Noting the importance of social competence for getting along in society, this book is designed as a text to help teachers of young children understand the nature of social development in young children and how to guide that development through the early childhood curriculum. The book contains a number of practical guidelines and strategies for addressing common social concerns, such as helping children develop and sustain friendships, and promoting children's self-awareness and self-esteem. The 16 chapters are presented in a specific sequence, with chapters that focus on relationship-building sills appearing prior to those that involve behavioral cueing skills. The chapters are: (1) Professional Involvement of Young Children; (2) Initiating Social Relationships in Infancy; (3) Building Positive Relationships through Nonverbal Communication; (4) Promoting Children's Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem through Verbal Communication; (5) Responding to Children's Emotions; (6) Enhancing Children's Play; (7) Fostering Self-Discipline in Children: Expressing Appropriate Expectations for Their Behavior; (8) Fostering Self-Discipline in Children: Implementing Consequences; (9) Handling Children's Aggressive Behavior; (10) Helping Children Cope with Stress; (11) Supporting Children's development in Sensitive Areas: Sexuality, Ethnicity, and Handicapping Conditions; (12) Influencing Children's Social Development via the Physical Environment; (13) Supporting Children's Friendships; (14) Promoting Prosocial Behavior; (15) Working with Parents; and (16) Making Judgments. Each chapter includes lists of objectives, specific skills, and pitfalls to avoid, as well as a summary, discussion questions, and field assignments. Six appendixes contain the National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethical Conduct; friendship terms, facts, and principles; helping terms, facts and principles; cooperating terms, facts, and principles; organizations that address child abuse; and personal safety terms, facts, and principles. (HTH)