Background: Understanding the correlates of young children's social emotional development is important to optimally support children's long-term success. Objective: This study examined the associations among dimensions of parent-teacher cocaring relationships, infants' and toddlers' social emotional adjustment, and parent-child closeness and…

This study examined whether mother-teacher, father-teacher, teacher-parent, and teacher-child relationships were linked to the socioemotional functioning of children (N = 42) aged 18-40 months. Results indicated that when mothers perceived their child's teacher more positively, fathers perceived the teacher more positively. In turn, teachers also…

Little is known about the extent and nature of low-income parents' interactions with other parents and staff at childcare centres, despite the potential for these interactions to provide emotional, informational, and instrumental support. This study interviewed 51 parents at three childcare centres in low-income neighbourhoods in New York City.…

The advantage of pedagogical documentation has been widely documented in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). However, little research points out how and why professionals are using pedagogical documentation from the staff's perspective itself. Therefore, this research aimed to examine how pedagogical documentation is employed…

Family engagement is essential to high quality services for all children in early childhood care and education. From the beginning of life, families nurture their children and the capacities they will need to be ready for school. The Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework for Early Childhood Systems is a guide to understanding…

Parental mentalizing, which is the capacity to understand behavior in terms of mental states and to reflect this back to a child through speech, is a key construct in child development. Adults with high mentalization promote children's secure attachment, mentalization and self-regulation. This study describes this competency in a sample of…

In Finnish early childhood education and care, partnership has been introduced as a general approach in the parent-practitioner collaboration. Based on qualitative interviews with practitioners, the article studies, from a social constructionist and discourse analytic perspective, whether partnership is actualised in parent-practitioner…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Online Testing, Version 1.0: Oregon's Adaptive Computer-Based Accountability Test Offers a Peek at a Brave New Future (Robert Rothman); (2) Beyond…

Some teachers are sick of struggling with parents of children in their care? They dread upcoming conferences, and with they knew how to approach a difficult. This book will help turn parent worries into warm, confident relationships. The reader will learn how to: (1) Improve parent-teacher communication; (2) Better understand a parent's…

Suggests effective ways to work with parents who may be permissive, busy, detached, overprotective, or negative. Recommends that child care professionals be sensitive and understanding, recognize other demands on parents' time and communicate competitively with them, use terms parents understand, accept various levels of parental involvement, be…

Provides information to prekindergarten educators to enable them to better meet the needs of parents whose children are making a transition to kindergarten. Emphasizes the need to understand assessment and screening procedures and to share that information with parents. Suggests how caregivers can provide emotional support to parents with children…

Argues that the child care professional must create and maintain a collaborative relationship with parents based on mutual respect. Notes benefits of such a relationship, and provides suggestions in the areas of: (1) rapport; (2) intake interview; (3) support; (4) get-acquainted visits; (5) buddy parents; (6) excellent communication; and (7)…

The primary caregiving model provides for teachers to have primary daily responsibility for the same small group of toddlers or infants. The system allows for creation of strong bonds between teacher and child and provides parents with a trusted care partnership. Challenges to the system include large child-to- caregiver ratios, matching teachers…

Notes that parent orientation is one of the most important functions of center directors and provides an opportunity to discuss expectations and describe the program. Describes one center's curriculum and procedures such as nutrition guidelines, and payment and pick-up processes. Notes additional benefits of parent orientation in terms of…

Suggests that mastering the toilet is a significant step for young children, and one of childhood's earliest rites of passage. Suggests that in learning to control body functions, toddlers step toward independence, self-reliance and personal responsibility. Urges child care workers to work with parents to identify a child's readiness and to agree…