As an early childhood educator, I have thought of myself as an emergent teacher who follows my students’ lead and supports their explorations. The children's interest in building a command center challenged me to follow their lead.
Although some people may believe that frequent opportunities for playful learning outdoors, including explorations of nature, are merely niceties, we believe they are critical for healthy whole child development.
In her article, Ardalan explains how, by using documentation to listen closely to children, she facilitates a long-term project that expands their literacy skills and their ability to discuss, debate, and think critically.
The scenarios in this article show skilled teachers setting up environments and facilitating infants’ and toddlers’ development and learning. Their process is called scaffolding.
If you’ve visited NAEYC.org lately, you’ve seen our tagline: Promoting high-quality early learning by connecting practice, policy, and research It’s not just a slogan, it’s our guiding principle—and it’s exemplified by the May issue of Young Children.
Of all that brain science has taught us over the last 30 years, one of the clearest findings is that early brain development is directly influenced by babies’ day-to-day interactions with their caregivers.
Free play and guided play—together known as playful learning—are pedagogical tools through which children can learn in joyful and conceptually rich ways.
Authored by
Authored by:
Brenna Hassinger-Das, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
Free play and guided play—together known as playful learning—are pedagogical tools through which children can learn in joyful and conceptually rich ways.
Authored by
Authored by:
Brenna Hassinger-Das, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
Something special is happening in Head Start of Lane County, in Springfield, Oregon.
Authored by
Authored by:
Eric Pakulak, Melissa Gomsrud, Mary Margaret Reynolds, Theodore A. Bell, Ryan J. Giuliano, Christina M. Karns, Scott Klein, Zayra N. Longoria, Lauren Vega O'Neil, Jimena Santillán, Helen Neville
Reading the articles in this Young Children cluster about social and emotional development, I can’t help but dream of a world in which all children reap the benefits of the research-based practices highlighted here.
