Preschool children are developing social and emotional skills, like recognizing and expressing emotions, building relationships with peers and adults, following directions, and solving problems. To develop these skills, young children rely on support from adults, including teachers, who model and teach children social and emotional skills in the…

Expulsion has been a well-documented practice in early learning centers throughout the United States. The present study attempted to describe expulsion practices in one state's community childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys from 161 childcare program administrators were analyzed and, overall, expulsion rates appeared to be lower…

The level of awareness regarding sensory concepts was explored in a convenience sample of 25 early childhood educators in an urban environment. This survey design measured early childhood educators self-report of sensory activities offered within their classrooms and independently scored by two occupational therapists practicing in pediatrics.…

Inclusion is important for development of social-communication and all skills of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their participation in social life. In order to carry out a successful inclusion process, preschool teachers have crucial and fundamental role. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of…

This publication is part of the Leading by Exemplar project, a multi-year study conducted by Bellwether Education Partners. In this project, every aspect of the Head Start exemplars' program design and practice was closely examined in an effort to understand each program's "secret sauce." Leading by Exemplar has three goals: (1) to…

This publication is part of the "Leading by Exemplar" project, a multi-year study conducted by Bellwether Education Partners. In this project, every aspect of the Head Start exemplars' program design and practice was closely examined in an effort to understand each program's "secret sauce." Leading by Exemplar has three goals:…

Proven to reduce bad behaviour and exclusions, and encourage happier, safer school environments, restorative justice is an effective approach to conflict resolution. Suitable for education settings from preschool to college, this guide explains what restorative justice is, how it can be used in schools, what it looks like in the classroom and how…

This article addresses exemplary differences between preschools with systematic physical activity (PA) programmes and preschools without PA programmes in Germany. Two preschools from each group were visited in the context of a focused ethnographic observation to examine the educational practice, PA and social behaviour of preschool children. The…

In this study, 9 teachers from 5 child care centers were interviewed to examine their perceptions on including children with challenging behavior in their classrooms. The findings provide a firsthand view into how child care teachers support children's social and emotional development and address challenging behavior. Results confirm previous…

Current policy guidance stresses the need for early identification of obstacles to learning and appropriate intervention. New standards for learning (Early Years Foundation Stage) place personal, social and emotional development (PSED) as central to learning and development. This paper reports a survey and follow-up interviews with early years…

A growing body of evidence confirms that serious and persistent challenging behaviors in early childhood directly relate to later problems in school success, social relationships, educational and vocational success, and social adjustment. Conversely, key social skills associated with learning in group settings include being able to get along with…

Universal classroom practices include developmentally appropriate, child-centered classroom environments that promote children's developing independence, successful interactions, and engagement in learning. While universal practices may be enough to promote the development of social competence in the majority of children in the classroom, teachers…