Spotlight on Young Children series – serie

When engaged in social studies, with guidance and encouragement from adults, children develop awareness of self and family and become active participants in the larger community. The knowledge and skills learned through social studies prepare children to become informed and engaged citizens of their country and the world.In this collection of articles from Young Children and Beyond the Journal, experts discuss the historic roots of the social studies field, explain how quality books can help children understand themselves and others, and provide many examples of teachers and children engaged in meaningful social studies. The book includes a list of key resources as well as questions and activities designed to aid readers in reflecting on the articles.

Successful and effective preschool teachers use creative, engaging approaches to support the development and learning of every child in the classroom. The highly relevant and practical articles in this volume, drawn from recent issues of NAEYC’s journal Young Children, offer research-based, developmentally appropriate strategies that preschool teachers can use or adapt for their work with young children and families. Each article celebrates and informs the work of preschool teachers.

Nature exploration is fundamental to young children’s curiosity, discovery, and sense of wonder—it supports their growth in all developmental domains. In this collection of engaging articles from NAEYC’s journal Young Children, teachers of children from infancy through age 8 will learn about using nature education to address early learning standards, to involve families and the community, and to encourage children’s appreciation of the natural world. The book offers a comprehensive resource list and a professional development guide with questions and activities to help readers reflect on current practices and incorporate new ones.

It is important for teachers to incorporate mathematics into the daily curriculum to help ensure young children gain the foundational skills for later success in math. In this collection of articles from NAEYC’s journal, Young Children, teachers of children from infancy through age 8 will learn how to help children develop, construct, test, and reflect on their mathematical understandings. Articles offer ways to provide in-depth, engaging learning experiences focusing on key math concept areas: number and operations, geometry, measurement, and data analysis.

How can you support children’s play, which is an essential part of development and learning? Play helps children learn to understand themselves and get along with others; explore their environment; investigate science, math, and literacy; learn about their communities; and much more.Use the articles in this collection that emphasize the importance of play—from infancy through the primary grades—to support and scaffold children’s play and connect play to learning.

The debate surrounding testing and accountability in early childhood education continues, but one thing is universally agreed upon: effective observation and assessment of young children’s learning are critical to supporting their development. Educators balance what they know about child development with observation and assessment approaches that both inform and improve the curriculum. This foundational resource for all educators of children from birth through third grade explores:What observation and assessment are, why to use them, and howWays to integrate documentation, observation, and assessment into the daily routinePractices that are culturally and linguistically responsive Ways to engage families in observation and assessment processesHow to effectively share children’s learning with families, administrators, and others Find inspiration to intentionally develop and implement meaningful, developmentally appropriate observation and assessment practices to build responsive, joyful classrooms.