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601Foundations

Early Childhood

Question	Answer
Accommodation	The process involved in changing old methods and adjusting to new situations.
Active listening	Involves interactions with a child to provide the child with proof that you understand what he or she is talking about.
Adult/child discourse	A conversation between an adult/parent and a child.
Advocacy	The act of engaging in strategies designed to improve the circumstances of children and families. Advocates move beyond their day-to-day professional responsibilities and work collaboratively to help others.
Anthroposophy	The name Steiner gave to "the study of the wisdom of man"; the basic principle of Waldorf education.
Anti-bias curriculum	An approach that seeks to provide children with an understanding of social and behavioral problems related to prejudice and seeks to provide them with the knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to combat prejudice.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA)	Theory that behavior rewarded is more likely to be repeated than behavior ignored.
Assessment	The process of collecting and recording information about children's development, learning, health, behavior, academic process, need for special services, and attainment in order to make a variety of educational decisions about children and programs.
Assimilation	The taking in of sensory data through experiences and impressions and incorporating them into existing knowledge.
Asthma	A chronic lung disorder that is marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction manifested by labored breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest, and that is triggered by hyperreactivity to va
Atelier	A special area or studio in a Reggio Emilia school for creating projects.
Atelierista	A Reggio Emilia teacher trained in the visual arts who works with teachers and children.
Attachment	An enduring emotional tie between a parent/ caregiver and an infant that endures over time.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)	A behavioral disorder in which children display cognitive delays as a result of difficulties with attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity.
Authentic assessment	Assessment conducted through activities that require children to demonstrate what they know and are able to do; also referred to as performance-based assessment.
Autism	A brain disorder that begins in early childhood and persists throughout life. Autism affects three crucial areas of development: communication, social interactions, and creative or imaginary play.
Autonomy	An Erikson concept that occurs as toddlers mature physically and mentally and want to do things by themselves with no outside help.
Balanced approach	A practice in which there is a balance between whole-language methods and phonics instruction that meets the specific needs of individual children.
Basic trust	An Erikson concept that involves the trust, security, and basic optimism that an infant develops when nurtured and loved.
Behavior guidance	A process by which teachers help all children learn to control and direct their behavior and become independent and self-reliant.
Benchmarks	Statements that provide a description of student performance expected at specific grade levels, ages, or developmental levels. Benchmarks often are used in conjunction with standards.
Bias-free	An environment, classroom setting, or program that is free of prejudicial behaviors.
Bonding	A parent's initial emotional tie to an infant.
Bullying	To treat abusively or affect by means of force or coercion
Child care	Comprehensive care and education of young children outside their homes
Child development	The study of how children change over time from birth to age eight
Child Development Associate (CDA)	An individual who has successfully completed the CDA assessment process and has been awarded the CDA credential. CDAs are able to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children's physical, social, emotional
Childhood depression	A disorder affecting as many as one in thirty-three children that can negatively impact feelings, thoughts and behavior and can manifest itself with physical symptoms of illness.
Children with disabilities	Children who need special education and related services because of mental retardation, hearing impairments, speech or language impairments, serious emotional disturbances, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments,
Chronosystem	The environmental contexts and events that influence children over their lifetimes, such as living in a technological age.
Circular response	Developmental reaction that typically begins to develop in early infancy in which infants' actions cause them to react or when another person prompts an infant to try to repeat the original action; similar to a stimulus–response or cause-and-effect relat
Civil behavior	How to treat others well and in turn be treated well.
Cognitive theory	Jean Piaget's proposition that children develop intelligence through direct experiences with the physical world. In this sense, learning is an internal (mental) process involving children's adapting new knowledge to what they already know.
Concrete operations	The third stage of operational or logical thought, often referred to as the "hands-on" period of cognitive development because the ability to reason is based on tangible objects and real experiences.
Constructivist process	The continuous mental organizing, structuring, and restructuring of experiences, in relation to schemes of thought, or mental images, that result in cognitive growth.
Content knowledge	Refers to the discipline (math, science, social studies, art, music, etc.) knowledge teachers should possess.
Culture	A group's way of life, including basic values, beliefs, religion, language, clothing, food, and practices.
Curriculum	All of the experiences children have while in school.
Curriculum alignment	The process of matching curriculum to the standards and to tests that measure student achievement.
Developmental screening	A procedure designed to identify children who should receive more intensive assessment or diagnosis, for potential developmental delays.
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)	Practice based on how children grow and develop and on individual and cultural differences.
Early childhood professional	An educator who successfully teaches all children, promotes high personal standards, and continually expands his or her skills and knowledge.
Entitlement programs	Programs and services children and families are entitled to because they meet the eligibility criteria for the services.
Ethical conduct	Responsible behavior toward students and parents that allows you to be considered a professional.
Even Start	Federally funded family literacy program that combines adult literacy and parenting training with early childhood education.
Exosystem	Environments or settings in which children do not play an active role but which nonetheless influence their development.
Expanding horizons approach	Also called the expanding environments approach, an approach to teaching social studies where the student is at the center of the expanding horizons and initial units, and at each grade level is exposed to a slowly widening environment.
Expressive language	A preschooler's developing ability to talk fluently and articulately with teacher and peers, the ability to express oneself in the language of the school, and the ability to communicate needs and ideas.
Formal assessment	Involves the use of standardized tests that have set procedures and instruction for administration and have been normed, meaning that it is possible to compare a child's score with the scores of a group of children who have already taken the same exam.
Formal operations	The fourth stage of operational intelligence. Children become capable of dealing with increasingly complex verbal and hypothetical problems and are less dependent on concrete objects.
Free and appropriate education (FAPE)	The idea that children must receive a free education suited to their age, maturity level, condition of disability, achievements, and parental expectations.
Gifted and talented children	As defined by federal law, children who demonstrate the potential for high performance in intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacities.
Head Start	A federal early childhood program serving children, ages three to five, who are socioeconomically challenged, and their families.
High/Scope educational model	A constructivist educational model based on Piaget's cognitive development theory. High/Scope promotes the constructivist process of learning and broadens the child's emerging intellectual and social skills
High-stakes testing	An assessment test used to either admit children into programs or promote them from one grade to the next
Holophrases	One-word sentences toddlers use to communicate.
Home visitor program	A program that involves visitation of children, parents, and other family members in their homes by trained personnel who provide information, training, and support.
"I" messages	Messages that are designed to let children know that you have a problem with their behavior and that you want them to do something to change the behavior.
Impulse control	The ability to stay on task, pay attention to a learning activity, work cooperatively with others, and not hit or interfere with the work of other children.
Independence	The ability to work alone on a task, take care of oneself, and initiate projects without always being told what to do.
Individualized education program (IEP)	A plan created to specify instruction for children with disabilities.
Individualized family service plan (IFSP)	A plan created for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, specifying what services they will receive to help them reach their goals.
Infancy	A child's first year of life.
Infant mental health	Stage of emotional and social competence of young children.
Informal assessment	The process of gathering information about students by means other than standardized tests.
Inquiry learning	Involvement of children in activities and processes that lead to learning.
Integrated curriculum	A curriculum in which one subject area is used to teach another.
Interpersonal skills	The ability to get along and work with both peers and adults.
Interpretation	A three-step process that includes examining the data/information that have been gathered, organizing and drawing conclusions from that data, and making decisions about teaching based on the conclusions.
Intersubjectivity	Vygotskian concept based on the idea that individuals come to a task, problem, or conversation with their own subjective ways of making sense of it, and in the course of communication may arrive at some mutually agreed-on, or intersubjective, understandi
Language experience approach	A reading instruction method that links oral and written language. Based on the premise that what is thought can be said, what is said can be written, and what is written can be read.
Learned helplessness	A condition that can develop when children perceive that they are not doing as well as they can or as well as their peers, lose confidence in their abilities and achievement, and then attribute their failures to a lack of ability. These children are pass
Learning	Acquisition of knowledge, behaviors, skills, and attitudes.
Learning centers	Areas of the classroom specifically set up to promote student-centered, hands-on, active learning. Learning centers are built and organized around student interests, themes, and academic subjects. Teachers plan for how children will use the centers, the
Learning style	The way a child is affected by his or her environment, emotions, sociological needs, physical characteristics, and psychological inclinations as he or she works to master new or difficult information or skills.
Least restrictive environment (LRE)	Children with disabilities are educated with children who have no disabilities. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the di
Literacy	The ability to read, write, speak, and listen.
Locus of control	The source or place of control; the goal of behavioral guidance is to help children learn that their locus of control is internal, that they are responsible for their behavior, and that the rewards for good behavior come from within themselves.
Macrosystem	The broader culture in which children live (e.g., democracy, individual freedom, and religious freedom).
Mastery-oriented attributions	Attributions that include trying hard (industriousness), paying attention, determination, and stick-to-itiveness.
Maturationist theory	Theory that holds that language acquisition is innate in all children regardless of country or culture.
Mesosystem	Links or interactions between microsystems.
Microsystem	The environmental settings in which children spend a lot of their time (e.g., children in child care spend about thirty-three hours a week in the microsystem of child care).
Middle childhood	Describes children in the Erikson's industry versus inferiority stage of social-emotional development. This occurs when children are six to nine years of age and is a time when they gain confidence in and ego satisfaction from completing demanding tasks.
Montessori method	Preschool or grade school that provides programs that use the philosophy, procedures, and materials developed by Maria Montessori for children ages one to eight years.
Multicultural awareness	Appreciation for and understanding of people's cultures, socioeconomic status, and gender.
Multicultural infusion	Permeating the curriculum with multicultural education to influence the way young children and teachers think about diversity issues.
Multiculturalism	An approach to education based on the premise that all peoples in the United States should receive proportional attention in the curriculum.
Multidisciplinary assessment (MDA)	A team approach using various methods to conduct a child's evaluation.
Multiple intelligences	Howard Gardner's concept that people are "smart" in many ways; those intelligences include linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existentialist.
Neural shearing / Pruning	The process of brain connections withering away when they are not used or used only a little.
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)	A landmark act in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools.
Obesity	Condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.
Object permanence	The concept that things out of sight continue to exist; this intellectual milestone typically begins to develop at four to eight months of age.
Observation	The intentional, systematic act of looking at the behavior of a child or children in a particular setting, program, or situation; sometimes referred to as kid-watching.
Operation	A reversible mental action.
Parent/family involvement	Process of helping parents and family members use their abilities to benefit themselves, their children, and the early childhood program.
Pedagogical knowledge	Refers to the knowledge about teaching and instructional practices teachers should possess.
Performance standards	Specific examples of what students should know and do to demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge and skills stated in the content standards.
Pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs)	A category of neurological disorders characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.
Philosophy of education	A set of beliefs about how children develop and learn and what and how they should be taught.
Phonics	A method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables.
Phonics instruction	Teaching method that emphasizes teaching letter-sound correspondence so children can learn to combine sounds into words.
Portfolio	A compilation of children's work samples, products, and teacher observations collected over time.
Poverty	The state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.
Pre-first-grade	A program designed to provide children who are developmentally behind their peers the time they need to grow and learn in a supportive environment.
Pre-kindergarten	A class or program preceding kindergarten for children usually from three to four years old.
Professional dispositions	Values, commitments, and ethical decisions and practices that influence behavior toward students, families, colleagues, and members of the profession and community.
Professional knowledge	Refers to the knowledge about the teaching profession teachers should possess.
Psychosocial development	Erik H. Erikson's theory that contends that cognitive and social development must occur simultaneously.
Readiness	Being ready to learn; possessing the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for learning and for success in school.
Readiness screening	A procedure designed to determine if children have the cognitive and behavioral skills necessary for kindergarten success.
Receptive language	Skills that toddlers and preschoolers develop, such as listening to the teacher and following directions.
Reflective practice	The active process of thinking before teaching, during teaching, and after teaching in order to make decisions about how to plan, assess, and teach.
Reggio Emilia approach	An educational program named for a town in Italy where it originated. This early education method emphasizes the child's relationships with family, peers, teachers, and the wider community; small-group interaction; schedules set by the child's personal r
Responsive relationship	The relationship between a caregiver and the child that involves the caregiver being responsive to the needs and interests of each child.
Scaffolding	Assistance or support of some kind from a teacher, parent, caregiver, or peer to help children complete tasks they cannot complete independently.
Scientific method	A process used as the basis of scientific inquiry that includes the recognition of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.
Screening procedures	Procedures that give you and others a broad picture of what children know and are able to do, as well as their physical and emotional status.
Self-actualization	Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation based on the satisfaction of needs; Maslow maintained that children cannot achieve self-actualization until certain basic needs, including food, shelter, safety, and love, are met.
Private speech /Self-discourse	An internal conversation between a person and himself or herself.
Self-regulation	The ability of preschool children to control their emotions and behaviors, to delay gratification, and to build positive social relations with each other.
Sensory integration dysfunction (SID)	A neurological disability in which the brain is unable to appropriately process information from the senses.
Shared reading	A teaching method in which the teacher and children read together from text that is visible to all.
Sight word approach	Also called whole-word or look-say, the approach involves presenting children with whole words so they develop a "sight vocabulary" that enables them to begin reading and writing.
Social constructivist approach	A theory that says children construct or build their behavior as a result of learning from experience and from making decisions that lead to responsible behavior.
Socioeconomic status (SES)	The social and economic background of an individual or individuals. It is a reflection of family income, maternal education level, and family occupation.
Standards	Statements of what pre-K–12 students should know and be able to do.
Standards-based education (SBE)	Curriculum, teaching, and testing based on local, state, and national standards.
Symbolic language	Knowing the names of people, places, and things, words for concepts, and adjectives and prepositions.
Symbolic representation	The understanding, which develops at about age two, that something else can stand for a mental image; for example, a word can represent real objects, something not present, and concepts.
Synaptogenesis	The formation of connections, or synapses, among neurons; this process of brain development begins before birth and continues until age ten.
Telegraphic speech	Two-word sentences, such as "go out" or "all gone," used by toddlers.
Temperament	A child's general style of behavior.
Theory	A statement of principles and ideas that attempts to explain events and how things happen.
Title I	A federal program designed to improve the basic skills (reading and mathematics) of low-ability children from low-income families.
Toddlerhood	The period of a child's life between one and three years of age.
Transition	A passage from one learning setting, grade, program, or experience to another.
Universal kindergarten	Kindergarten for all children.
Universal preschool	Public preschool funded by tax dollars, and made available to all children ages two to five, regardless of need or family income.
Whole-language approach	Philosophy of literacy development that advocates the use of real literature—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—to help children become motivated to read and write.
Zero to Three	A national program promoting the healthy development of infants and toddlers.
Zone of proximal development (ZPD)	That area of development into which a child can be led by a more competent partner. Also, the range of tasks that children cannot do independently but which they can learn with help.
Accommodation	The process involved in changing old methods and adjusting to new situations.
Active listening	Involves interactions with a child to provide the child with proof that you understand what he or she is talking about.
Adult/child discourse	A conversation between an adult/parent and a child.
Advocacy	The act of engaging in strategies designed to improve the circumstances of children and families. Advocates move beyond their day-to-day professional responsibilities and work collaboratively to help others.
Anthroposophy	The name Steiner gave to "the study of the wisdom of man"; the basic principle of Waldorf education.
Anti-bias curriculum	An approach that seeks to provide children with an understanding of social and behavioral problems related to prejudice and seeks to provide them with the knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to combat prejudice.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA)	Theory that behavior rewarded is more likely to be repeated than behavior ignored.
Assessment	The process of collecting and recording information about children's development, learning, health, behavior, academic process, need for special services, and attainment in order to make a variety of educational decisions about children and programs.
Assimilation	The taking in of sensory data through experiences and impressions and incorporating them into existing knowledge.
Asthma	A chronic lung disorder marked by recurring episodes of airway obstruction manifested by labored breathing accompanied by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest.
Atelier	A special area or studio in a Reggio Emilia school for creating projects.
Atelierista	A Reggio Emilia teacher trained in the visual arts who works with teachers and children.
Attachment	An enduring emotional tie between a parent/ caregiver and an infant that endures over time.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)	A behavioral disorder in which children display cognitive delays as a result of difficulties with attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity.
Authentic assessment	Assessment conducted through activities that require children to demonstrate what they know and are able to do; also referred to as performance-based assessment.
Autism	A brain disorder that begins in early childhood and persists throughout life. Autism affects three crucial areas of development: communication, social interactions, and creative or imaginary play.
Autonomy	An Erikson concept that occurs as toddlers mature physically and mentally and want to do things by themselves with no outside help.
Balanced approach	A practice in which there is a balance between whole-language methods and phonics instruction that meets the specific needs of individual children.
Basic trust	An Erikson concept that involves the trust, security, and basic optimism that an infant develops when nurtured and loved.
Behavior guidance	A process by which teachers help all children learn to control and direct their behavior and become independent and self-reliant.
Benchmarks	Statements that provide a description of student performance expected at specific grade levels, ages, or developmental levels. Benchmarks often are used in conjunction with standards.
Bias-free	An environment, classroom setting, or program that is free of prejudicial behaviors.
Bonding	A parent's initial emotional tie to an infant.
Bullying	To treat abusively or affect by means of force or coercion
Child care	Comprehensive care and education of young children outside their homes
Child development	The study of how children change over time from birth to age eight
Child Development Associate (CDA)	An assessment process where adults demonstrate how to meet the specific needs of children, work with parents and other adults to nurture children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth.
Childhood depression	A disorder affecting as many as one in thirty-three children that can negatively impact feelings, thoughts and behavior and can manifest itself with physical symptoms of illness.
Children with disabilities	Children who services because of mental limitations, hearing impairments, speech/language impairments, serious emotional disturbances, orthopedic impairments, autism, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities.
Chronosystem	The environmental contexts and events that influence children over their lifetimes, such as living in a technological age.
Civil behavior	How to treat others well and in turn be treated well.
Cognitive theory	Jean Piaget's theory that children develop intelligence through direct experiences with the physical world. Learning is an internal (mental) process involving children's adapting new knowledge to what they already know.
Concrete operations	The third stage of operational or logical thought, often referred to as the "hands-on" period of cognitive development because the ability to reason is based on tangible objects and real experiences.
Constructivist process	The continuous mental organizing, structuring, and restructuring of experiences, in relation to schemes of thought, or mental images, that result in cognitive growth.
Content knowledge	Refers to the discipline (math, science, social studies, art, music, etc.) knowledge teachers should possess.
Culture	A group's way of life, including basic values, beliefs, religion, language, clothing, food, and practices.
Curriculum	All of the experiences children have while in school.
Curriculum alignment	The process of matching curriculum to the standards and to tests that measure student achievement.
Developmental screening	A procedure designed to identify children who should receive more intensive assessment or diagnosis, for potential developmental delays.
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)	Practice based on how children grow and develop and on individual and cultural differences.
Early childhood professional	An educator who successfully teaches all children, promotes high personal standards, and continually expands his or her skills and knowledge.
Entitlement programs	Programs and services children and families are entitled to because they meet the eligibility criteria for the services.
Ethical conduct	Responsible behavior toward students and parents that allows you to be considered a professional.
Even Start	Federally funded family literacy program that combines adult literacy and parenting training with early childhood education.
Exosystem	Environments or settings in which children do not play an active role but which nonetheless influence their development.
Expanding horizons approach	Also called the expanding environments approach, an approach to teaching social studies where the student is at the center of the expanding horizons and initial units, and at each grade level is exposed to a slowly widening environment.
Expressive language	A preschooler's developing ability to talk fluently and articulately with teacher and peers, the ability to express oneself in the language of the school, and the ability to communicate needs and ideas.
Formal assessment	Use of standardized tests that have set procedures and instruction for administration and have been normed, meaning that it is possible to compare a child's score with the scores of a group of children who have already taken the same exam.
Formal operations	The fourth stage of operational intelligence. Children become capable of dealing with increasingly complex verbal and hypothetical problems and are less dependent on concrete objects.
Free and appropriate education (FAPE)	The idea that children must receive a free education suited to their age, maturity level, condition of disability, achievements, and parental expectations.
Gifted and talented children	As defined by federal law, children who demonstrate the potential for high performance in intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacities.
Head Start	A federal early childhood program serving children, ages three to five, who are socioeconomically challenged, and their families.
High/Scope educational model	A constructivist educational model based on Piaget's cognitive development theory. High/Scope promotes the constructivist process of learning and broadens the child's emerging intellectual and social skills
High-stakes testing	An assessment test used to either admit children into programs or promote them from one grade to the next
Holophrases	One-word sentences toddlers use to communicate.
Home visitor program	A program that involves visitation of children, parents, and other family members in their homes by trained personnel who provide information, training, and support.
"I" messages	Messages that are designed to let children know that you have a problem with their behavior and that you want them to do something to change the behavior.
Impulse control	The ability to stay on task, pay attention to a learning activity, work cooperatively with others, and not hit or interfere with the work of other children.
Independence	The ability to work alone on a task, take care of oneself, and initiate projects without always being told what to do.
Individualized education program (IEP)	A plan created to specify instruction for children with disabilities.
Individualized family service plan (IFSP)	A plan created for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, specifying what services they will receive to help them reach their goals.
Infancy	A child's first year of life.
Infant mental health	Stage of emotional and social competence of young children.
Informal assessment	The process of gathering information about students by means other than standardized tests.
Inquiry learning	Involvement of children in activities and processes that lead to learning.
Integrated curriculum	A curriculum in which one subject area is used to teach another.
Interpersonal skills	The ability to get along and work with both peers and adults.
Interpretation	A three-step process that includes examining the data/information that have been gathered, organizing and drawing conclusions from that data, and making decisions about teaching based on the conclusions.
Intersubjectivity	Vygotskian concept that individuals come to a task, problem, or conversation with their own subjective ways of making sense of it, and in the course of communication may arrive at some mutually agreed-on understanding.
Language experience approach	A reading instruction method that links oral and written language. Based on the premise that what is thought can be said, what is said can be written, and what is written can be read.
Learned helplessness	A condition that may develop when children perceive that they are not doing as well as their peers, lose confidence in their abilities and achievement, and then attribute their failures to a lack of ability.
Learning	Acquisition of knowledge, behaviors, skills, and attitudes.
Learning centers	Areas in the classroom to promote student-centered, hands-on, active learning built and organized around student interests, themes, and academic subjects.
Learning style	The way a child is affected by his or her environment, emotions, sociological needs, physical characteristics, and psychological inclinations as he or she works to master new or difficult information or skills.
Least restrictive environment (LRE)	Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when education in regular classes cannot progress satisfactorily.
Literacy	The ability to read, write, speak, and listen.
Locus of control	The source or place of control; the goal of behavioral guidance is to help children learn that their locus of control is internal, that they are responsible for their behavior, and that the rewards for good behavior come from within themselves.
Macrosystem	The broader culture in which children live (e.g., democracy, individual freedom, and religious freedom).
Mastery-oriented attributions	Attributions that include trying hard (industriousness), paying attention, determination, and stick-to-itiveness.
Maturationist theory	Theory that holds that language acquisition is innate in all children regardless of country or culture.
Mesosystem	Links or interactions between microsystems.
Microsystem	The environmental settings in which children spend a lot of their time (e.g., children in child care spend about thirty-three hours a week in the microsystem of child care).
Middle childhood	When children are six to nine years of age, they gain confidence in and ego satisfaction from completing demanding tasks: described by Erikson's as industry versus inferiority stage of social-emotional development.
Montessori method	Preschool or grade school that provides programs that use the philosophy, procedures, and materials developed by Maria Montessori for children ages one to eight years.
Multicultural awareness	Appreciation for and understanding of people's cultures, socioeconomic status, and gender.
Multicultural infusion	Permeating the curriculum with multicultural education to influence the way young children and teachers think about diversity issues.
Multiculturalism	An approach to education based on the premise that all peoples in the United States should receive proportional attention in the curriculum.
Multidisciplinary assessment (MDA)	A team approach using various methods to conduct a child's evaluation.
Multiple intelligences	Howard Gardner's concept that people are "smart" in many ways; those intelligences include linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existentialist.
Neural shearing / Pruning	The process of brain connections withering away when they are not used or used only a little.
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)	A landmark act in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools.
Obesity	Condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.
Object permanence	The concept that things out of sight continue to exist; this intellectual milestone typically begins to develop at four to eight months of age.
Observation	The intentional, systematic act of looking at the behavior of a child or children in a particular setting, program, or situation; sometimes referred to as kid-watching.
Operation	A reversible mental action.
Parent/family involvement	Process of helping parents and family members use their abilities to benefit themselves, their children, and the early childhood program.
Pedagogical knowledge	Refers to the knowledge about teaching and instructional practices teachers should possess.
Performance standards	Specific examples of what students should know and do to demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge and skills stated in the content standards.
Pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs)	A category of neurological disorders characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.
Philosophy of education	A set of beliefs about how children develop and learn and what and how they should be taught.
Phonics	A method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables.
Phonics instruction	Teaching method that emphasizes teaching letter-sound correspondence so children can learn to combine sounds into words.
Portfolio	A compilation of children's work samples, products, and teacher observations collected over time.
Poverty	The state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.
Pre-first-grade	A program designed to provide children who are developmentally behind their peers the time they need to grow and learn in a supportive environment.
Pre-kindergarten	A class or program preceding kindergarten for children usually from three to four years old.
Professional dispositions	Values, commitments, and ethical decisions and practices that influence behavior toward students, families, colleagues, and members of the profession and community.
Professional knowledge	Refers to the knowledge about the teaching profession teachers should possess.
Psychosocial development	Erik H. Erikson's theory that contends that cognitive and social development must occur simultaneously.
Readiness	Being ready to learn; possessing the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for learning and for success in school.
Readiness screening	A procedure designed to determine if children have the cognitive and behavioral skills necessary for kindergarten success.
Receptive language	Skills that toddlers and preschoolers develop, such as listening to the teacher and following directions.
Reflective practice	The active process of thinking before teaching, during teaching, and after teaching in order to make decisions about how to plan, assess, and teach.
Reggio Emilia approach	An s early education method, named for a town in Italy, emphasizes the child's relationships with family, peers, teachers, and the wider community; sand visual arts programs coordinated by a specially trained atelierista.
Responsive relationship	The relationship between a caregiver and the child that involves the caregiver being responsive to the needs and interests of each child.
Scaffolding	Assistance or support of some kind from a teacher, parent, caregiver, or peer to help children complete tasks they cannot complete independently.
Scientific method	A process used as the basis of scientific inquiry that includes the recognition of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.
Screening procedures	Procedures that give you and others a broad picture of what children know and are able to do, as well as their physical and emotional status.
Self-actualization	Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation based on the satisfaction of needs; Maslow maintained that children cannot achieve self-actualization until certain basic needs, including food, shelter, safety, and love, are met.
Private speech /Self-discourse	An internal conversation between a person and himself or herself.
Self-regulation	The ability of preschool children to control their emotions and behaviors, to delay gratification, and to build positive social relations with each other.
Sensory integration dysfunction (SID)	A neurological disability in which the brain is unable to appropriately process information from the senses.
Shared reading	A teaching method in which the teacher and children read together from text that is visible to all.
Sight word approach	Also called whole-word or look-say, the approach involves presenting children with whole words so they develop a "sight vocabulary" that enables them to begin reading and writing.
Social constructivist approach	A theory that says children construct or build their behavior as a result of learning from experience and from making decisions that lead to responsible behavior.
Socioeconomic status (SES)	The social and economic background of an individual or individuals. It is a reflection of family income, maternal education level, and family occupation.
Standards	Statements of what pre-K–12 students should know and be able to do.
Standards-based education (SBE)	Curriculum, teaching, and testing based on local, state, and national standards.
Symbolic language	Knowing the names of people, places, and things, words for concepts, and adjectives and prepositions.
Symbolic representation	The understanding, which develops at about age two, that something else can stand for a mental image; for example, a word can represent real objects, something not present, and concepts.
Synaptogenesis	The formation of connections, or synapses, among neurons; this process of brain development begins before birth and continues until age ten.
Telegraphic speech	Two-word sentences, such as "go out" or "all gone," used by toddlers.
Temperament	A child's general style of behavior.
Theory	A statement of principles and ideas that attempts to explain events and how things happen.
Title I	A federal program designed to improve the basic skills (reading and mathematics) of low-ability children from low-income families.
Toddlerhood	The period of a child's life between one and three years of age.
Transition	A passage from one learning setting, grade, program, or experience to another.
Universal kindergarten	Kindergarten for all children.
Universal preschool	Public preschool funded by tax dollars, and made available to all children ages two to five, regardless of need or family income.
Whole-language approach	Philosophy of literacy development that advocates the use of real literature—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—to help children become motivated to read and write.
Zero to Three	A national program promoting the healthy development of infants and toddlers.
Zone of proximal development (ZPD)	That area of development into which a child can be led by a more competent partner. Also, the range of tasks that children cannot do independently but which they can learn with help.

Created by: marylu

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