Stephanie Feeney, Professor Emerita, University of Hawaii

Eva Moravcik, Professor, Honolulu Community College

Sherry Nolte, Professor, Honolulu Community College

Doris Christensen, Honolulu Community College

Discover who you are as an educator!   

The authors' vision in writing this text was to teach others to work with young children.  This child-centered text, now in its eighth edition, continues to help students discover who they are as educators, and what they value for children rather than focusing exclusively on content and skills.  Embracing a constructivist philosophy, it provides a foundation for a career in early childhood that is built on respect for children, the importance of teachers' reflections on their own values and actions, and a clear presentation of principles and practice. 

Written in conversational and personal voice and appealing to a wide range of students, this text supports readers' personal and professional development.  The authors' unique talents as university and community college professors, teachers of young children, and national policy makers have come together to help students understand children and their important role in children's lives. 

New to this edition

NEW: Alignment with NAEYC standards -- a supplement to the table of contents shows how each chapter addresses NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation.

NEW: Ethics Reflections--Throughout the text examples of common ethical dilemmas are presented with thought-provoking questions designed to help students to reflect on their ethical responsibilities and the use of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.

NEW: Golden Rules--Clear, concise, easy-to-remember guidelines and recommendations for practice are presented in boxed format in chapters related to classroom practice (e.g. Golden Rules for Writing Anecdotal Records, Golden Rules for Designing Learning Environments, Golden Rules for Talking with Children).

NEW: Video examples of environments, adult-child interactions, and teaching (for MyEducationLab website)

NEW!  Part of the Merrill MyEducationLab Textbook Series.  Your students' textbook is a resource for applying the strategies they have learned to classroom practice.  "Things to Take Into Your Classroom" featured on the front and back cover lists page references for the book's strategies, plans, activities, lessons, and other resourceful materials for students to use in the classroom--making this text not just a book for learning, but a book for teaching.