Spending time on the playground is a great opportunity for children to be physically active and engage in various forms of play, as well as develop a variety of foundational social and emotional skills.
Authored by
Authored by:
Hsiu-Wen Yang, Michaelene M. Ostrosky, Paddy Cronin Favazza, Yusuf Akemoğlu, W. Catherine Cheung, Katherine Aronson-Ensign
In this article, we describe our inquiry to better understand children’s thinking through play. We also share ideas about how teachers can build upon children’s interests and expertise in ways that are respectful, inclusive, and engaged.
This excerpt from Developmentally Appropriate Practice illustrates the ways in which play and learning mutually support one another and how teachers connect learning goals to children’s play.
Authored by
Authored by:
Jennifer M. Zosh, Caroline Gaudreau, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
This issue of Young Children delves into different aspects of play, different roles of educators during play, and the contexts of children and families with play.
In his teacher research, Ron Grady investigates how play can support and scaffold a favorite domain of so many early childhood professionals—language and literacy.
We may not be able to control the spread of the virus, the changing mandates, or the inequities and social justice issues intensified by the pandemic, but we can control how much our children feel loved by us.
This article introduces the Patty Smith Hill blocks and describes how they helped one teacher build a curriculum and intentionally plan and teach in ways that engaged children in deep study of topics they could learn through firsthand experiences.
Knowing that local field trips are a source of curriculum in early childhood education, two teachers venture to a theater with their class, then engage in a project about storytelling, performance, and stages.
Cross-area play is rooted in the idea that when children are given the freedom to experiment with materials in open-ended ways, their play can transform into elaborate, complex plots and offer rich developmental opportunities.
Stepping back from children’s play, rather than always inserting ourselves into it, gives us time to intentionally observe, listen to, and record children as they play.
Authored by
Authored by:
Krystina Tapia, Emma Pickering, Jesse Robert Coffino
Without the toys and supplies commonly found in a classroom, Denise O’Hara’s children relied on nature to spark their imaginations and activities. Through this series of photographs and captions, you’ll see some of their playful creations.
Contact with nature can help mitigate the negative effects of stress. Through nature-based encounters, we can provide children with strategies to use while they are in our care and beyond.
In this piece, author Ron Grady takes us on a journey of one day in the life of a nature-based preschool. He also shares reflections and tips that can apply to any setting.
Teaching Young Children is NAEYC's magazine for anyone who works with preschoolers. Colorful, informative, and easy-to-read, TYC is packed full of teaching ideas, strategies, and tips.