Reviews concerning the enhancement of preschool children's social competencies reveal areas within which teacher approach, definitions of social competence and methods of study can be enhanced. In response, teachers and researchers co-developed and introduced a peer-based relational intervention to support children's communication, empathic…

This small-scale quasi-experimental study set out to examine the effects of a brief training programme aiming to develop primary school teachers' knowledge, attitudes and confidence in recognising and responding to children who display sexual behaviours. Data on prevalence of sexual behaviours observed by teachers in the study, their level of…

Teachers in three day care programs completed temperament questionnaires and behavior problem checklists for 133 preschoolers. Results indicated that correlations between temperament and behavior problem variables were generally higher for boys than for girls. (BG)

Examined child caregivers responses to children's behavior and their attributions regarding the type of behavior requiring discipline and the nature of the punishment. Found that caregivers were most concerned about aggression, not listening, and sexually related behaviors; disciplinary strategies included time-out, explanation, and redirection.…

Analyzes the effects of particular patterns of teacher response to second grade students' entries in dialogue journals. Results show that elaborative responses lead to increased written output and more complex stories by students. (PCB)

Presents a model which stresses the importance of teacher support for four levels of early childhood education--curiosity, exploration, play, and creativity. Provides definitions, outlines behavioral evidence for these levels, gives appropriate teacher responses for each level, and discusses theoretical support for the model's importance in…

Examined factors affecting teachers' perception of risk to a child's welfare in situations of abuse and neglect, their willingness to report situations to authorities, and their approach to such cases. Subjects were 161 Israeli elementary school teachers. Found several areas in identifying and reporting child maltreatment-related to the nature or…

Preschool teachers and directors from special education, Head Start, and day care centers completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of diversity and resources utilized in relation to diversity. Respondents indicated that children with "differences" should be treated like "children"; children with "differences" were defined by the…

Surveyed 235 randomly selected teachers to investigate their sense of well-being in the context of 10 child care activities. Results indicated that child-related education, experience, and interaction did not influence the overall well-being of teachers. Nurturing children and working with parents were found to be their most enjoyable and least…

In this study we have tried to come close to, and at the same time problematize, what participation in educational practice might be. The overall aim is to study how a toddler's participation can be understood in two kinds of educational activities, where the degree of teacher control differs. The data in this study are video observations of…

Illustrates appropriate teacher responses to typical occurrences in early childhood settings through the use of four separate vignettes. The responses and rationales are offered as starting points for developing individually-planned, reasoned approaches to discipline situations and for encouraging self-discipline in young children. (DST)

Discusses a continuum of approaches to discipline that range from those granting the child maximum freedom or authority to those that emphasize teacher control over children's behavior. (RH)

An observational study was conducted to examine teachers' emotional socialization strategies in three child care centers. Qualitative analysis of the data suggests that teachers in child care centers respond to children's emotional expressions with various strategies. Teachers clearly expressed a preference for positive emotion through verbal…

Explains the need for examining socialization forces in identifying strategies of differential treatment of preschool boys and girls. Reports analyzed areas of differences in teachers' interactions with boys as compared with girls in different curriculum areas. (Author/AS)

Examined teachers in the process of integrating children with special needs into childcare programs in Ontario, Canada. Twenty-four teachers in seven childcare centers were interviewed. Found an extant model for the integration of children with special needs, and that both child-centered and teacher-centered strategies were used to make this…