The three papers included in this symposium discuss the relevance of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development to the early childhood practitioner. First, an overview of Piaget's theory is presented. This focusses on the particular aspects of the theory most relevant to practitioners in early childhood education. Second, curriculum implementation is examined. Piaget's ideas are applied to the traditional child-centered curriculum through a discussion of six steps which guide what the teacher does with children during the day: (1) anticipation, (2) analysis, (3) arrangement, (4) attention, (5) articulation, and (6) assessment of activities. Third, Piaget's contributions to understanding children's socioemotional development are examined. Ways to determine appropriate goals for socioemotional development and the means for reaching these goals are discussed. (Author/RH)