In using developmentally appropriate practices, teachers should intentionally address all aspects of a child's being, the spiritual along with the physical and the cognitive. Because spirituality is a vital part of human nature, a whole-child teaching approach must include the part of the child some call spirituality. Many have attempted to…

In Fall 2006, North Carolina kindergarten teachers were charged with the task of meeting the NASPE guidelines for providing daily physical activity to their kindergarten students. In turn, the teachers researched resources and consulted experts to design and develop a developmentally appropriate physical activity and physical play environment for…

To prevent and resolve common behavior problems in young children, early childhood teachers need a full understanding of what's behind the behaviors and strategies that really work. This complete professional development package gives pre- and in-service educators the practical help they've been waiting for. Taking a "big picture"…

Children who learn math fundamentals in preschool and kindergarten have the best chance of later achievement in school--but too often, children don't get the effective early math instruction that makes all the difference. Now there's a core early childhood textbook that helps current and future educators teach the most critical math concepts to…

Well-informed teachers of young children recognize the importance of children's social development. The development of social skills lays a critical foundation for later academic achievement as well as work-related skills. Social development is such a key issue with young children that a number of methods to address social skills have been…

Discrediting the notion that puppets are strictly for play, this book presents innovative ways for teachers of young children to use puppets as valuable and developmentally appropriate teaching tools. Chapter 1 of the book details the educational benefits of puppets and relates puppetry to play theory, developmentally appropriate practice, and…

Social-emotional competence--it is a critical part of every child's school success, and just like any academic subject, children need instruction in it. Developed by a top expert, these proven curricula will help promote the social-emotional competence and resilience of children and adolescents. Divided into four age levels from kindergarten…

Noting that the development of fundamental movement skills is basic to children's motor development, this booklet provides a guide for early childhood educators in planning movement experiences for children between 4 and 8 years. The booklet introduces a wide variety of appropriate practices to promote movement skill acquisition and increased…

This book is a resource and activity guide for early childhood educators and care providers that helps to enhance the development of early and emerging literacy skills in young children. Its philosophy is based on the premise that both language and literacy development begin at birth and that educators and caretakers of young children have a…

Based on a musical celebration of children's diversity, this early childhood curriculum guide provides guidance in using the compact disk "Nobody Else Like Me" to help children think critically about and appreciate differences and similarities among people. The guide is organized into 12 sections, each focusing on one of the songs from the disk,…

This collection of developmentally appropriate early childhood education curriculum activities uses themes to integrate the curriculum for young children. The activities involve active exploration, problem-solving, and the acquisition of specific concepts or skills. The collection is divided into six broad sections, with individual themes…

This guide provides early childhood educators with information that will facilitate the construction of a developmentally appropriate curriculum for children from birth through kindergarten age. Such a curriculum: views cognitive, language, affective, and physical development as interrelated and interdependent; is appropriate for the child's age…

The INDAP (Individualizing Developmentally Appropriate Practices) program provides teachers with ideas on how to design classroom environments and materials, activities and routines, and instructional groups and transitions while providing high quality programs to children with different strengths and needs. These guidelines provide information…

Noticing relationships between similar things and developing rules for treating things the same or differently, based on characteristics like color, size, shape, and texture provides the basis of beginning mathematics learning. Based on the view that teachers and parents of young children should provide children with age-appropriate words,…

Noting that there are few resources available for preschool or kindergarten teachers committed to providing high-quality drama experiences to students, this book explores ways teachers can maximize the drama experience in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Topics discussed in the book's introduction include dramatic play and early development,…