Resources

Children’s experiences and relationships during their formative years have a far-reaching impact, and early childhood professionals play a critical role in fostering the social and emotional competence children need to process and learn from these interactions.

This collection of articles explores how teachers can use caring relationships, classroom practices, routines, and lessons to nurture healthy behaviors in children from birth through third grade.

The collection covers a variety of critical issues, including how to:

• Prevent and address aggression and bullying behaviors
• Guide children to recognize and understand diverse cultural practices
• Encourage children to form and sustain meaningful social interactions
• Support children who have experienced trauma

Ronald Lally and Peter Mangione, Co-Directors of WestEd’s Center for Child & Family Studies, authored a key article in the collection entitled, “Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development.”

In the article they write, “If [babies’] expectations are less than adequately met, their confidence in getting their needs met through relationships may be challenged. When this occurs, emotional and social development suffer, and, because babies’ emotional base is the foundation for all other learning, so do intellectual and language development.”