This article summarizes research supporting claims that offering opportunities for planning and reflection in early years promotes development of thinking and reasoning. Strategies to encourage planning include ensuring that children can see areas and materials during planning, asking children questions, encouraging children to elaborate on plans,…

Although early childhood education (ECE) teachers frequently use the concept of the "teachable moment" (TM) when they reflect upon their teaching experiences, there is a lack of discussion in the professional literature regarding what a TM is or how teachers construct the notion of TM-oriented curriculum practice through their…

Based in the belief that many preschool programs have an orientation toward a developmental philosophy yet are not developmentally appropriate in program practices, this discussion contrasts developmentally and psychometrically oriented approaches, reviews literature on program design and children's needs, and provides guidelines in the areas of…