Spotlight on Young Children – serie

Nurturing Children’s Social and Emotional Learning and Well-Being  Children’s relationships and experiences during their formative years have a far-reaching impact, and early childhood educators play a critical role in fostering the social and emotional competence children need to process and learn from these interactions. Explore how teachers can use the opportunities embedded in their curriculum, practices, and routines to support positive, healthy behaviors in children from birth through age 8.  The revised and updated edition of this volume reflects recent advances in brain science, the field’s heightened recognition of children’s cultural contexts as central components of their social and emotional development, and more. It covers a wide range of timely and timeless topics, including how to    Establish trusting relationships to teach, model, and reinforce positive behaviors Honor each child’s dimensions of diversity and support the development of their individuality and humanity  Engage in social justice projects that increase children’s empathy and sense of agency  Mitigate the effects of trauma in children’s lives Implement strategies that relieve anxiety and teach coping skills   Each article in this collection also includes questions to prompt deeper thinking on the content, highlighting connections to developmentally appropriate practice. Using the guidance in this resource, help children develop the social and emotional skills essential to their future well-being and success.

Meaningful, developmentally appropriateobservationand assessment are core components of every early learning setting. In today’sworld of data collection, high-stakes testing, and accountability, it isvitally important to understand how to effectively assess young children infamiliar settings; use this data to inform the curriculum; and communicate thisinformation with staff, families, and communities.   Carrying on the work of the first volume of Spotlight on Young Children:Observation and Assessment, this book brings togetherall-new articles curated by Hilary Seitz, director for educator and leadershipprograms in the California State University system. Organized into threedistinct parts, the contributions Discuss changing the landscapeof observation and assessment Emphasize the need forassessment to be culturally and linguistically responsive  Showcase a variety ofreasons why educators use observation and assessment, exploring informationabout the foundations and meanings behind them  Highlight different facets of theauthentic assessment process and how to capture thinking and learning moments  Address reflecting on,celebrating, and including all children by identifying their uniquestrengths and needs and using a variety of supporting strategies   Each article in this collection is accompanied by questions toprompt deeper thinking on the content. With this resource, continue to grow yourunderstanding of how observation and assessment can guide your instruction andpromote children’s learning.