she was placed in a class where most of the children did not speak English or her home language of Spanish. The children spoke Arabic, Korean, or Polish most of the time. Where does she start? Early childhood educators across the United States are asking similar questions. Teachers often report that they have three, four, or more languages in their classroom--and those languages keep changing from year to year. To add to the challenge, multilingual materials can be hard to find and costly. It is important for teachers to have as many tools as possible to help them meet the language needs of all children in this ever-changing landscape. In addition to books and other materials on hand, technology tools allow teachers to find multilingual resources and create activities and materials that can be adapted quickly and inexpensively to meet changing language needs. There are also software applications (apps) for computer, phone, or other electronic devices, and interactive websites that can support children's dual language experiences. In this article, the authors describe ways to use the technology teachers might already have and offer some new ideas to inspire them.

The topics including bullying, family diversity, homelessness, disabilities, and incarceration are often referred to as "tender topics." They can be difficult for teachers to explain to or discuss with children. In their work with children, families, and teachers, the authors have seen that it is not necessarily the topic that makes conversations difficult, but who they are as individuals that determines their comfort level in addressing these subjects. It is important to view tender topics not as problems, but as subjects that are part of the everyday lives of children and families. However, some might see these topics as problems because children and adults don't know how to approach them, and are uncomfortable talking about them. In this article the authors offer some storybook suggestions that they have used to explain to children about tender topics. (Contains 4 resources and 10 online resources.)

Many U.S. classrooms today have at least some children with limited abilities to understand and express themselves in English. Two critical factors spell success or failure for teachers who have dual language learners (DLLs) in their classrooms: the teacher's understanding of and respect for the initial difficulties in learning a second language and the teacher's ability to adapt learning experiences in a creative and playful manner. Acquiring a second language presents challenges that differ for individual children. It is less difficult when done as early as possible and prior to adolescence. The young dual language learner is better able to hear the "music," or "prosody," of the new language and therefore has less difficulty with phonology than do older children and adults. However, there are definite hot spots where children in preschool through the early primary grades need targeted support as they move through the multiple stages of second language building. This article offers six suggestions that will enable teachers to help children through these hot spots.

In a preschool class where the teachers speak only English and the majority of the children speak only Spanish, it is challenging to choose a topic that is interesting enough to engage all children in project work that supports language development. Luckily for the children, pizza is a delicious, familiar, and easily accessible topic to explore. To help dual language learners (DLLs) make real-world connections, one of the authors (Meredith) introduced the children to many new vocabulary words for items they would be using in the pizza restaurant (e.g., "pizza pan," "pizza cutter," "oven," "pot holder"). To provide opportunities for DLLs and English-speaking children to work together, the authors created small groups that reflected children's job preferences. As the children worked hard at the pizza restaurant, one author documented behaviors in the following categories: (1) social interactions between English- and Spanish-speaking children; (2) vocabulary words used and whether they were used appropriately; (3) how often dual language learners used English words and phrases related to the project work; and (4) whether the children showed pride in their work.

Writing and literacy development are crucial for the academic and social success of new language learners in the primary grades. Over the last 25 years, several terms have been used to describe the talents and needs of children learning new languages in early childhood settings. The term that the author prefers, and which he uses in this article, is "new language learners." It describes children still at an early stage of learning or "lacking fluency in a second or additional language but whose ultimate aim is to become as fluent as possible." New language learners need specialized support in linking oral and written language as they develop their writing skills. Of crucial importance in this process, and the focus of this article, is the successful integration of content (ideas, feelings, and information) with mechanics (punctuation, syntax, formats, and genres, such as how-to books, fairy tales, personal narratives, and poetry) across the K-3 spectrum (Meier 2011). This is "the" foundational stage for learning to write well for new language learners--it provides "developmentally appropriate and linguistically accessible" opportunities for writing growth. During these crucial years, new language learners gain accuracy in writing, confidence, motivation, and voice.

While children in a classroom of 4-year-olds are actively engaged during center-based learning, a small group begins constructing a tower using blocks of all sizes. Jose, Cindy, and Thomas are all at different stages of language development. Jose is a dual language learner (DLL) in the early stages of English language acquisition; Cindy is a DLL who speaks both Spanish and English at home; and Thomas is a native English speaker. From this interaction, Mrs. Blakley learns that this small group activity provides the time, space, and materials for the children to understand and practice key vocabulary through engaging and meaningful play. This observation will guide her future decisions about targeted instruction for language development. While some of the children have been identified as DLLs, Mrs. Blakley has determined through ongoing observation and child assessments that most of the children will need focused support in language development. She needs to intentionally design lessons, activities, and interactions that capitalize on the linguistic knowledge the children bring with them while she systematically fosters English language development.

Effective teacher educators reflect and upon reflection, make important changes to lessons, units, and instructional strategies. But have they ever considered the importance reflection has for students or what bearing "their" reflections have on them as their teachers? During the first six weeks of the (introductory) Child Development and (advanced) Child Care courses the author teaches at South Windsor High School in Connecticut, students learn about child development theories and milestones. In the introductory classes, students learn about terms such as "gross" and "fine motor skills" and "eye-hand coordination," and they learn about developmentally appropriate practice. Advanced students study theorists, including Vygotsky and Dewey. In this article, the author describes how she teaches child development courses in three phases that are circular in nature: (1) teaching; (2) experiencing; and (3) reflecting.

In this article, the author describes how placing a plastic, gazebo-style bird feeder outside the classroom windows one cold autumn morning had been a catalyst for capturing and inspiring the children's imaginations. This empowered them to explore self-directed activities that resulted in meaningful, collaborative learning for most of the school year and hopefully instilled a love of and respect for nature for their entire lives.

Teacher educators can learn an important lesson from strategies for teaching young children: (1) to question; (2) to practice; and (3) to reflect. These strategies lead to a more knowledgeable, supported, and empowered teacher--and ultimately an intentional one. "The hallmark of developmentally appropriate teaching is intentionality. Good teachers are intentional in everything they do" (NAEYC 2009). Effective teachers feel empowered to ask questions, and skilled staff developers understand how important it is for teachers to be intentional in their practice. The process of questioning, practicing, and reflecting is a continuous cycle. It leads to the goals of better teacher understanding, a feeling of support, and ultimately empowerment.

Adults often use simple words instead of complex words when talking to young children. Reasons vary from teachers' beliefs that young children cannot understand sophisticated vocabulary because they are too young or have limited language skills, to teachers' unfamiliarity with complex words or with strategies for supporting vocabulary. As a consequence, sophisticated vocabulary learning is thwarted and opportunities to nurture children's curiosity about words go unrealized. In this article, the author shows how to fortify the vocabulary knowledge of soon-to-be readers with "sophisticated vocabulary"--words that are high level, communicate subtleties in detail, and are less common in everyday parlance (sometimes called "rare words").

Providing high-quality education and care for young children at a historically Black university in rural South Africa was a challenging task. But despite many obstacles, two teacher educators (an American and a South African) worked together, partnered with a surprising collection of others, seized every possible opportunity, and persisted, seeing the plan through to fruition. In this article, they tell the story about the birth of the University of Limpopo's Child Development Centre in South Africa. They also describe how they met the biggest challenges in starting the child development center: insufficient funds and finding qualified teachers in a diverse culture. Partnerships were vital throughout the process. Positive relationships with parents, the management team, the labor union, an international copier company, a construction company, and a food vendor, to name a few--and with each other--not only strengthened the center's foundation but also strengthened relationships within the community.

More than 20 percent of children (ages 2-17) in the United States have witnessed and/or been victims of multiple forms of violence. Children from birth through age 5 are more likely to experience maltreatment and neglect than other age groups. Violence and trauma (including neglect), whether in the home or the community, have lasting effects on children's school readiness and ability to form relationships, yet services are not widely available for preschoolers affected by these stressors. An early education program can offer respite and support, bolster children's emotional resources, and respond to trauma so that children are ready to learn. Located in a San Francisco neighborhood with one of the highest rates of children witnessing violent crime in the city, the Visitacion Valley Therapeutic Nursery, which the authors created with colleagues and community members, was designed to meet the needs of some of the city's most troubled children. However, the principles and techniques followed are integral to all high-quality inclusive early care and education programs. Like other relationship-based interventions, the focus on child-teacher relationships and children's emotional health supported children's growth in all domains. The therapeutic classroom was a 10-year collaboration between two agencies: (1) a community early education program; and (2) the Children's Council of San Francisco, a resource and referral agency that provides mental health consultations. Set in the midst of a large multisite early education program in a community-based family service center, the therapeutic classroom was staffed by early education and mental health professionals. After 10 years the therapeutic classroom closed due to public funding cuts. However, the classroom had met its mission, responding successfully to traumatized and overwhelmed children and preparing them for school. The authors believe that the lessons they learned over the years can help and inspire others.

A group of six children from kindergarten/first grade class in a Reggio-inspired program were involved in a four-month project to design an outdoor area in which indoor materials could be used. Facilitated by teachers and student teachers, projects provide a venue for children's integrated, developmentally appropriate learning. Because they integrate so many ways of addressing a common topic, projects are a way for children to meet multiple standards. They provide an appropriate learning tool for preschool as well as elementary school-age children. In this article, the authors describe the Inside-Out project, which highlights the importance of relationships with others in a school community. By thinking from the perspectives of the children and adults with whom they shared the facility, the small group of kindergarten and first grade children gained valuable relationship-building skills.

Strengthening Families is a relationship-based child abuse and neglect prevention initiative started nationally in 2001 through a partnership between the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) in Washington, DC. Thirty-five states and several thousand early childhood programs nationwide implement Strengthening Families in early care and education settings. The states and programs build research-based protective factors into early childhood systems and programs to prevent child abuse and neglect. Protective factors are positive attributes that strengthen all families, not just those at risk for child abuse and neglect. The factors incorporate principles and practices regarding relationships, families, and community engagement from the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, Head Start Program Performance Standards, and other measures of quality in early childhood education. Illinois became a pilot state for implementing Strengthening Families in early 2005. The Strengthening Families Illinois (SFI) leadership team includes early childhood professionals and parent leaders representing more than 40 partners--early childhood programs, agencies, community organizations--committed to embedding protective factors in their services for children and families. SFI engages families, bridges the gap between early childhood programs and the child welfare system, and develops early childhood learning networks. What makes the difference when Illinois early childhood programs build successful, collaborative relationships with families? The difference is staff's desire to shift and deepen their practice and to change practices that may be subtle barriers to closer staff-family connections. The shift from being child centered to family centered is difficult. It requires professional development, new practices, reinforcement, tools, and new ways of interacting with families and colleagues. But the benefits are profound.

Children thrive in inclusive settings where each child is an important part of the community. When differences are celebrated and similarities discovered, children learn to value themselves, appreciate their peers, and develop meaningful and significant relationships with one another. A sizable body of research indicates that promoting positive contact and cooperation between people of different groups (e.g., different ethnicity, race, developmental ability, or gender) can improve intergroup attitudes and relationships. Often the preschool years mark a child's introduction to the world of peers and peer relationships. In early childhood programs, friendships foster a sense of connection and security and build self-esteem and self-confidence, helping young children adapt more readily to the preschool setting. Friendships provide important opportunities for children to learn and develop. Teachers are in a unique position to cultivate children's cross-gender interactions and friendships. By intentionally planning and supporting certain experiences, educators can encourage children to build a social world characterized by meaningful relationships with peers of both sexes. Although the long-term consequences of sex segregation and integration remain areas for research, it is clear children benefit from different-gender peer interactions. Such experiences give children opportunities to learn from and about others, to develop attitudes of respect and acceptance, and to broaden their social competence. With intentional planning, attention to classroom environment, activities, and routine practices, and with support for children in their interactions and relationships, teachers can create and foster opportunities for peer experiences between boys and girls. This helps build relationships that are meaningful, positive, and successful for all children.

In the May 2011 issue of "Young Children," Rabbi Meir Muller--Focus on Ethics's first guest editor--presented a situation set in a faith-based program. This column analyzes the responses provided by early childhood educators in reflecting on how best to use the Code to help a teacher follow the most ethically defensible course of action when responding to children's different religious beliefs in a Jewish early childhood center. The authors present the situation and offer some tips for resolving a dilemma.

As coordinators of local early childhood coalitions working to improve the quality of early childhood programs, the authors had been looking for ways to support early childhood professionals in their efforts to strengthen partnerships with families, support young children's healthy emotional development, and continue to promote developmentally appropriate practices. They wanted to use an approach to strengthen the programs and services already in place. They had heard early childhood professionals in Colorado express frustration about forming partnerships with families and about embracing the role those partnerships play in quality early care and education. Underlying this frustration was great uncertainty about how to form meaningful relationships with families. At the same time, professionals in early care and education, physical and mental health, and family support were struggling to unite their efforts into a cohesive system of supports for families with young children in their communities. These thoughts came to mind as they sat and listened in the Touchpoints session. They knew they had found what they were looking for and returned home knowing the next step was to find a way to bring Touchpoints to Colorado. This article discusses how the authors established a network of Touchpoints teams in Colorado.

Food-allergy awareness and management have only lately come to the forefront in early childhood settings, although advocacy organizations have been working on the issue for more than a decade. A national poll (C.S. Mott Children's Hospital 2009) asked parents with children in early education settings if they were aware of what their program does to protect children with food allergies. The poll results indicate that more than three-quarters of these parents knew of one or more preventive actions offered in those settings. Schools have a legal and ethical responsibility to be prepared for children with food allergies, so organization and implementation of allergy policies and procedures should receive the importance and time they deserve. This article reviews administrative policies and procedures, child development concerns, and classroom realities related to food allergies.

"Inclusion" has long been a term used to describe the practice of including a child with special needs in age-appropriate general education classes in their home schools. Increasingly, the term is being used to describe the process of including very young children--infants and toddlers--with special needs in a setting comprised mostly of children without disabilities. Although most early care and education professionals support inclusion for infants and toddlers, they frequently have questions about how best to meet the needs of children with special needs while continuing to apply developmentally appropriate practice with the rest of the group. Today, most child development programs include children with a range of skills and abilities, some without special needs and some whose development may be either delayed or advanced for their age. Often, inclusion describes what a high-quality early care and education setting is already doing--adapting curricula and approaches to meet the unique needs of each child. This article offers concrete developmentally appropriate strategies that infant/toddler programs can use to support the ongoing development of children with a range of skills and needs.

As infant/toddler programs encounter growing diversity, they need to reenvision the impact they have on children and families in all areas of practice, from recruiting new enrollees to stocking classrooms to changing the ways adults interact with children and families with different languages and from different cultures. What happens on the first day can set the stage for a family's involvement in a program. The director and staff at The King's Daughters Day School, an NAEYC-Accredited early childhood program, take that responsibility very seriously. As one of the oldest child development programs in the United States (established in 1906), it holds a respected position in the small but diverse city of Plainfield. In this article, the authors discuss how to enhance practice with infants and toddlers from diverse language and cultural backgrounds. They present some ways to connect with diverse families.

If it is true that "new discoveries in neuroscience suggest that school readiness interventions might come too late if they start after the child is three years old", then the infant/toddler field must claim the concept of school readiness. The brain's foundation for all later learning is created in the first three years of life. As many researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have defined it, school readiness implies that by the time children enter kindergarten, they have achieved a level of development that makes it likely they will successfully adapt to the challenges of formal schooling. School readiness refers to "children possessing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and later learning in life". For infants and toddlers, school readiness means supporting and protecting the developing brain in such a way that the brain creates a strong physical foundation for learning. This well-constructed organ, the brain, has the foundation needed for lifelong learning. In infancy, foundations are set for later learning in each area of development--the language, motor, cognitive, and social-emotional domains. There are also skills that cross all domains. These are the ways people use their brains for learning throughout their lives, often called foundations of learning or approaches to learning. Effective, engaged learners are curious, focus attention, remember earlier experiences, gather information, solve problems, and persist even when they are frustrated by a difficult task. These skills, learned in infancy through relationships with responsive, invested adults, are the foundation for later skills and learning.

Approximately 228,000 children from birth to age 3 are affected by a disability. Developmental challenges may include severe, chronic disabilities that can begin at birth and last a lifetime. Delayed speech and language are the most common types of developmental delays among infants and toddlers. Many of these children are at risk for later language and literacy problems. To complicate matters, little research exists on the development and evaluation of prelinguistic teaching strategies for infants with developmental delays. However, some researchers have found that early infant intervention in social communication at the prelinguistic stage holds promise for young children's later language success. In this article, the authors describe a series of early language strategies that can help ease the strain of one-way communication with infants who might be slow to respond during social interactions. While these strategies are developmentally appropriate for all infants, they are especially critical when working with infants who have developmental delays. Infants with developmental delays may display several symptoms of delayed language development. Such symptoms include few vocalizations, communicative gestures, or spontaneous imitations and a reduced rate of nonverbal communication. These strategies--the authors call them the Daily Dozen--may help alleviate these potential problems.

Infant/toddler teachers take a child-centered, emergent approach, meaning that they observe the children at play, ask themselves what they are interested in learning, and design developmentally appropriate curricula to meet and extend those interests. This curriculum development technique leads to "possibilities for the child to develop deeper understandings" of how the world works. The authors believe that art and sensory projects are integral to the curriculum, and that children develop key skills through these types of activities. This belief is supported by the Arts Education Partnership (Goldhawk 1998) and by the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford 2007). The authors provide art and sensory activities every day and give children ample time to explore them.

Early childhood programs with infants and toddlers are bustling and alive in ways different from programs that have only preschoolers. Infants and toddlers can make group care environments more caring and family focused spaces, nurturing the well-being of all adults and children participating in the program. The number of infants and toddlers who spend their days in group care in either center or family child care settings in the United States continues to grow. Directors of early childhood programs that opened their doors to infants and toddlers and their families speak of added challenges and responsibilities for administrators, balanced with unique joys and benefits. In this article the authors speak to directors of programs already serving infants and toddlers and their families and those who may be thinking about adding them to existing group care settings. Very young children, birth to age 3, have care and education needs different from and more specialized than those of preschoolers, age 3 to 5. The authors describe practices, such as family-centered early childhood environments and policies, and individualized, sensitively responsive practices, that are beneficial to all young children.

Wise teachers of infants and toddlers know how concerned, helpful, empathic, cooperative, and friendly--that is, how prosocial--very young children can be. Teachers see older infants crawl or toddle over to "friends" arriving later in the morning and greet them as if they had not seen them in weeks. Teachers and families know that these young children care and think about others and form strong, loving relationships with both adults and peers. Recent research, including brain research, shows that young children are capable of being prosocial, caring, and loving, but need adult support to maximize these competencies. In this article, the author shares information about how important the first three years of life are for infants' and toddlers' development of social competence. These years form the foundation for successful relationships throughout life. Her goals are to increase readers' appreciation for infants' and toddlers' remarkable relational capacities and to recommend developmentally appropriate practices that can improve the quality of peer experiences for young children in early care and education settings. Throughout the article, the author highlights the importance of quality, caring adult-child relationships for young children as they negotiate the joys and challenges of peer relationships.

Number sense development in young children has been linked to future math achievement in a manner similar to the way phonological awareness (i.e., children's awareness and use of sounds within a language to make meaning) has been linked to reading achievement (e.g., Kosanovich, Weinstein, & Goldman 2009). That is, they may be indicators of future achievement. Even though some children may memorize the basic facts and recite them, if they are unable to use those facts when they move to larger numbers, confusion may lead to difficulties with subsequent mathematics skills (Witzel 2003). However, if children understand the procedures and the concept behind them, they are more likely to successfully progress to more complex concepts. This article discusses three strategies to help young children who struggle in math develop number sense are: (1) using concrete experiences to develop number sense and numeration; (2) teaching skills to proficiency; and (3) incorporating language experiences.

As many educators and parents have observed, today's children are exposed to advanced technology at an early age, with tablets, e-readers, and smartphones being some prevalent choices. Experiences with technology can pave the way for unprecedented learning opportunities. However, without an education component, technology cannot reach its full potential for supporting children's learning and development. In early childhood programs, the education component often means adults being nearby, interacting with children and providing opportunities for peer-to-peer learning to encourage children to gain the skills they need for succeeding in school. While the literature establishes the use of educational technology and positive outcomes for children, it also indicates that technology needs to (1) be developmentally appropriate for children, (2) include tools to help teachers implement the technology successfully, and (3) be integrated into the classroom and curriculum. This article will discuss these criteria and provide a practical plan, examples, and a tool for evaluating, using, and integrating educational technology in early childhood programs.

A year and a half ago, Rena, Cheri, and Cassandra were introduced to each other by a colleague because they shared an interest in exploring the impact newer technologies have on learning in early childhood classrooms. They meet regularly to share ideas and information on how to incorporate tablets using best practices. Cassandra's preschool classroom serves as a natural environment for them to test their ideas. This article describes a collaborative effort. The authors are conducting additional research on the use of technology with preschool children. Concern about the negative impact that computer use has on children's social interactions in the classroom is a long-standing issue in education circles. With this in mind, Cassandra slowly integrated the touch tablets by first introducing a single device for a group of children. She began by showing the tablet to the entire group during circle time and discussing how children could use it. The children then dispersed to play in a variety of centers. Cassandra remained on the rug and worked with a small group of children who were interested in exploring the tablet. Four children then moved to the library center to work together on the tablet. As the week progressed, all of the children had used the tablet. Once she was satisfied with their interactions, she gave the children two tablets, eventually making all four touch tablets available in the library center. She hoped that without enough tablets for individual play, the children would learn to use them cooperatively. As Cassandra introduced the touch tablets into her classroom activities, she encountered four surprises: (1) Cooperation; (2) Collaboration; (3) Digital citizenship; and (4) Connection to the real world. Cassandra has come a long way in the short time she has been using touch tablets in her classroom--from helping the children hold the device for fear it might drop and break, to letting them touch the screen while making cookie dough. Many educators resist using technology out of concern that it is not developmentally appropriate for young children. However, when educators are intentional and selective in its use, technology can enhance early childhood education.

With the increased prevalence of smartphones, laptops, tablet computers, and other digital technologies, knowledge about and familiarity with the educational uses for these devices is important for early childhood teachers documenting children's learning. Teachers can use smartphones every day to take photos, record video and audio, and make notes, then integrate them into daily blogs and online portfolios that parents can access. They can do all of this as the events of the day unfold, saving valuable planning time and giving families a window into their children's learning at school. As an integral part of teaching, this digital documentation process--gathering and reproducing trails and traces of children's learning experiences--is a topic worthy of study. The authors joined together to investigate the question of what digital and technological documentation processes look like in teachers' everyday practices. They hope their collaboration sheds light on the value of technology in documenting children's learning.

VoiceThread is a website that allows users to create multimedia slideshows, or "threads," and then open these threads to other users for commentary or collaboration. This article shares the experiences of one multiage (3- to 5-year-olds) preschool classroom's use of VoiceThread. The purpose of the article is to introduce early childhood educators to technology that allows children to interact with media in ways that align with the joint position statement "Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8," from NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center (2012). NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center promote the use of technology that is engaging and empowering, and allows children to extend their experiences in ways that promote cognitive and social development. Suggestions for using VoiceThread throughout the early childhood years are offered. (Contains 7 online resources.)

Teachers are using technological innovations--including interactive whiteboards--in pre-K-grade 3 classrooms across the country. An IWB is a wall-mounted, touch-sensitive flat screen. When connected to a computer (or another electronic device) and a projector, it displays enlarged instructional content (such as a math word problem, pictures or graphics, or an excerpt from a story). Teachers and children can manipulate this content. Many early childhood teachers are incorporating this technology in their mathematics instruction. This article will help educators use IWBs and other technologies in ways that coincide with best practices in early childhood math instruction. It also shares examples of how to integrate other digital tools into mathematics instruction. (Contains 7 online resources.)

A growing body of national research confirms that significant levels of learning and growth occur during early childhood, and that it is important, from a public policy perspective, to increase access to quality programs and services that support the development of skills and attitudes children need to succeed. Clearly, no one-size-fits-all program exists, and it will continue to take a mixed system of programs and services to improve the developmental outcomes for all children. This being said, Play School's unique ability to help educate children at various ages and stages of development and, at the same time, to give direct support to parents and guardians sets it apart as a program worthy of investment. If replicated in other communities, programs like Play School could support more young children as learners and parents/guardians as first teachers, thus addressing the goal of helping young children be successful in school and life.

Early childhood educators know that home is a child's first learning environment. From birth, children are comforted by hearing and listening to their caregivers' voices. The language used by families supports young children's development of oral language skills. Exposure to print materials in the home also supports literacy development. Literacy opportunities that arise naturally--in the home and early childhood settings--not only develop listening, oral language, and reading and writing skills but also foster social-emotional growth. As children experience more sophisticated forms of language and literacy, such as using longer sentences and a larger and diverse vocabulary, they build increasingly complex communication skills and use them to express needs, feelings, and ideas and to interact with others. By suggesting meaningful, fun, and engaging activities, early educators can play a critical role in supporting families as they support their children's social-emotional development. In this article, the authors describe specific and effective literacy-based strategies and activities that early childhood educators can use in the classroom and suggest to families so they can support their young children's social-emotional skills at home.

Young children learn new vocabulary with great agility and speed, but their learning is dependent on the range of words they are exposed to. Teachers can naturally facilitate children's vocabulary learning using a variety of strategies, including making conversation and posing thoughtful questions. But there is also an important role for direct instruction, which is what the authors focus on in this article. Ms. Allen is an experienced Head Start teacher who welcomed the authors into her classroom to observe and mentor her as she facilitated children's vocabulary learning. To support Ms. Allen and other teachers, the authors developed a simple three-step model to inform the selection of appropriate vocabulary words from curriculum materials and activities. These steps are research-based and were field-tested in Ms. Allen's classroom, as well as university practicum experiences spanning three years: (1) Identify all the words that most children in the class are unlikely to know; (2) Select a small set of vocabulary words to focus on; and (3) Determine what methods will best support children's acquisition of the selected vocabulary. In this article, the authors explain and illustrate each step in the model using examples from a shared reading lesson. To illustrate the steps succinctly, the authors will present the decision-making steps using an activity that occurs in most early childhood classrooms--reading a story aloud. Given the importance of understanding word meanings to children's reading success, the authors hope that their model will support more teachers as they make decisions about implementing effective vocabulary teaching strategies in early childhood classrooms.

Shades of Pink study describes how six preschoolers and their teacher engaged in a collaborative learning project through which they learned about the shades of a color--in this case, pink. As the children learned through experimenting and discussing their theories, they represented ideas using art as a tool for discovery and learning. The study was conducted in a college laboratory school's child care center in British Columbia, Canada. The center's mission is based on the fundamental philosophy of Reggio Emilia preschools and infant-toddler centers--every child is creative and full of potential and has the desire and right to make meaning within a context of rich relationships. Within the Reggio Emilia approach, art has a broader purpose beyond sensory exploration and self-expression--it plays a major role as one of children's many expressive languages. The study demonstrates that during art activities, children test their theories, interact with materials and people and make meaning from these interactions, and at the same time, become sensitive to the environment around them.

When doing spring planting activities, what does a teacher do while waiting for the plants to grow? This waiting time is a golden opportunity to explore another side of gardening--the creatures that make it all possible. Insects are an integral part of everyday world, having existed for over 300 million years; they are the most common animal on the planet, and there are more types of them than every other animal combined. Insects and other critters are crucial to gardening--aerating the soil, depositing nutrients, eating other animals that harm plants--but because of their often creepy reputation, they tend to be overlooked in the classroom in favor of gardening activities that focus on shiny green leaves and pretty flowers. Because insects often go through distinct stages, bringing them and other small creatures into the classroom provides an excellent opportunity for observing the stages of development in their life cycle. There is nothing more amazing than watching a caterpillar spinning a cocoon and emerging later as a butterfly! Such experiences allow children to take on the role of biologist at their level of cognitive development. (Contains 10 resources and 7 online resources.)

Physics is the study of forces and motion--the science of matter and energy and the interaction between the two. The big idea the children explore, as well as the question they ask as they engage in physical knowledge activities related to physics, is "How does it move?" Many teachers translate naturally as they come to know the children they teach. They use the language and concepts children understand to help them grasp the big ideas. Later, these concepts become more powerful and precise because of these prior experiences. When planning physical knowledge activities, specifically those that focus on physics concepts, DeVries and colleagues (2002) suggest four criteria: (1) Children must be able to produce the movement by their own action; (2) Children must be able to vary their actions; (3) The reaction of the objects must be observable; and (4) The reaction of the objects must be immediate. The goal of these activities is to encourage children's exploration of their own questions and problems that arise during experimentation. What may not always be clear to teachers is the best time or best way to support children's cognitive development during their play. In this article, the authors share examples of teachers' roles in supporting children's inquiry by focusing on the process of problem solving and the content of physics.

A visitor to Peter Green Hall Children's Centre's classroom for 4- and 5-year-olds broke down in tears when she saw their teacher Bobbi with a head bald from chemotherapy. The visitor said her sister-in-law had recently died of breast cancer. In the family's desperate need to cope with the situation, their children, 4 and 6 years old, were not involved in the process. Now one was very angry. Adults in distress, racing to cope with unbearable difficulty, may be forgiven much. The authors tell a story about the way children and adults in one classroom encountered and experienced a teacher's cancer to share the sense of a community of care and the emotional depth that resulted. Such stories overturn stereotypes about what children can handle.

Many early childhood educators use cameras to share the charming things that children do and the artwork they make. Programs often bind these photographs into portfolios and give them to children and their families as mementos at the end of the year. In the author's classrooms, they use photography on a daily basis to document children's adventures and share them with families. In addition, mentor teachers in their classrooms use the camera as a tool to support caregivers' reflective practices to refine their ability to read cues and respond mindfully to the children. Using the camera to capture valuable information for teachers requires skill and intentionality. The photographer is not seeking to document the child posing in a cute manner. What is central is to notice and then quickly photograph the child and the caregiver tuned in to each other or to an environmental stimulus. Tips for taking photos and videos are presented.

Queer theory is a new theory about gender. It is relevant to early childhood educators who wish to find new ways of understanding and challenging persistent gender stereotypes. The theory links gender stereotypes to the norms of heterosexuality. It is definitely "not" a theory about gay and lesbian identity. Queer theory is "queer" because it questions the assumption that there is any "normal" expression of gender. Researchers have been using feminist and post-structural theories to analyze the ways in which gender stereotypes are constructed, how children make sense of gender and actively engage in negotiating their own gender identities, and how children's meaning making and engagement related. In this article, the authors offer a review of research that uses queer theory to rethink gender in early childhood education. This review is conducted in three steps. First, it explains how feminist post-structuralist theories have shifted the debate on early gender identity from either a nature-or-nurture framework to a more nuanced understanding of how children's gender is constructed. Second, it shows how queer theory builds on feminist post-structural understandings of gender by linking the construction of children's gender identities with the powerful influence of heterosexual norms. Third, it explores how some researchers and teachers are using a "queer eye," informed by queer theory, to rethink children's play and to critically reflect on and influence professional practice. The article concludes with specific implications for practitioners.

In the author's talks on education across the country, parents and teachers often ask about products and programs that purport to teach young children to read and to do math. In his 40-plus-year academic career in the field of early childhood education, the author has reviewed a large number of published curricular materials and activities for young children. Most authors of these programs lack academic credentials and offer little or no research to support their claims about math and reading teaching and learning. In this article, the author points out two major fallacies inherent in these commercial products and explain the risks that go with them. Then he suggests parenting and teaching practices that can build a strong, broad foundation for later academic learning.

The children's book "Two Is for Twins" celebrates twins and illustrates the many "twos" in a child's world. The uniqueness of twos does not have to mean separate classrooms for twins in child development programs, preschool, or elementary school settings. With recent dramatic increases in the US twin population, how should educators address the separation of twins in different classrooms? This article will answer this question by providing a synthesis of research studies on twins and their separation in school and recommending best practices for teachers and school leaders when deciding to include or separate twins by classroom. (Contains 5 online resources.)

Research on music and music therapy suggests that math and music are related in the brain from very early in life. Musical elements such as steady beat, rhythm, melody, and tempo possess inherent mathematical principles such as spatial properties, sequencing, counting, patterning, and one-to-one correspondence. With new understanding about the nature of everyday learning experiences, the key role of patterns in the development of literacy and mathematics, and the need for a stimulating environment in the very early years, the importance of music in the home and in the classroom is becoming clear. Music is children's first patterning experience and helps engage them in mathematics even when they don't recognize the activities as mathematics. Music is a highly social, natural, and developmentally appropriate way to engage even the youngest child in math learning. This article offers tips for using music to engage children in mathematics.

For many in early childhood education, STEAM is a new term. It began in this decade as STEM, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. These curriculum areas have become a major focus in education because of the concern that the United States is falling behind in scientific innovation. With a new and familiar addition to the acronym, A (for the Arts), STEAM integrates and uses the arts in the STEM curriculum to help children express STEM concepts. Since the arts are a natural part of early childhood education, adding this element may help more teachers find ways to work STEM concepts into the curriculum. This new term STEAM can help early childhood educators to build the foundation of science-related knowledge, using the arts to encourage children to express their ideas in a wide variety of creative ways. In this article, the author shares some ways early childhood teachers use Fred Rogers' approach to understanding the world for STEAM conversations, activities, and projects.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." This much-repeated quote speaks eloquently to the kinds of life-enhancing skills children develop when they interact with caring adults in thoughtfully designed nature-filled outdoor classrooms. As a network of these classrooms springs up around the country in spaces where children spend their days (early childhood programs, elementary schools, children's museums, arboretums, parks, and zoos), teachers and families are increasingly reporting the positive benefits for children. This is good news in light of recent research that outlines the harmful effects of increased screen time and decreased nature-child connections for too many young people. Early childhood educators can play an important role in providing opportunities for children to connect with nature as a part of daily learning. In this article, the authors recommend that programs that support young children develop a comprehensive plan addressing the following four recommendations: (1) Provide thoughtfully designed nature-filled outdoor spaces that children can use daily; (2) Provide effective professional growth opportunities for staff; (3) Involve families; and (4) Join worldwide networks. (Contains 3 resources.)

The ability to address complex technological, ecological, social, and ethical challenges in the 21st century depends on developing a citizenry capable of innovation and higher-order thinking. Early childhood educators have the opportunity to help children acquire these abilities right from the start. Central to this endeavor is a more reciprocal relationship between adults and children, in which children are seen and treated as partners in the learning process. The authors have identified four interconnected curricular and teaching practices that lead to the creation of groups in which children learn to think critically and creatively and to collaborate and communicate effectively. The story presented in this article illustrates how these four practices support the collaboration, communication, and critical and creative thinking of three kindergartners as they create a video that represents what they and their classmates learned during a two-month investigation of the Boston Marathon. Together with the use of documentation (video, teachers' notes, and children's work) as a way to assess and guide curricular choices and to make the children's learning visible to them, these four practices helped create a powerful learning experience.

The central purpose of curriculum, assessment, and teaching, especially in putting them together, is to improve children's and adult's learning. Examples of this came to the author via modern communication media and are being furthered through such technology. Soon after the publication of her book "Mind in the Making" (MITM) in 2010, the author received a dramatic number of Google alerts about messages using her name or the book's title. Publishing a book is like dropping that book into a dark sea to sink or swim. Rarely does the author have glimpses of where the book goes or whom it touches. Publishing MITM in the information age has been a totally new experience for her. Reading the cumulative Google alerts, the author sensed that "Mind in the Making" was bringing together people who don't usually work together. Principals and early childhood directors; family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers and center-based teachers; parents and teachers--adults from across the typical systems divide were coming together. Furthermore, surprising groups, such as families in homeless shelters and teen parents, were reading the book. The author came to think of these groups as learning communities. In this article, she discusses the 10 features most of the "Mind in the Making" learning communities have in common, with examples for each.

Inspired by a variety of early childhood educators' observations and writings, the authors reflected on what a joyful classroom looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Although "joy is a developmental need and a vital necessity", the current emphasis in early childhood and elementary programs on assessment, accountability, and increased academic expectations can deprive some children and their teachers of the experience of joy. Addressing this vital need is essential for supporting the growth of positive, productive, and engaged learners. Developing a plan to return joyfulness to the classrooms and people's lives requires an understanding of the factors that support and nurture joy as well as an awareness of what works against it. This article discusses how to maintain joyful learning and address early learning standards.