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…

Ever wonder what draws teachers to the field of early childhood education? Do you have the personal attributes needed? Unlike knowledge or skills, which can be developed, dispositions are personal characteristics involving the socioemotional and spiritual realms, rooted in feelings and beliefs. Colker reviews the literature on teacher…

Satirizes attempts by the Reagan administration to address social problems. (RH)

Friendly humor shows children that adults can be understanding and gracious; that the teacher is working with them and not against them; that the child as well as the teacher has a valued place in the classroom community. In this article, the author cites the benefits of using humor in a classroom environment. The author also provides tips on how…

The importance of including humor and playfulness in the classroom is emphasized. Children in such classrooms learn quickly, retain more, and have fewer problems than other children. (DG)

Resiliency is not a fixed attribute. Rather it is a set of protective mechanisms that modify a person's response to risk situations. This article focuses on the child's resiliency development. The author identifies and describes four factors of resiliency development through heightened sensory awareness; high, positive expectations; a clear…

Points out that a key to discipline is the developing of a fun-filled friendship between adults and children in the child care environment. Suggests that "me vs. you" situations can be avoided by distracting the child with something interesting and fun, such as directions given in the form of a jingle or song. (RWB)

Develops a rationale for using action books with preschool children of three-six years. Offers guidelines for selection of books, and gives an annotated book list of humorous action books that teachers and parents can use with young children. (BB)

This review of the literature examines the development of humor in infants and young children, and looks at ways in which adults can support children's understanding, appreciation, and creation of humor in play and verbal and social interactions. (BB)