This text is designed to aid understanding in early childhood issues and best practices, and ways to advocate on behalf of young children. Covering historical evolution of early childhood education with a primary focus on issues and practices today. Five themes are central to the text and woven throughout the chapters. The first and most prominent theme is children. The other themes include: advocacy, diversity, social-political environments, and professional development.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Evolution of Early Childhood Education 1 View of Childhood: Past and Present 1 Ancient View of Childhood 2 Ancient Native American View of Childhood 3 Ancient Greek View of Childhood 4 Ancient Roman View of Childhood 4 Children as Miniature Adults 5 Child Guidance 6 Reformation Era (1400–1600) 6 Children as Sinful 6 African-American and Native American Children 6 Child Guidance 7 Native Americans 7 European Americans 8 Children as Blank Slates 8 Children as Children 8 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 8 Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi 9 Children as Children Continues 10 Native American Children 11 Child Guidance 11 African-American Children 11 Standardization of Childhood 11 Native American Children 12 Children with Disabilities 12 Child Guidance 12 Modern Views of Childhood 13 The Sensual Child 13 The Malleable Child 13 The Hurried Child 13 Child Guidance 14 Behavior Modification 15 Democratic Behavior Guidance 15 Children Today 16 Miniature Adults 16 Readiness 16 Child-Centered Learning Environments 16 Children as Our Future 16 Summary 17 Enrichment Activities 17 Self-Assessment 18 For Further Reading 18 References 19 2 History of Social, Political, and Philosophical Trends 21 Precolonial Times 22 Native Americans 22 European Influence 22 Colonial Era 24 Social-Political Environment 24 Early Childhood Education 25 Dame Schools 25 Latin Grammar Schools 25 Industrial Era 25 Social, Political Environment 25 Common Schools 26 Origin of the Testing Movement 27 Educating African-Americans 28 Educating Native Americans 28 Early Childhood Education 28 Origin of Kindergarten 28 Progressive Movement 30 Social, Political Environment 30 The Testing Movement 31 Educational Theories 31 Progressive Educators 31 Early Childhood Programs 32 Schooling for Children of Color 32 Schooling for Children with Disabilities 33 Nursery Schools 33 Bank Street 33 Kindergarten 33 Montessori Education 34 The Child Study Movement 34 Social, Political Environment 34 The Testing Movement 35 Early Childhood Theories 35 Constructivism 35 Behaviorism 37 Self-Actualization Theory 38 Maturationism 38 Early Childhood Programs 39 Children with Disabilities 39 Waldorf Schools 39 Post World War II and the Great Society 39 Social, Political Environment 39 The Great Society 40 Early Childhood Theories 41 Behaviorism 42 Psychosocial Theory 42 Early Childhood Programs 42 Reggio Emilia 42 High/Scope 44 Head Start 44 Children with Disabilities 44 Accountability Movement 45 Social, Political Environment 45 The Testing Movement 45 Early Childhood Programs 46 Open Education 46 Electronic Age 47 Social, Political Environment 47 The Testing Movement 47 Early Childhood Theories 48 Early Childhood Programs 49 Summary 49 Enrichment Activities 50 For Further Reading 51 Professional Development Resources 51 Self-Assessment 51 References 51 3 Governance of Early Care and Education: Past and Present 53 Oversight for Early Care and Education 54 Administrative Reform 54 Scientific Management 55 Nursery Schools 55 Governance of Early Care and Education Today 55 Critique of Centralized Governance 56 Federal Policies Affecting Early Childhood Education 57 Postwar Years 57 Children with Disabilities 58 The Era of the Great Society 59 The Era of Accountability 59 Entering the Twenty-First Century 59 The History of Bilingual Education 61 The Relationship of Church and State 62 Colonial Era 62 Industrial Era 63 History of Roman Catholic Schools 64 The Progressive Era 64 The Twentieth Century 65 Separation of Church and State Today 66 Summary 67 Enrichment Activities 67 For Further Reading 67 Professional Development Resources 68 Self-Assessment 68 References 68 Part 2: Early Childhood 4 The Role of Early Childhood Educators in Children’s Lives 69 Preparing to Be an Early Childhood Educator 70 Child Care and Pre-K Programs 70 Grades K–3 70 Professional Development 71 Philosophies of Learning 72 Brain-Based Development 73 Multiple Intelligences 74 Constructivism 76 Behaviorism 76 Maturation 77 Appropriate Practices 78 Developmentally Appropriate Practice 78 Culturally Relevant Practice 79 The Value of Play 79 Play and Social–Emotional Development 81 Play and Cognitive Development 82 Your Role in Supporting Children’s Play 82 Support from Outside the Play 82 Support from Inside the Play 83 Curriculum Development 83 Infants and Toddlers 84 Children Ages 3–8 84 Integrated Curriculum 84 Advocacy 87 Summary 88 Enrichment Activities 88 For Further Reading 89 Professional Development Resources 89 Self-Assessment 90 References 90 5 Infants and Toddlers 91 Developmental Characteristics of Infants and Toddlers 92 Language Development 92 Theories of Language Acquisition 92 Stages of Language Development 96 Reading to Infants and Toddlers 97 Language Is Cultural 98 Delayed Language Development 98 Cognitive Development 99 Egocentrism 100 Reasoning 100 Physical Development 100 Social–Emotional Development 101 Impulse Control 101 Attachment 101 Temperament 102 Play 103 Supporting Infant and Toddler Play 103 Programs for Infants and Toddlers 104 Child Care 104 Reggio Emilia 105 Early Head Start 106 Montessori 106 Creating an Antibias Environment 107 Summary 109 Enrichment Activities 109 For Further Reading 110 Professional Development Resources 110 Self-Assessment 110 References 111 6 Preschool and Kindergarten 113 Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Programs for Three- to Five-Year-Olds 114 Language Development 114 Cognitive Development 116 Social–Emotional Development 117 Physical Development 118 Programs for Three- to Five-Year-Olds 118 Head Start 119 High/Scope 121 Bank Street 123 Reggio Emilia 123 Waldorf 124 Montessori 125 Teaching Antibias Attitudes 127 Child Care 128 Types of Child Care 128 Center Based Child Care 128 Employer Sponsored Care 129 Home Child Care 129 Church or Temple Care Centers 129 Nannies 129 Quality in Child Care 129 Funding Quality Care 130 Kindergarten 130 Readiness 131 Retention and Academic Redshirting 132 Benefits Cannot Be Consistently Substantiated 132 Sociocultural Issues 132 Developmental Kindergartens and Transitional First Grade 133 Entrance Age 133 An Alternative 133 Half-Day/Full-Day Kindergarten 134 Kindergarten Curriculum 134 Summary 135 Enrichment Activities 136 For Further Reading 137 Professional Development Resources 137 Self-Assessment 137 References 138 7 Early Childhood: The Primary Grades 139 Developmental Considerations for Primary Grade Children 140 Language and Literacy Development 140 Cognitive Development 140 Physical Development 143 Social–Emotional Development 144 Antibias Classrooms in the Primary Grades 144 Literacy Learning 144 Antibias Instructional Strategies 146 Integrating Content about Diversity into the Curriculum 147 Curriculum and Effective Teaching in the Primary Grades 150 Child-Centered Environment 151 Explicit Instruction 151 Direct Instruction 151 Balanced Literacy 151 National Reading Panel Report 153 Extension of Programs for 3- to 5-Year-Olds into Primary Grades 153 Play in the Primary Grades 153 Before and After School Programs 154 Classroom and Calendar Configurations in Primary Grades 154 Multiage Grouping 154 Looping 155 Homeschooling 155 Year-round and Traditional Schools 156 Educating Homeless Children 157 Summary 158 Enrichment Activities 158 For Further Reading 159 Professional Development Resources 159 Self-Assessment 159 References 160 Part 3: Guiding and Assessing Young Children 8 Guiding Children’s Behavior in Early Childhood Settings 161 Encouraging Environments 162 Infants 162 Toddlers 162 Preschoolers and Kindergarteners 163 Primary Grade Children 166 Managing Environments and Guiding Behavior 168 General Considerations for Guiding Behavior 169 Choices 169 Praise 169 Punishment 170 Developmentally Appropriate Guidance Strategies 170 Infants 170 Toddlers 171 Preschoolers and Kindergarteners 173 Primary Grade Children 175 Children with Special Needs 177 Cultural Considerations 178 Individualism vs. Collectivism 179 Understanding Roles 180 Supporting Nonviolent Behavior 181 Bullying 183 Summary 184 Enrichment Activities 184 For Further Reading 185 Self-Assessment 185 References 186 9 Assessing the Child in Early Childhood Settings 187 Types of Assessment in Early Childhood Settings 188 Observation 188 Anecdotal Records and Field Notes 189 Audio/Video and Photographic Recordings 190 Checklists 191 Portfolios 191 Reflection 192 Purposes 193 Age Appropriate Portfolios 193 Home Visits 194 The Work Sampling System 194 Standardized Tests 195 Linking Assessment and Curriculum 195 Assessment Issues 196 Align Assessment with the Nature of the Child 196 Infants and Toddlers 197 Preschool, Kindergarten, and Primary Grade Children 197 Standardized Testing in Early Childhood Settings 197 Developmental Considerations 197 Inappropriate Labels 198 High-Stakes Testing 198 Cultural Issues in Assessment 199 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children 200 Barriers to Accurate Assessment 200 Culturally Appropriate Assessment 201 Assessing Children and Programs 202 Summary 203 Enrichment Activities 204 For Further Reading 205 Self-Assessment 205 References 205 10 Children Who Are Linguistically Diverse 207 The Challenge 208 The Controversy 208 Linguistic Differences 210 Dialects 210 Dialect Errors: Points to Consider 210 Black English 211 Role of the Early Childhood Educator 211 Accents 212 Sign Language 212 Speakers of Languages Other than English 213 Bilingual Education 213 English as a Second Language 214 Nonverbal Communication 215 Acquiring a Second Language 215 Theories of Second Language Acquisition 215 Language Acquisition Stages 216 Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition: Social, Emotional, and Cognitive 220 Loss of the First Language 222 Summary 223 Enrichment Activities 224 For Further Reading 224 Professional Development Resource 224 Self-Assessment 225 References 225 Part 4: Supporting and Advocating for Young Children in the Twenty-first Century 11 Children with Special Needs 227 Causes of Exceptionalities 228 Genetic 229 Prenatal Conditions 229 Birth and Postbirth Complications 229 Exceptionalities and the Role of Early Childhood Educators 229 Assessment of Exceptionalities 230 Labeling 231 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 231 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 232 Autism 232 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 233 Behavior Disorders 233 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 233 Developmental Delays 233 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 234 Down Syndrome 234 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 234 Gifted 235 Role of Early Childhood Educators 235 Language and Hearing Disabilities 236 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 236 Learning Disabilities 237 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 238 Physical Disabilities 238 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 238 Visual Disabilities 239 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 239 Early Childhood Environments for Children with Disabilities 239 Inclusion 239 Infants and Toddlers 240 Preschool and Kindergarten 240 Primary Grades 241 Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education 242 Abuse and Neglect 242 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 243 Provide Quality Care and Education 243 Develop Reciprocal Relationships with Families 243 Recognize When Children Are at Risk 243 Understand and Assist Families 244 Build on Strengths 244 Be Informed 244 Antibias Environments for Children with Special Needs 244 Teaching about Differences 245 Summary 246 Enrichment Activities 246 For Further Reading 247 Professional Development Resources 247 Self-Assessment 248 References 248 12 The Impact of Environments and Technology on Young Children 249 Indoor Environments 250 Child-Centeredness 250 Scheduling Considerations 252 Room Arrangements 254 Infants and Toddlers 254 Preschool and Kindergarten 255 Primary Grades 257 Inclusive Environments 259 Outdoor Environments 259 Gross Motor Activity 260 Creative Play 260 Appreciation of Nature 260 The Social Environment 260 Teaching for Social Justice 261 Teach Questioning 262 Perspective Taking 262 Rethinking Curriculum 263 Take Action 264 Inequity in School Funding 264 Quality Schools for All 267 The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Environments 268 NAEYC Position on Technology and Young Children 268 Media Violence 269 Technology and Parenting 270 Antibias Technology Environments 271 Equitable Access 271 Assistive Technology 271 Summary 271 Enrichment Activities 272 For Further Reading 273 Professional Development Resources 273 Self-Assessment 273 References 274 13 Children and Their Families 275 Diverse Family Beliefs,Attitudes, and Practices 276 Stages of Cultural Identity 276 Cultural Progression in Our Diverse Nation 277 European American Families 277 African-American Families 278 Asian-American Families 279 Biracial Multiethnic Families 280 Gay and Lesbian Families 280 Hispanic American Families 280 Jewish American Families 281 Native American Families 282 Parents with Disabilities 283 Children of Divorce and Blended Families 283 Families Living in Poverty 284 Poverty and Resources 284 Poverty and Language 285 The Role of Early Childhood Educators 285 Involving Parents from Diverse Populations 286 Types of Parental Involvement 287 Barriers to Parent Involvement 288 Antibias Environment 289 Family Literacy 290 Using Community Resources 290 Family Friendliness 291 Resources 292 Invited Guests 293 Summary 293 Enrichment Activities 293 For Further Reading 294 Professional Development Resources 295 Self-Assessment 295 References 296 14 Issues and Advocacy in Early Childhood in the Twenty-first Century 297 View of the Child 298 Sociopolitical Influences 299 Poverty 299 Health and Well-being 300 Commerce, Industry, and Business 303 Metaphor of the Market for Schooling 303 High-Stakes Testing 305 Diversity 306 Teaching in a Diverse Society 306 Advocacy 308 Professional Development 309 Curriculum 310 Summary 311 Enrichment Activities 311 Self-Assessment 312 For Further Reading 312 Professional Development Resources 313 References 313 Index 314