Preschool and kindergarten teachers have the responsibility of supporting children as they learn and develop. This guide is designed to help North Carolina preschool and kindergarten teachers and administrators establish and maintain high quality programs, frame the broad issues regarding early childhood curriculum and instruction, describe major curricular and instructional approaches, and provide a framework for local program planners. Information is based on position papers developed by early childhood educators and reviewed for alignment with North Carolina State Board of Education policies. Chapter 1 of the guide, "How Do I Get To Know the Children in My Class?" presents information on child development, learning, and strategies for building partnerships with parents/caregivers and learning about the community and individual children. Chapter 2, "What Do I Teach?" examines expectations for cognitive development, curriculum guidelines and models, guidelines for appropriate content, and conceptual organizers. Chapter 3, "How Do I Teach?" considers the physical and interpersonal environment, scheduling, and developmental stages. Chapter 4, "How Do I Assess the Children's Progress?" addresses conditions for effective assessment; suggests techniques for observing, documenting, recording, and organizing information; and makes suggestions for drawing appropriate conclusions from information, modifying instruction, and sharing information. A lengthy discussion of content areas connects the preschool program with existing North Carolina Standard Course of Study K-12. The guide's appendix includes forms, guidance for inclusion of children with various disabilities, relevant state guidelines and statutes, and an article (Patricia Miller) regarding issues in early childhood education. Each chapter contains references. (Author/KB)