Contemporary Challenges in Teaching Young Children

Gayle Mindes is Professor Emerita and recipient of the Via Sapientiae Award at DePaul University, Chicago, USA.

"This comprehensive volume provides essential guidance to help teachers meet the many challenges they face in supporting the learning and development of every child in our highly diverse society. Offering a unique point of view, chapters address all the essential topics in child development and curriculum from the perspective of actual teachers and administrators who must apply the knowledge and surmount these challenges every day. They make current research accessible for diverse audiences, and provide particularly valuable new information on trauma-informed teaching, multilingual learners, immigrant and migrant children, and children with diverse abilities."— Sue Bredekamp, Early Childhood Education Specialist and former Director of Accreditation and Professional Development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), USA"I frequently hear teachers expressing the desire to better serve the diverse needs of their children. With its focus on the specific role of the teacher in meeting those needs, this book provides a rich resource with concrete guidance for effective teacher problem solving." — Whit Hayslip, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, USA"Mindes gathered varied experts in their field to bring together a book addressing the contemporary challenges facing teachers of young children. Given the growth of early childhood education programs across our country and the need for teachers to adapt and attend to the needs of all children, this book is a timely resource focusing on teacher problem-solving and building resiliency in young children. The chapters are arranged around two foundational aspects of teaching young children: thinking about children, and curriculum and strategies. Mindes has assembled a useful collection of voices to apply research into practice, joining the discourse about the complexity of teaching to improve the lives of children and families. This book is an Important contribution to stimulate dialogue merging teachers' understanding and building on the assets of young children and families while providing practical strategies in curricular domains addressing the whole child in developmentally appropriate ways. Mindes and her colleagues place the emphasis where it should be, on strengthening teachers' problem-solving skills and practice. The book will be a useful addition in teacher preparation programs as well as for professional learning communities (PLC) for teachers." — Holly Seplocha, Professor, William Paterson University"What a wonderful resource! This book is a timely and much-needed road map to the increasingly complex world of early childhood education. The authors provide an excellent overview of the challenges and opportunities facing early childhood educators-- and offer many practical suggestions for rising to the challenge!" — Travis Wright, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• 1. Practical Strategies for Navigating Complex Systems 2. Social-Emotional Learning is Foundational 3. Culturally Responsive Teaching in Early Childhood 4. Scaffolding Multilingual Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms 5. Migrant and Refugee Children 6. Understanding and Helping Students with Trauma 7. Supporting Exceptional Children and their Families 8. Changing Curricular Trends in Early Childhood Education: Addressing the Needs of All Children 9. Playful Learning 10. Using Technology to Empower Teachers and Learners 11. Mirrors, Windows, and Springboards: Choosing and Using Quality Literature with the Young Children we know 12. Mathematics to Promote Critical Thinking 13. "But Why?" Considerations for Encouraging Scientific Thinking in the Preschool Classroom 14. Studying Social Studies and Visual Literacy to Foster Identity and Community 15. The Strength in Strategy: Planning for High-Quality Professional Learning Communities 16.Teachers Succeeding in the Face of Challenges