Although bullying behaviors can occur in many different contexts, classroom teachers must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to address these behaviors in a classroom setting. Every classroom can benefit from routines and structures that allow students to feel safe, valued, and able to participate fully. However, the types of routines and…

Social-emotional skills provide a critical foundation for learning and wellbeing in early childhood and beyond. In this article we present specific teaching strategies that teachers can implement within the context of supportive, responsive relationships to foster young children's developing social-emotional competence. The teaching strategies…

Blocks are not just for play! In this article, Nicole Andrews describes observing the interactions of three young boys enthusiastically engaged in the kindergarten block center of their classroom, using blocks in a building project that displayed their ability to use critical thinking skills, physics exploration, and the development of language…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as of this writing, 21 states and three U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year, with closures impacting at least 124,000 U.S. public and private schools and affecting at least 55.1 million students. In addition, districts in nearly all other states…

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…

Many teachers of students with mild disabilities experience difficulty writing IEPs, and they lack a foundation in the regular education curriculum of academic skills and sequences associated with each grade level. This book was designed to provide this foundation. Presented in the form of scope and sequence charts that can be used as objectives…

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…

The preschool and kindergarten years are the best time to help children establish a positive cycle in their social relations. Teachers and caregivers can provide models of interactive skills, set patterns for class interaction, and provide help to children who are in the process of acquiring and strengthening social understanding and skills. The…

This paper provides teachers with 35 techniques for promoting preschool children's prosocial development. Research findings that support many of the techniques are cited. Some of the techniques refer to caregivers' personal interactions with individual children or groups, while others target broader systems and require involvement of families,…

This book is a resource guide that provides examples of cooperative activities and techniques that teachers can incorporate in and adapt to their own classrooms. The premise upon which the book is based is that a cooperative environment stimulates children to explore the aspect of school life that appeals to them--the chance to play with…

This document presents curriculum guidelines intended for use as a recommended curriculum for children attending early childhood programs in Oklahoma. The introductory section describes critical characteristics of quality early childhood programs, noting that early childhood programs should be appropriate for the age, developmental level, and…

This document is comprised of four publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten standards related to social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (2) a teacher's guide to early social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (3) a…