The first three years set the stage for a lifetime of learning. This book provides more than eighty activities and experiences to optimize very young children's intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development, as well as strategies that support responsive caregiving. Jean Barbre, EdD, has thirty years of experience working with children and families as a preschool director, teacher, therapist, college instructor, national and international presenter, and guest presenter on public television.

Understanding the development of infants, toddlers, and twos equips caregivers with the tools and best practices needed to guide, teach, and care for them. This foundational approach provides information on theories of early development, components of high-quality, responsive caregiving, and strategies to support children in their earliest years.

"Ruth Charney gives teachers help on things that really matter. She wants children to learn how to care for themselves, their fellow students, their environment, and their work. Her book is loaded with practical wisdom. Using Charney's positive approach to classroom management will make the whole school day go better." - Nel Noddings, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and author of Caring This definitive work about classroom management will show teachers how to turn their vision of respectful, friendly, academically rigorous classrooms into reality. The new edition includes: More information on teaching middle-school students Additional strategies for helping children with challenging behavior Updated stories and examples from real classrooms. "Teaching Children to Care offers educators a practical guide to one of the most effective social and emotional learning programs I know of. The Responsive Classroom approach creates an ideal environment for learning—a pioneering program every teacher should know about." - Daniel Goleman, Author of Emotional Intelligence "I spent one whole summer reading Teaching Children to Care. It was like a rebirth for me. This book helped direct my professional development. After reading it, I had a path to follow. I now look forward to rereading this book each August to refresh and reinforce my ability to effectively manage a social curriculum in my classroom." - Gail Zimmerman, second-grade teacher, Jackson Mann Elementary School, Boston, MA

Optimize children's development in the first three years with more than 80 intentional activities and learning experiences.

Focus on the wonder of learning with infants, toddlers, and twos. Use sensitive and responsive interactions and curriculum planning that support their development as effective communicators, problem solvers, and creative thinkers.

"Between the ages of one and three, children go through a distinct stage that every parent knows well--toddlerhood. Primarily concerned with themselves and their immediate worlds, toddlers present special needs to their caregivers. This book outlines a responsive, nondirective approach to help professionals with this unique developmental stage. The authors' approach is child-centered, focusing on the need to let children be themselves in as natural and individual a way as possible, rather than stressing preschool academic achievement. Responsive caregiving--adjusting to the specific needs of the children--requires as much knowledge of psychology, sociology, education, and medicine as directive caregiving. But in addition, the responsive caregiver needs a rarer, higher skill: an ability to follow the toddler's lead."--Back cover.