Recently, the author got to thinking about some of the ideas that have crossed her mind in the last couple of weeks. The list made her smile. And as she went over it point by point in her head she tried to determine what, if any, reasonable or logical patterns were emerging in her myriad of ideas. The four divergent ideas presented in this article…

The language used by adults in an early childhood setting is one of the most telling indicators of the values of a center. Each center has its own culture of language that consists of often heard phrases and scripts used when teaching and caring for young children. Listening closely to words, tones, and scripts--educators tune into what is unseen,…

Children have laser-like attention for everything teachers do and say. They are skillful social scientists, learning about themselves, relationships, and the world by carefully observing the people around them. As keen observers, children notice the smallest details of a teacher's body language, tone of voice, and movements. Teachers' interactions…

Rich artwork, beautiful classrooms, articulate educators: through conferences, art exhibits, lovely books, and fabulous study tours early childhood programs in Reggio Emilia have captured the attention of the early childhood community all over the world. The study of Reggio Emilia has engaged many educators in a dynamic dialogue about the…

In this article, the author discusses how the early childhood field's approach to staff training reflects the drive-through, fast-food culture. Year after year directors send their teachers to workshops to get some quick refresher techniques. The author suggests that rather than focusing professional development on topics, focus on observing…

Play episodes are common occurrences in many preschool classrooms. Observation of this type of play can provide teacher with valuable insights into children's development, skills, and interest. How might the teachers use this "play story" to extend and enhance the children's learning particularly literacy learning, in meaningful ways? This article…

In this article, the author provides several ideas on how individuals who work in the field of early education can make their visions come true. She suggests that one should incorporate self-reflection in their practice. She also offers questions that will help guide educators to explore lifelong professional development opportunities and…

The daily reality of working with a group of young children presents many demands for adults in early childhood programs. There are the ongoing chores of caretaking and cleaning up, planning and providing an engaging curriculum, communicating with families and coworkers, and the ever-growing pressures for outcomes, assessment, and documentation to…

The task of creating organizational policies and systems that promote and support reflective teaching is multifaceted and seldom enumerated in early childhood professional literature. One of the best overviews the author has found comes from Carol Brunson Phillips and Sue Bredekamp (1998). The author opines that if the early childhood profession…

Words Work! and Community Action Head Start have been working together for seven years to provide training, consultation, mentoring, and resources to teachers in pilot classrooms as they learned to implement effective early literacy strategies. In its work with teachers, Words Work! developed a culture "where ongoing assessment, reflective…