Describes the developmental progression from innate preferences to strong favorites to thoughtful choices in children from infancy through preschool and kindergarten. Offers suggestions at each age level for helping children develop, explore, and even temper their likes and dislikes. (HTH)

This article presents suggestions on how to increase awareness of a sense of time for infants up to age 6. It recommends using children's personal experiences to help them understand time concepts. Individual components of this article include: (1) "I Go Now!"--Birth to 2 (Carla Poole); (2) "Today's My Birthday!"--3 to 4 (Susan A. Miller); and (3)…

The following three short articles describe the stages children go through in order to understand they are not the center of the world: (1) "Mine! Mine!" (Carla Poole); (2) "I Want It Now!" (Susan A. Miller); and (3) "Let's Make it Together!" (Ellen Booth Church). Ideas for what teachers can do to help children through these stages are offered in…

In this article, the authors discuss how children learn to problem solve from birth to 6 years. At 0 to 2 years, children learn to be very effective problem solvers by encouraging children's explorations and supporting their efforts to resolve difficulties. When they reach 3 years old, children enjoy experimenting with a wide variety of materials,…

By watching, listening, and offering gentle reassurance, you can help young children work through their fears. Sudden noises, movement, or unfamiliar people often frighten babies. After 12 months of nurturing experiences with familiar teachers and routines, a baby is more prepared and less easily startled. Preschoolers have a variety of fears such…

Spatial concepts such as a sense of distance are learned through movement and exploration which is the most effective way for children to gain body awareness and an understanding of spatial relationships. It simultaneously develops muscle strength, coordination, self-confidence, and thinking skills. Spatial awareness can be defined as "an…

In this article, the authors explain how self-concept develops among young children. Several strategies on how to help children attain their full emotional development are also suggested. One such effective strategy is for parents and caregivers to be sensitive to the individual needs of children and to be responsive to them during daily…

This article discusses the importance of humor and how it helps to understand children's thinking from birth to 6 years. The article presents three sections describing how a young child's sense of humor reveals much about the way he thinks. The first section is entitled "Giggles!" written by Carla Poole. Intended for babies from birth to 2, Poole…

Babies are active participants in their learning and need to explore a variety of objects. Nurturing relationships support these explorations. Objects are more clearly remembered and understood. Thus, one activity this article suggests doing with a 12-month-old to encourage abstract thinking, is talking about how squeezing the bottle of ketchup…