The negative impacts of COVID 19 on children's holistic development have been reported by researchers around the world. This qualitative study explored teachers' and parents' perspectives on the impact of physical/social distancing and school closure policies on children's socioemotional development. The study was conducted in fall 2020. The…

The purpose of this article is to examine the nature of appropriate social studies education in the Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten years. The importance of social competence development as a basic foundation of the social studies in the early years of schooling is examined, with particular attention to the commonalities shared between goals and…

As the pressure to succeed academically is imposed on children earlier than ever before, it is essential to understand what characteristics are most important to parents and teachers in order to be school ready. While formally readiness is typically measured using chronological age and mastery of cognitive skills, it also involves physical,…

Research demonstrates young children with autism and other developmental disabilities can benefit from participation in play activities with peers. Play provides opportunities to increase social skills across developmental domains in an integrated manner and provides opportunities to develop a sense of belonging and friendship; these goals…

Children of elementary school age are in the process of discovering and establishing their self-identity through talk, gesture, writing, and, especially, the arts. While they can sometimes find room to exert their individuality in their daily classroom assignments, it is more often in the spaces open to social interaction in school in which this…

As one of the most advanced play forms in childhood, pretend play often demonstrates positive associations with children's development. However, results from research that examines the association between social skills and pretend play are mixed, especially when the complexity of pretend play is taken into account. Moreover, few studies on pretend…

Learning to display kindness and compassion for others is a critical and ongoing developmental process and an important part of young children's evolving social competence (Han and Kemple in "Early Child Educ J" 34(3):241-246, 2006; Moore in "Early Child Educ Today" 19(3):36-44, 2004). The capacity to care emanates from physical and psychological…

Teacher educators describe a developmental process they use for preparing pre-service teachers to support preschool-age children with and without disabilities in becoming socially competent. Social competence is crucial in developing the "whole" child and may actually foster other areas of development. Using qualitative data gathered from multiple…

Children enter the world with simple emotions and gradually add complex feelings to their repertoire of skills. As children grow and develop, they learn to label their emotions and regulate them in socially appropriate ways. Literature is one way early childhood educators can foster healthy emotional development. This article explains how emotions…

Discusses the importance of supporting young children's socialization process from the perspective of a teacher educator/researcher, a parent, and a caregiver. Describes four stages of socialization (using physical aggression, asking for help, using words, and problem solving) and offers recommendations for corresponding spacial needs, play…

This study examined the effects of child day care, evening care, and night care on the development and adaptation of young children in Japan. Caregivers completed a survey on the home childrearing environment, their feelings of self-efficacy, and the presence of child care support. Results of the discriminant analysis indicated that factors in the…