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 • Updated research and new examples of effective practices for children with diverse
abilities, particularly children with autism spectrum disorder.
• Expanded discussion of current research on brain development and executive
­function and implications for teaching.
• New artifacts and examples of children’s work, especially from children in the
­primary grades.

Book Organization Reflects

Guidelines for Developmentally
Appropriate Practice
This book is designed to teach the concept of developmentally appropriate practice for
students because an understanding of its principles is the foundation on which to build
early childhood programs and schools for children from birth through age 8. Chapters
are organized according to NAEYC’s guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice,
which I have coauthored for 30 years.
Part 1, Foundations of Early Childhood Education, describes the current p ­ rofession
and the issues and trends effecting it today (Chapter 1), the rich history from which
developmentally appropriate practices evolved (Chapter 2), and an overview of its
­
­principles and guidelines, which are described in depth in later chapters (Chapter 3).
Part 2, Dimensions of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, includes chapters
­describing the key factors teachers must consider as they make professional decisions.
Chapter 4 presents an overview of current knowledge about how all children develop and
learn. Chapter 5 addresses the unique, individual differences among children, including
children with diverse abilities. Chapter 6 discusses the critical role of social, cultural, and
linguistic contexts on all children’s development and learning and how teachers must
­embrace a diverse society to help every child succeed in school and life.
Part 3, Intentional Teaching: How to Teach, describes the role of the teacher in
­implementing developmentally appropriate practices. Each of the interconnected aspects
of the teacher’s role is addressed in separate chapters: building effective partnerships with
families (Chapter 7), creating a caring community of learners and guiding young children
(Chapter 8); teaching to enhance learning and development (Chapter 9); planning e­ ffective
curriculum (Chapter 10); and assessing children’s learning and development (Chapter 11).
Part 4, Implementing an Effective Curriculum: What to Teach, describes both
how and what to teach children from birth through age 8 in language, literacy, the arts,
­mathematics, science, technology, social-emotional development, social studies, physical
development, and health. Each chapter demonstrates how the continuum of children’s
development ­determines the appropriateness of curriculum content and intentional,
­effective teaching strategies for children of different ages.
Early childhood educators join this profession and stay in it because they believe their
work can make a difference in the lives of children and their families. But to make a last-
ing difference, our practices must be effective—they must contribute to children’s learning
and development. This book reflects this core goal by building on the basic framework
of developmentally appropriate practice while going beyond to emphasize intentional
­teaching, challenging and interesting curriculum, and evidence-based, effective practices
for a new generation of early childhood educators. Each of these key themes is discussed
on the following pages.

vii
 Intentional Teaching of Young Children
Part 1 Foundations of Early Childhood Education This text builds on the framework of developmentally appropriate practice emphasizing
that effective teachers are intentional, thoughtful, and purposeful in everything they do.
should not be viewed in isolation. All three considerations, in fact, interact with and
influence each other; they are always intertwined in shaping children’s development and
behavior. For example, children all over the world follow a similar developmental pat-
tern when learning language. They all progress from cooing, to babbling, to one-word
utterances, to telegraphic speech (“Daddy up”), to short sentences, and finally to more
complex sentences. However, a wide range of individual variation exists in language
Intentional teachers know not only what to do with children
acquisition of children who are roughly the same age, because of differences in language
experience as well as developmental variation. At age 3, Joey speaks in three-word ut-
but also why they are doing it and can explain the rationale
terances, whereas his same-age cousin, Michael, expounds in paragraphs. Finally, each
child speaks the language, including the dialect, of his or her own cultural group. Six-
for the decisions they make to other teachers, a­ dministrators,
year-old Amelia speaks English to her mother and Spanish to her father. All of these fac-
tors influence children’s language development and how teachers think about supporting
and families. To help students understand this concept,
it optimally for all children.
Now let’s look at how the meshing of the three considerations plays out in the deci-
­Becoming an Intentional Teacher features reveal what
sions of one primary grade teacher:
teachers are thinking
children in herin classroom challenge each yearhow
class. Her firstsituations, is to and why
Frida Lopez has 22 first-grade
get to know the children well. She meets with their families, engages in one-on-one
theyconversations
select the strategies they do,andand skills challenge students to
with children, observes their behavior throughout the day,
and sets up specific tasks to evaluate their skills such as literacy tasks or solving math
reflect further
problems on these scenarios.
with counters.
As she gets to know her students, she regularly assesses their abilities and in-
terests in relation to what she knows from her study of child development, the cur-
riculum goals, and her experiences teaching other 6- and 7-year-olds. She finds that
a few children exceed her expectations in reading or social skills, whereas others are
significantly behind their peers in some areas. Each child has a unique personality
and profile of abilities, and Frida becomes more aware of these.
Neela has Down syndrome, and Frida has already met with her parents and the
team of special education professionals who create and implement an individualized
educational plan for her. After a few weeks, Frida becomes concerned that another
child, Almonzo, might have an undiagnosed language delay. In the case of the six
children whose home languages are not ones Frida knows, she recognizes that she
must take extra steps to find out about them. Using community volunteers and, in
one case, a paid translator, Frida connects with the families of her students to build
relationships and to learn what capabilities the children exhibit in their homes and
communities.
So we see that in meeting the children, Frida seamlessly draws on her knowledge
of child development and learning, as well as her knowledge of them as individuals and
members of cultural groups. Precisely because children are so different and their abilities
vary so greatly, Frida will need to draw from a wide repertoire of teaching strategies to
help them achieve developmentally appropriate goals.
So far we have described the areas of knowledge that teachers consider in making
decisions about developmentally appropriate practice—what teachers need to know and
think about. Now we turn to the work of the teachers—what do early childhood teachers
do? What are the dimensions of practice that describe the teacher’s role?
✓ Check Your Understanding 3.3: Developmentally Appropriate Decision Making
The Complex Role of the Teacher
According to the NAEYC’s (2009) guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice,
the complex job of an early childhood teacher has five interrelated dimensions: (1)
creating a caring community of learners, (2) teaching to enhance learning and devel-
opment, (3) planning curriculum to achieve important goals, (4) assessing children’s
learning and development, and (5) establishing reciprocal relationships with families.
_C03.indd 84
Intentional teachers must reflect and apply their knowl-
edge using a broad repertoire of effective teaching strat-
egies. Demonstrate Your Learning features at the end
of each chapter require students to practice these skills.
This end-of-chapter quiz appears only in REVELTM and
includes feedback.
viii
118 Part 2 Learning and Developing from Birth to Age 8: Who We Teach
Becoming an Intentional Teacher
Teaching in the “Zone”
Here’s What Happened In my kindergarten, we are to solve the problem, ex-
working on the basic mathematical number operations— plaining each of their steps.
adding and subtracting. In our classroom, children work in
After about two weeks of this more
centers for part of the morning. Through assessments that I
do during center time, I learned that Miguel can add two sin-
intensive approach, Miguel demonstrates ability to subtract
single-digit numbers on his own, and begins to experiment
gle-digit numbers on his own. I also learned that he is strug-
gling with subtracting single-digit numbers, but is successful
when I talk through the subtraction activities with him. I also
with double-digit numbers. He insists on being the employee
at checkout in the Home Improvement Store to showcase his
adding and subtracting.
observed that Miguel is able to subtract more successfully
when the problem is applied, such as when he is playing
cashier and giving “change” in our Home Improvement Store
Here’s What I Was Thinking As a kindergarten teach-
er, I know that understanding and applying these founda-
center. Miguel especially likes to play there because his Dad tional mathematical concepts is essential for building chil-
works in construction. I decided on a three-pronged approach
dren’s later competence in math. I also understand that
to support his understanding and application of subtraction: children learn best in the context of supportive relation-
ships, and I structure interactions in my classroom to in-
1) I set aside 5–10 minutes twice a week to work individ-
tentionally support each learner. I do this by: (1) assessing
ually with Miguel. Using manipulatives, including an
abacus and small counting trains. Miguel loves trains!
each child’s level of independent performance on a skill,
(2) assessing each child’s level of supported (with help)
During this time, I verbally support Miguel’s grouping
performance on a skill, and (3) developing lessons that al-
and counting, using short word problems and number
cards.
low a child to practice in their supported level, until the
child can do the skill independently. I then set the next
2) I also intentionally join Miguel and other children in
higher level of skill as the child’s goal skill.
the Home Improvement Store at center time. I intro-
duce the concept of “Supply Lists” to the center, using Vygotsky used the term zone of proximal development
cards with pictures and labels of the different supplies. (ZPD) to describe the child’s skill level when supported by
Children can add nuts, bolts, and tools to their baskets, an adult or more experienced peer. He believed that by as-
according to the list, and return (subtract) things they sessing only what a child knows, a teacher does not have
no longer need for their building projects. As Miguel information on how to support the child’s progress. But by
purchases and returns items for his building project, I assessing a child’s ZPD, I am able to structure for progres-
support and make explicit his adding and subtracting, sive development and learning.
pointing out to Miguel how successfully he uses math
for his project. Reflection How did this teacher use assessment to
3) Finally, during the morning math challenge, I pair guide her intentional teaching? What other strategies could
Miguel with a friend who understands subtraction con- she have used to teach Miguel in his Zone of Proximal
cepts well, and is very verbal. I have them work together Development?
gets over the last hurdle herself. Ave gives him a big smile as she pushes off with her feet
zone of proximal development
and makes a circle around the room.
(ZPD) The distance between
the actual developmental level By giving Ave “a leg up,” Khari helped her accomplish a goal that she couldn’t do on
an individual has achieved (her her own, but could achieve with his assistance. Vygotsky (1978) identified this as the
independent level of problem zone of proximal development (ZPD)—the distance between the actual developmental
solving) and the level of po- level an individual has achieved (their independent level of problem solving) and the
tential development she could level of potential development they could achieve with adult guidance or through
achieve with adult guidance
or through collaboration with
collaboration with other children. The assistance, guidance, and direction teachers pro-
other children.
vide children in their ZPD is called scaffolding. To gain deeper understanding of how
children learn in their ZPD, read the feature Becoming an Intentional Teacher: Teaching
scaffolding The assistance,
in the “Zone.”
guidance, and direction teach-
ers provide children to help
Social Construction of Knowledge Scaffolding does not mean that teachers
them accomplish a task or
learn a skill (within their ZPD)
that they could not achieve on
control or shape learning, as behaviorists believe (see p. 124). Instead, children learn by
solving problems collaboratively with the teacher’s support or by working with peers,
their own. which is called co-construction, or social construction of knowledge.
Effective teachers are informed decision makers who adapt
for individual differences, including for children with dis-
abilities and special needs. Check Your Understanding
features engage students in assessing their own learning.
Some questions involve critical thinking about a complex
teaching situation or issue confronting the early childhood
Chapter 3 Understanding and Applying Developmentally Appropriate Practice 99
field. TheseKey
quizzes
Terms appear only in REVELTM and include
feedback.
10/8/15 11:56 AM ■ age appropriate ■ culture ■ intentional teachers ■ push-down curriculum
■ assessment ■ curriculum ■ learning centers ■ reciprocal relationships
■ caring community of ■ developmentally appro- ■ position statement ■ scientifically based
learners priate practice (DAP) curriculum
■ culturally appropriate ■ individually appropriate
✓ Demonstrate Your Learning
Click here to assess how well you’ve learned the content in this chapter.
Readings and Websites
Carter, M., & Curtis, D. (2014). Designs for living and National Association for the Education of Young
learning: Transforming early childhood environments. Children
St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2009). Devel-
NAEYC’s website has a special section on resources for
developmentally appropriate practice and play, plus cop-
opmentally appropriate practice in early childhood
programs serving children from birth through age 8
ies of all their position statements.
ZERO to THREE—National Center for Infants,
(3rd ed.). Washington, DC: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.
Toddlers, and Families
This website provides resources and practical tips for
Epstein, A. S. (2014). The intentional teacher: Choosing working with infants, toddlers, and their families.
the best strategies for young children’s learning (Rev.
ed.). Washington, DC: National Association for the Edu-
cation of Young Children.
ASCD Whole Child Initiative
This website provides resources promoting elementary
education that supports all areas of children’s develop-
ment and learning.
Current Research on Effective Practices
In an era of Common Core State Standards and Early Learning standards, accountability,
and rapid change in the field, the text makes research understandable and meaningful for
students and illustrates the connections between child development, curriculum content,
assessment, and intentional teaching.
Chapter 13 Teaching Children to Investigate and Solve Problems 449

What Works
Teaching STEM to Dual Language Learners
Considerable attention is paid to research on how dual language
learners acquire English and learn to read. At times, there is an as-
sumption that because mathematics is about numbers and quan-
tity, language is less of a barrier. However, mathematics itself is
a language, and as we have seen, math talk is what makes its ab-
graders used to interpret their graphs in
Figure 13.1.
What Works features present research-based practices in
action, including descriptions of demonstrated effective
Problem solving is playing a larger role in
today’s curriculum due to the Common Core standards, but word
problems complicate the challenge of math instruction for dual

practices such as teaching mathematics to dual language

stract concepts comprehensible for children. Other areas of STEM language learners. Teachers should avoid tricky word problems
have their own vocabulary and involve academic language that that create confusion, such as: “Jonas has 2 cars and 3 trucks;
children do not encounter in everyday interactions. In short, STEM how many vehicles does he have?” Such a question poses a lan-
learning presents unique challenges for dual language learners. guage test rather than a math problem. A related challenge pre-

learners, father involvement, and using evidence-based cur-

Many of the same strategies for teaching dual language sented by word problems is the culturally implicit knowledge they
learners in general are effective in teaching STEM. For example, often require. Solving a problem usually requires that a child un-
gestures such as a circling motion are useful in helping young derstand the situation in which it occurs, whether it’s purchasing
children understand basic concepts such as the whole amount or groceries or driving a car at a certain speed.

riculum to narrow the achievement gap.

putting together and taking apart. Children readily count or form Manipulatives are hailed as an excellent tool to teach STEM,
shapes with their fingers. Teachers can set up an obstacle course and yet many children cannot relate to these toys. Few such toys
for children to use their whole bodies to learn position words such reflect the racial, cultural, and gender diversity of our classrooms.
as above, below, between, and through. A strategy for older chil- For example, Lego® has introduced some plastic figures portray-
dren is to create a math, science, or technology dictionary of rel- ing people of color as doctors, scientists, architects, and other
evant terms. Such a resource engages children in using different STEM occupations. However, most STEM toys still promote ste-
ways of representing a concept—in this case, words that can be reotypes of only white males in these roles.
referred to later. What works most effectively are the practices that are de-
Another effective strategy is having children talk to one another velopmentally appropriate for all children—hands-on, meaning-
in pairs or small groups. When children are learning a new lan- ful experiences coupled with teacher scaffolding, as opposed
guage, it is important not to put them on the spot. They shouldn’t to worksheets that test what children should have already
be expected to respond in front of the whole class. In a small group, learned. Dual language learners need to actively “do” science,
it is easier to practice concepts and “errors” are more likely to be technology, and engineering tasks—as teachers and other chil-
viewed as part of the learning process. This is especially important dren supply the words. And most important of all, teachers need
with a topic like math that may have only one correct answer. to have high expectations that all children can learn challenging
Introducing a math or science concept to the whole class can STEM content.
be done effectively using an interactive whiteboard. Then chil- Sources: Based on “6 Tips When Discussing Math with the English Language
dren can be prompted to respond to questions chorally as a whole Learner,” by B. Austin, 2014, Chicago, Erikson Early Math Collabora-
group. Not every child will answer correctly, and no one child’s tive, retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://earlymath.erikson.edu/6-tips-
response will be singled out. discussing-math-english-language-learner; “It’s Time for More Racial 192 Part 2 Learning and Developing from Birth to Age 8: Who We Teach
Diversity in STEM Toys” by M. Weinstock, 2015, Scientific American,
Another proven strategy when introducing a math or science
Voices: Exploring and Celebrating Diversity in Science, retrieved March
concept is to explicitly teach it by modeling, supplying the spe- 8, 2015, from http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/2015/02/23/
cific name, and having children repeat the word. Also helpful is its-time-for-more-racial-diversity-in-stem-toys/?WT.mc_id=SA_sharetool_
Dual language learners are individuals. They need differentiated instruction to devel-
introducing and using a consistent sentence such as the one first Twitter. op their English skills, to maintain and further develop their home language, and achieve
in school. Today’s vast array of digital tools make individualizing instruction for multi-
language learners much easier than in the past, as described in the feature Language Lens:
STEM skills and understanding, with T standing for technology. In other words, children Using Technology to Teach Dual Language Learners.
need to think critically about how technology is used to solve problems as well as learn Awareness and responsiveness to all forms of diversity must be integrated across all
how to use technological tools in intentional and creative ways. areas of curriculum and teachers’ relationships with children to ensure that all children
Chapter 3 Understanding and Applying Developmentally Appropriate Practice 81
succeed in school. But more than that, schools have a responsibility to provide today’s
A Developmentally and Technologically children with the skills to function in a complex, global society. In short, they benefit from
Appropriate Classroom
A preschool teacher creates a class website that is updated regularly. The children create Including All Children an anti-bias education, which we describe in the next section.
a slide show about their class pet using Kid Pix software to share with families. For an
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
integrated science study on the properties of water, kindergartners produce information
books on the computer using digital photos of their water experiments.
Anti-Bias Education
and Children with Disabilities
anti-bias education Learning The early childhood field has embraced the concept of an anti-bias education. Anti-bias
People sometimes wonder if developmentally appro- up from school, his teacher describes how often he
experiences and teaching education includes learning experiences and teaching strategies that are specifically

Lens features present insights on culture, language, and in-

priate practices are that
strategies effective for children with dis-
are specifically used his words and which friends he played with
abilities. The fact is that the basic elementsdesigned
designed not only to prepare all
of de- not onlycenter
during to prepare
time. all children for life in a culturally rich society but also
velopmentally appropriate practice are necessary to counter
for the stereotyping of diverse groups and to guard against expressions of bias
children for life in a culturally By contrast, when children with disabilities are included
( Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). In this section, we discuss goals of culturally
cluding all children. These features discuss practice through
inclusion to succeed. Consider the following example:
rich society, but also to counter in programs that are not developmentally appropriate,
Isaac is 4the years old and has
stereotyping a diagnosis of autism. it becomes difficult for theand
of diverse responsive, anti-bias education ways
child with of helping
special needs—children achieve those goals. The
He is sitting
groups,on and
a brightly against carpetoverarching
to guard colored square indeed, goal for
of all
anti-bias education ismake
of the children—to to help all children reach their full potential.
meaningful

diverse lenses, expanding the sources of information teach-

between
Chapter 12 Teaching Children to Communicate: Language, two
Literacy, of his
and preschool
the Arts
expressions of bias. peers at circle
393To do so, anti-bias education focusesexperience
time. progress. Compare this child’s to Isaac’s:
on four core goals for children (Derman-Sparks &
His teacher is reading a book the class made called
Edwards, 2010; Tara, Teaching Tolerance,
also a 4-year-old 2012):is sitting next to
with autism,
Friends, Friends, Who Do You See? It is adapted
her teacher
1. Identity. at circle
Teachers time.and
foster The support
teacher ischildren’s
reading fromself-awareness, confidence, and
from Brown Bear, Brown Bear (Martin, 1996), but
Stage Description How Teachers Can Help
ers use to make decisions and helping them look at questions
a small-sized book, and many of the children can-
features pictures of the children in the class pairedpride in their family and own identity.
not see the pictures very well, including Tara. Circle
Stage 6: Advanced Children have developed understanding with their names.
Teachers Isaac loves
intentionally teachthe the book,
vocabu- and reads
time has been in progress for over 20 minutes and
Language Proficiency of specialized, content-related vocabu- along lary with the teacher.
and language Asrequired
skills the teacherfor reads each many of the children are getting restless. Tara begins

or problems from broader perspectives. Widening the lens

child’s name in the story, he or she stands up and
lary. It can take from 5 to 7 years for academic achievement in school. For rocking back and forth and looking at the door. With-
moves. After the story, it is time for singing. Isaac
children to master this level of cogni- example, mathematics out warning, the teacher stops reading the book and
knows this because circle requires
time happensknowingin a similar
tively demanding language. wordseach
routine like day.
Language Lens
addend or double-digit mul- tells the children to stand up for a finger play. Tara

with which teachers view their practice is a strategy to move

bolts from the circle and runs to the water table. She
The teacher
tiplication that pulls
are not outused
the “song chart” featur-
in everyday
begins splashing and yelling. The teacher stops and
ingspeech.
Using Technology to Teach Dual Language Learners
the pictures and titles of eight different songs.
One song is about a train. Isaac loves trains and
asks Tara to return to circle. When Tara does not re-

beyond the persistent educational tendency to dichotomize

Sources: Based on Getting It Right for Young Children from Diverse Backgrounds: turn on her own volition, the assistant teacher physi-
seems eager to hear the new song. He points to the
Applying Research to Improve Practice, by L. M. Espinosa, 2010, Upper Saddle River, With growing numbers of dual and multi-language cally moves her back to spellings)
learn- the circle, to
and help children learn routines and safety pre-
a 10-minute
“Trains on the track.” The teacher helps Isaac re-
NJ: Pearson; Oral Language and Early Literacy in Preschool: Talking, Reading, and struggle ensues. When Tara’s father On
cautions. comesthetoInternet
pick hershe finds images, songs, and
move the song ers card. inIsaac
our classrooms,
holds the card allwhile
teachers
the need to be prepared
Writing. 2nd edition, by K. A. Roskos, P. O. Tabors, and L. A. Lenhart, 2009, Newark, to support English language acquisition up,while
the teacher describesstories
also pro- “her bad day”
that and asks depict
accurately him children’s homelands, and

difficult or controversial issues into “either/or” choices, and

children sing. Then Isaac makes the sign for “play”
DE: International Reading Association. to talk to Tara about listening
uses at school.
these to spark conversations among small groups of
with his hands.motingThe teachercontinued homeIsaac,
says, “Yes, language
it is development. Using
time for centers.” technology
She letsexponentially
Isaac choose increases
a center teachers’
A child with options to acts
a disability children. She teaches
like a magnifying glassall
onthe children to use iTranslate
first because she achieve
knowsthese
it is goals,
hard for ashim
these to examples
wait. theillustrate: on classroom
developmental appropriateness of antablets to aid communication and support
early child-

move toward “both/and” thinking. Isaac brings the teacher the song card and then hood program. As is clearburgeoning from Isaac’s friendships.
case and by The class uses Skype to com-
Yao ofisthea Chinese speaker who doesn’t talk at all in
points to the picture water table. His teacher contrast Tara’s experience,municate with children’s
developmentally appropri-relatives in other parts of the
Culture Lens models, “I want preschool.
“Water table.” His
to play at the.
won’t
He is. .isolated
playproud
teacher, with of
.” Isaacfrom
him.his His
says,the ate
other
teacher knows
increasing
children
practice
successful
who the necessary
provides
thatinclusion
country orfoundation
without in theincluding
world. Within
program.native
for hisa few weeks, all the children,
But individually
English speakers, enjoy helping each
Understanding and Responding to Code verbal skills, givessocial
Switching him ainteraction,
hug and says, his “Off
English
you skills won’t develop.
go appropriate She are
adaptations also explore
other essential for children
different languages and learn together.
to the water table.” loansWhenhisIsaac’s
familymother
an iPad andhim
picks with the
withhelp of a trans-
disabilities and other special needs.
lator shows him a digital storytelling app to create a Children all over the world speak multiple languages. The
Code switching is the ability to understand and use both using the same strategies that promote language learning
story about his family with photos and narration in both opportunity to become bilingual or multilingual awaits
the commonly accepted version of English and the home in all children: listening and responding in a meaningful
language or dialect. When children are learning a second English
way, using real objects and nonverbal cues, Chinese. When he shares the story with the every child in America if schools take advantage of young
andintentionally
language, they often code switch, usually beginning a teaching new words, and extendingother conversations
children, they
withrealize that Yao has an interesting children’s inborn ability to learn language and the afford-
sentence in one language and then switching to the other quietly with
questions life andAseveral
a puzzle or pegboard.
and ideas. secondofgrader
them decide
loves totoread
use and
the spends all of herable,
app to create free technological resources now available.
as in: “I drew a picture de mi madre” or “Mi mano es stories about
time with abilingual
Sometimes book, while
teachersanother
think that they themselves.
struggles with
can reading but looks forward to math because
sup- Sources: Digital Story Helps Dual Language Learner Connect
dirty.” Code switching is not limited to children. In fact,
bilingual people of all ages alternate between languages
it’s her
port dualbest subject.
language learning by alternating languages
Kara’s kindergarten includes speakers of four different
with Classmates, by D. Bates, no date, Washington, DC: National
themselves.
The term Again, the opposite appropriate
individually is true. Children’s brains
refers to teachers aboutAssociation for the Education of Young Children, retrieved August
depending on the setting and the topic of conversation.
will automatically listen and respond home languages, some
to the language of whomusing whatarrived
are newly they know
immi- the individually
27, 2014,
appropriate
from http://www.naeyc.org/technology/digital-story-
Many bilingual individuals find that they can best ex- personality, strengths, interests,
grants. and abilities
She
they know best and tune out the other one. To promote relies of
on each individual
technology to child
create in
an the group
accessible to adapt Information about the strengths,
press their feelings and personal thoughts in their native helps-dual-language-learner;
interests, abilities, and“Using
needs Technology as a Teaching
for and
dual be responsive
language development, to bilingual
individual
environment variation.
teachers forcan Consider,
allread
the childrenfor instance,
as they two
acquire tricycle riders:
sufficient Tool for Dual Language Learners
language. of each individual child inin
thePreschool through Grade 3,”
The fearless
books in each rider maybut
language need more
should
English careful
do to
sonavigatesupervision
at separatethe school.to prevent injury,
Kara posts whileand
pictures the warier
by K. N. group
Nemeth
In the past, it was assumed that code switching meant times. that enables teachers2013,
and F. S. Simon, to Young Children, 68(1),
child may need extra encouragement and support
labels in various to develop
languages (in somehiscases
large motor skills. Similar-
with phonetic 48–52. adapt to and be responsive to
that children were confused or incompetent. But now we
know that the opposite is true: children are able to sepa-
ly, some children
Encouraging childrenwilltoneed
code enriched
switch and experiences
respondingto accelerate their language development, individual variation.
positively
while a few honorsmay theneed
language system support
individual that they toalready
continue to build on their precocious reading
rate the languages in their brains and apply the differ-
possess and helps them adapt to different communica-
ent rules of grammar of each language. Code switching ability. A withdrawn, timid child may need a great deal of emotional support to cope with
tion requirements in different situations. And it also
is actually a sign of children’s growing communicative life’s challenges, while another needs helpbecause
controlling aggression to make friends.
respects and supports their cultural identity
competence. They are using all they know to communi-
Withand
language the culture
individual differenceslinked.
are inextricably that exist,
Teach-teachers clearly cannot expect all children
cate as clearly as they can.
in ashould
ers groupalways
to learn theasame
create warm,thing
positivein classroom
the same way at the same time. Even when the
So what should teachers do about code switching? First, climate in which children feel safe
teacher introduces a concept or reads a book to express them-
to a whole group, each child will take away
they should expect code switching as a normal aspect selves. Capable code switchers acquire the ability to
of dual language learning. The most important thing is something
think about different
their own fromuse ofthe learning
language, experience.
which serves Therefore, to help children progress,
not to correct children when they mix languages. Cor- them well in other learning situations and has long-
recting children’s language attempts sends a signal that lasting positive effects on language, cognition, and so-
they’ve done something wrong. They may stop trying to cial development.
communicate in order to avoid making the “mistake” of
code switching. Source: Code Switching: Why It Matters and How to Respond, by
National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness, no
Instead of focusing on children’s “errors,” teachers date, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human
should focus on understanding the child’s message. They Services, Office of Head Start. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from
should view code switching as a strength. As always, http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic
teachers should be good language models themselves, /fcp/docs/code-switching.pdf.

• Current research findings, such as effective strategies for teaching dual language learn-
ers or children with autism spectrum disorder, are brought to life and made meaningful
by connections to classroom and community examples.
• The terms and definitions used in this text contribute to establishing a shared v­ ocabulary
for all of those in and entering the field.
• Approximately 40% of the references are from 2012 and beyond.

ix

In the Developmental Continuum feature, the text provides
an overview of the continuum of learning in the areas of
language, literacy, mathematics, and cognitive, social, emo-
tional, and physical development and describes how child
development is linked to curriculum planning for children
from birth through age 8.
Chapter 1 Continuity and Change in Early Childhood Education
Promoting Play
Addressing Threats to Children’s Play
Pediatricians and psychologists agree that too many
children today experience high levels of unrelent-
ing stress. Factors such as poverty and violence are
the primary sources, but stress affects the lives of
all children to some extent. Teachers today report
that more children are aggressive and disruptive as
a result of stressful events. Increasing numbers of
children, especially boys, are inaccurately diagnosed
as hyperactive and needlessly medicated. Childhood
obesity is also endemic.
Research demonstrates that exercise and child-
initiated play are effective stress-relievers. Ironically,
however, a survey of child care, preschool, and Head
Start teachers found that they tend to limit chil-
dren’s opportunities for active play, especially out-
doors, due to safety concerns and the need to pre-
pare children academically for school. And children
living in poverty are most likely to suffer because
they have less access to safe outdoor play areas and
programs feel extra pressure to focus on academic
instruction to close the school readiness gap.
Part of the solution is that teachers, parents, and
administrators need to understand that play and
school readiness is not an either/or choice. The
American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that
play is essential for children’s physical health, emo-
tional and mental well-being, social relationships,
and brain development and cognition. Vigorous play
develops large motor skills, and can reduce obesity.
In short, play contributes to all areas of develop-
ment and learning.
Continuity and Change
One overarching trend always affecting education is continuity and change. As the field
expands and changes occur in response to new political and economic realities, many
longtime early childhood professionals are concerned that the fundamental values of the
field will be lost. Development, including development of professions, is characterized by
both continuity and change. In this book we describe how the fundamental values of early
childhood education can be retained and enhanced (thus maintaining continuity with the
important tenets of the past), while also presenting what is known from new research
about effective teaching practices for all children. Some ways of thinking and practicing
should be cherished and held onto, whereas others may need to be updated or abandoned.
x
Connections between Curriculum and
Child Development
Unlike many early childhood texts that focus on child development only, this text shows
how child development and curriculum content knowledge are connected.
Chapter 12 Teaching Children to Communicate: Language, Literacy, and the Arts 383
Developmental Continuum
Oral Language
Age of Child Developmental Expectations
Birth to about
8 months
• Communicate through behaviors rather than words; signal distress by crying. Caregivers
need to interpret babies’ sounds and gestures.
• Smile or vocalize if they want someone to pay attention or play.
• Begin vocalizing vowel sounds called cooing. Soon after, they begin to babble, producing
consonant/vowel sounds such as “ba.”
• Continue to babble using all kinds of sounds and will play with sounds when alone.
• Begin to understand familiar names such as those of siblings or pets.
• Laugh and appear to listen to conversations.
Between 8 and • Become more purposeful in their communications.
18 months • Use facial expressions, gestures, and sounds to get their needs met. (If a bottle falls from
a high chair tray, instead of just crying, the 14-month-old may grunt and wave at the floor.)
• Understand many more words than they can say.
• Speak in long, babbled sentences that mirror the cadence of conventional speech.
• Soon start to shake their head “no” and begin to use the word me.
• Usually crack the language code and begin to use their first words between 12 and
18 months.
From 18 to • Experience a burst in vocabulary and begin to combine words into two-word utterances
24 months called telegraphic speech. Like old-fashioned telegrams, they waste no words in commu-
nicating their message: “No nap.”
Ages 2 to 3 • Progress from using two-word combinations (my truck) to three- and four-word sentences
with words in the correct order more often (Where’s my truck?).
• Speaking vocabulary may reach 200 words.
• Use adjectives and adverbs. (Give me my blue truck now.)
• Most children’s speech becomes more understandable. Constantly ask, “Wassat?” as
they seem to want to name everything.
Ages 3 to 6 • Have a vocabulary of about 1,000 words.
• Although some may still have difficulty, most are better able to articulate some of the
more difficult sounds, like s, th, z, r, and l.
• Can initiate and engage in more complex conversations.
• Use 1,500 to 2,000 words as vocabulary expands rapidly during kindergarten.
• Usually speak clearly and are lively conversation partners with adults and other children.
The primary grades • Language development continues at a rapid pace.
• During these years, children need a large vocabulary to learn to read and to comprehend
what they read. Explicit teaching of vocabulary needs to be an instructional goal.
• At the same time, the more children read, the more words they learn because the lan-
guage of books is more elaborate than everyday conversation. Some researchers estimate
that children need to learn 3,000 words a year throughout the elementary school years.
Sources: Based on Assessing and Guiding Young Children’s Development and Learning, 6th
edition, by O. McAfee, D. Leong, and E. Bodrova, 2015, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson;
Learning Language and Loving It: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Social, Language,
and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Settings, 2nd edition, by E. Weitzman and
J. Greenberg, 2002, Toronto: The Hanen Centre.
• Chapters 12 to 15 help early childhood teachers understand right from the start
that there is content in the curriculum for young children. They describe the goals
for young children’s learning and development that predict success in school and
life. Each of these chapters includes examples of effective strategies such as teach-
ing children of diverse abilities in inclusive classrooms or ways to promote dual
language learning.
31
A new feature, Promoting Play, presents new research on the
important role of play in development and effective strategies
In an attempt to get children ready for school and
protect them from injury, early childhood programs
to help children learn through play or protect their right to play.
may actually be contributing to children’s stress by
minimizing children’s large muscle activity and child-
initiated play time. Because children spend so much
These features address play across the full age range, from birth
time in early childhood programs and school, it may
be their only opportunity to have physical activity or
through age 8. Discussions of play are also integrated in each
outdoor play.
Early educators need to draw on the support of
chapter throughout this book as an effective means to support
physicians and other experts to help educate parents
and policy makers about the importance of play in
children’s lives and its essential role in helping chil-
all domains of development and promote learning in all cur-
dren cope with stress and improve school success.
They also need to advocate for funding to provide
safe playgrounds and adequate spaces indoors and
riculum areas. Today many people are concerned about how the
outdoors for active engagement. Play spaces and
opportunities must be designed to protect children
standards movement is negatively impacting play. We often hear
from injury, but protecting them from stress is
equally important.
Sources: “Societal Values and Policies May Curtail
statements such as “We can’t let children play because we have
Preschool Children’s Physical Activity in Child Care
Centers,” by K. A. Copeland, S. N. Sherman, C. A.
Kendeigh, H. J. Kalkwarf, & B. E. Saelens, 2012,
to teach literacy,” or “We don’t have time for outdoor play in
Pediatrics, 129(2), retrieved from http://pediatrics.
aappublications.org/content/early/2012/01/02/
peds.2011-2102.full.pdf+html; “The Importance of
primary grades because we have to get children ready for stan-
Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and
Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bond: Focus on
Children in Poverty,” by R. M. Milter, K. R. Ginsburg, &
dardized tests.” Play should not be treated as a separate part of
Council on Communications and Media Committee
on Psychological Aspects of Child and Family Health,
Pediatrics, 129(1), e204–e213, retrieved from http://
an early childhood program or day that can be cut if someone
www.pediatrics.aappublications.org.
deems it unimportant. Therefore, you will find a discussion of
play in every chapter of this book.
• The emphasis on implementing effective curriculum reflects current trends such
as the goal of aligning prekindergarten and primary education, NAEYC accredita-
tion and CAPE professional preparation standards, and enhanced expectations for
teacher qualifications as described in the 2015 report, Transforming the Workforce
for Children Birth through Age 9: A Unifying Foundation by the Institute of Medicine
and the National Research Council.
 Acknowledgments
Over more than four decades in early childhood education, I have had the
privilege of working with and learning from countless friends, colleagues, teachers, and
children. This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of
the following people:
My deepest appreciation goes to Kathleen Cranley Gallagher, my collaborator on this
edition, who revised Chapters 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, and 15. Kate’s vast experience with chil-
dren, with and without disabilities, as well as her research on children’s social-emotional
development and mental health greatly inform this edition. Kate contributed research and
effective practices on early intervention, teaching children with autism spectrum disorder,
and other cutting-edge topics. Without Kate’s help, I can’t imagine completing this work
in a timely fashion.
I especially wish to thank Carol Copple, with whom I have collaborated on Devel-
opmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs for several decades, and
who contributed features as well as invaluable assistance in conceptualizing aspects of the
book. Thanks also to Laura Colker for her overwhelming generosity, sharing of ideas, and
gracious support.
I want to acknowledge Carol Brunson Day for teaching me so much about diver-
sity, anti-bias education, and cultural influences on development. Her work contributed
greatly to the Culture and Language Lens features and Chapter 6.
Thank you to Gail E. Joseph, who was especially helpful on the first edition, and many
of her contributions are still present in Chapters 5 and 14 and the Including All Children
lenses.
Thanks to my longtime friend Kay M. Albrecht, who contributed to Chapter 15 and
provided numerous examples from her extensive classroom experience.
I wish to thank Linda Espinosa and Luis Hernandez for helping ensure that the book
reflects the most current research and practical examples for teaching dual language
learners.
Close colleagues whose wisdom and encouragement have educated and sustained me
for decades include Marilyn Smith, J. D. Andrews, Barbara Willer, and Barbara Bowman.
My deepest gratitude goes to Sharon Lynn Kagan for writing the foreword to this edi-
tion. The debt is never paid to the late Carol Seefeldt, who taught the first early childhood
course I ever took and mentored me through my dissertation. I hope that my work con-
tinues to reflect her vision.
A sincere thank you and acknowledgment of support to Arlington Public Schools
(APS) in Arlington, Virginia. Those assisting in the effort include: Arlington Public
Schools administrative personnel Regina Van Horne, Lisa Stengle, and Linda Erdos;
K. W. Barrett Elementary principal, Mr. Dan Redding; and K. W. Barrett instructional
staff Joshua McLaughlin, Anastasia Erickson, Emily Sonenshine, Stephanie Shaefer, Judy
Concha, Jennifer Flores, Elizabeth Jurkevics, and Richard Russey. Also, a big thanks to
those students and their parents who allowed us to use the student artwork and artifacts
found in this book.
I am also grateful to the many other schools, teachers, and administrators who
welcomed me as an observer, shared examples, and contributed artifacts, including:
Cathy ­Polanski, Second Grade, Arcola Elementary School; Hoaliku Drake Preschool,
Kamehameha Schools Community-Based Early Childhood Education; the Center
­
for Young Children at the University of Maryland; The Shoenbaum Family Center in
­Columbus, Ohio, including Anneliese Johnson; Wickliffe Progressive Community School
and the Jentgen family; Linden, New Jersey, Public Schools; Far Hills Country Day School
in Far Hills, New Jersey; the HighScope Demonstration Preschool in Ypsilanti, Michigan;
and Easter Seals Blake Children’s Achievement Center in Tucson, Arizona.
I continue to be indebted to Julie Peters, my editor at Pearson, for contributing her
wealth of knowledge about early childhood teacher education, and her unwavering s­ upport
for my work. I also wish to thank Linda Bishop for leading me through the d ­ evelopment
xi
 of an Interactive eText for the first time. Thanks also for the creative contributions to the
first edition of Max Effenson Chuck and Kelly Villella Canton.
My life and work continue to be inspired by Patty Smith Hill, founder of NANE,
whose vision for early childhood education laid the foundation for NAEYC’s commitment
to developmentally appropriate practice.
I would also like to thank the many reviewers who contributed to the development
of this book. They are: Margaret Charlton, Tidewater Community College; Jody Eberly,
The College of New Jersey; Amy Howell, Central Oregon Community College; Claire
Lenz, St. Joseph’s College; Marilyn Roseman, Mount Aloysius College; and Lois Silvernail,
Spring Hill College.

Instructor Supplements
The following instructor tools supplement, support, and reinforce the content presented
throughout the text. All supplements are available for download for instructors who adopt
this text. Go to http://www.pearsonhighered.com, click “Educators,” register for access,
and download files. For more information, contact your Pearson representative.
• Online Instructor’s Manual (013402687X). The Instructor’s Resource Manual pro-
vides chapter-by-chapter tools to use in class. Lecture or discussion outlines, teach-
ing strategies, in-class activities, student projects, key term definitions, and helpful
resources will reinforce key concepts and applications and keep students engaged.
• Online Test Bank (0134026756). These multiple-choice and essay questions tied to
each chapter provide instructors the opportunity to assess student understanding
of the chapter content. An answer key is provided.
• Online PowerPointTM Slides (0134026829). Each slide reinforces key concepts and
big ideas presented throughout the text.
• TestGen (013402673X). This powerful test generator contains the same items that
are in the Online Test Bank, but you may add or revise items. Assessments may be
created for print or testing online. You install TestGen on your personal computer
(Windows or Macintosh) and create your own tests for classroom testing and for
other specialized delivery options, such as over a local area network or on the web.

The tests can be downloaded in the following formats:

TestGen Testbank file - PC • TestGen Testbank file - MAC • TestGen Testbank -
Blackboard 9 TIF • TestGen Testbank - Blackboard CE/Vista (WebCT) TIF •
Angel Test Bank • D2L Test Bank • Moodle Test Bank • Sakai Test Bank

xii
 Foreword
Like all Sue Bredekamp’s work, Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education:
Building a Foundation has become a landmark. Since its publication, it has been
the major benchmark against which all volumes related to early childhood practice are
­measured, domestically and internationally. Indeed, it has been a driving force, not only
guiding practice and scholarship, but also serving as a seminal vehicle to codify and
chronicle the impact of history, the experiences of practitioners and leaders, and the im-
pact of policy on the changing field of early education. In so doing, it has converted static
assumptions and understandings about early childhood pedagogy into living, dynamic,
and far more intentional practices.
Since its appearance, Effective Practices has been widely read and used to guide early
childhood teacher preparation and practice. Its popularity has placed a special burden on
the work; it, like the field, cannot remain stagnant or isolated from changes in the social
context. Precisely because it is so well used and because the field is changing so rapidly, a
new edition is necessary. Consider for example, the impact that the emergence of the K–12
Common Core has had on early education: whether one favors or disparages the Common
Core ideologically, it is here to stay and is having profound impacts on American educa-
tion generally, and American early education specifically. In addition, the revitalization
of an emphasis on continuity and transition, emerging currently in the form of the “P–3
Movement,” is altering the way early educators conceptualize and actualize the linkages
between pre-primary and primary education. Within the birth to 5-year-old component
of early childhood, a renewed emphasis on supporting the infrastructure through the Ear-
ly Learning Challenge Fund, with its focus on Quality Rating and Improvement Systems,
standards, and assessments, is precipitating dramatic changes in the way early childhood
education services are being designed and delivered. Finally, new research related to the
way children learn and process information is calling forth compelling pedagogical align-
ments that address the importance of dual language learners, executive functioning, early
mathematics, and learning progressions.
With the early childhood field changing so rapidly, time-honored questions are be-
ing catapulted to new prominence, often begging for urgent response: What should be
the balance between cognitive development and other domains historically important to
early childhood? What should be the balance between a focus on learning processes and
content? What should be the balance between teacher-guided, intentional pedagogy and
child-guided experiential learning? Note that none of these questions is new and that each
recognizes the critical importance of balance.
Indeed, the majesty of this volume is that it, too, understands and addresses the im-
portance of the contemporary context and the balance in perspective and practice it de-
mands. In this volume, Bredekamp takes a long-haul view; she renders solid definitions
of the field, situating the reader firmly in reality, and provides one of the most thorough
historical overviews available. But Bredekamp does not stop there, nor does she skirt the
tough issues, the new research, or the new demands being placed on early educators.
Rather, with clarity and grace, she systematically addresses them all, setting before the
field a rich compendium of research, firsthand and extremely well-cultivated practice,
and ever-wise counsel. Readers will be impressed by the currency, practicality, and clear
intentionality of the volume, evoking the same from those who regard it with the care with
which it was written.
Of particular importance in this ever-changing and increasingly connected world
is the role of culture and language. Bredekamp addresses these issues with honesty and
integrity, treating readers to a richly nuanced understanding of the important roles of
each in the development of young children. Cautiously, she reminds us that the words
“developmentally appropriate”—although bywords of the profession—must be deeply
contextualized in order to be understood and mastered. Indeed, in discussing how to
­balance ­developmentally, individually, and contextually appropriate practices, ­Bredekamp
­brilliantly notes that “a child with a disability acts like a magnifying glass on the
xiii
 ­ evelopmental appropriateness of an early childhood classroom.” In turn, early educators
d
must regard this seminal edition as the best possible lens through which to see and enlarge
what matters most in our field; with wisdom and prescience, it sheds all the light necessary
to advance our evolving, joyous profession and our critically important work on behalf of
children, their families, and their countries.

Sharon Lynn Kagan, Ed.D.

Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy,
Teachers College, Columbia University;
and Professor Adjunct, Yale University’s Child Study Center

xiv
 Brief Contents

Part 1 Foundations of Early Childhood Education 2

Chapter 1 Continuity and Change in Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2 Building on a Tradition of Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
 6

Chapter 3 Understanding and Applying Developmentally Appropriate Practice. . . . . . . . . 68

Part 2 Learning and Developing from Birth to Age 8: Who We Teach 100
Chapter 4 Applying What We Know about Children’s Learning and Development. . . . . 1
 00

Chapter 5 Adapting for Individual Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 38

Chapter 6 Embracing a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Part 3 Intentional Teaching: How to Teach 204

Chapter 7 Building Effective Partnerships with Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Chapter 8 Creating a Caring Community of Learners: Guiding Young Children. . . . . 2
 38

Chapter 9 Teaching to Enhance Learning and Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Chapter 10 Planning Effective Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
 08

Chapter 11 Assessing Children’s Learning and Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Part 4 Implementing an Effective Curriculum: What to Teach 378

Chapter 12 Teaching Children to Communicate: Language, Literacy,
and the Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
 78

Chapter 13 Teaching Children to Investigate and Solve Problems:

Mathematics, Science, and Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Chapter 14 Teaching Children to Live in a Democratic Society: Social-Emotional
Learning and Social Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
 54

Chapter 15 Teaching Children to Be Healthy and Fit:

Physical Development and Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Chapter 16 Putting It All Together in Practice: Making a Difference for Children. . . 516

xv
 Table of Contents

Part 1 Foundations of Early Childhood Education 2

Chapter 1 Continuity and Change in Early Childhood Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What Is Early Childhood Education?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Why Early Childhood Education Is a Field on the Rise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Landscape of Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
How Early Childhood Education Is Expanding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Access to Early Childhood Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How Early Childhood Education Is Changing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Why Become an Early Childhood Educator? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Joys of Teaching Young Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dimensions of Effective, Intentional Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Career Options for Early Childhood Educators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Culture of Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Early Childhood Program Quality and Effectiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Standards for Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Measuring Quality in Early Childhood Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Measuring Effectiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Positive Effects of Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Brain Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Lasting Benefits of Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Positive Effects of Prekindergarten, Head Start, and Child Care . . . . . . . . 24
Social Justice and Closing the Achievement Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Current Trends in Early Childhood Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
New Federal and State Policy Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Standards and Accountability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Higher Teacher Qualifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Alignment of Services from Birth Through Age 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Advances in Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Stress in Children’s Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Continuity and Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Chapter 2 Building on a Tradition of Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Learning from the Past. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Why History Is Relevant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Changing View of Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
European Influences on American Early Childhood Education. . . . . . . . . . 41
John Amos Comenius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

xvi
 Johann Pestalozzi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Friedrich Froebel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Maria Montessori. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Early Childhood Movements in the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
The Kindergarten Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Progressive Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The Nursery School Movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Child Care Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
A Wider View of Early Childhood History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
African Americans in Early Childhood History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Native American Early Childhood History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Latino Early Childhood History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Bringing the Stories Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Story of Head Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Prekindergarten Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Building on a Tradition of Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chapter 3 Understanding and Applying Developmentally Appropriate

Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
What Is Developmentally Appropriate Practice?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
NAEYC’S Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice. . . . . . 70
Current Issues in Developmentally Appropriate Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Intentional Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Purposeful Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Understand and Explain Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Developmentally Appropriate Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Make Informed Decisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Consider All You Know When Making Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
The Complex Role of the Teacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Create a Caring Community of Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Teach to Enhance Learning and Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Plan Curriculum to Achieve Important Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Assess Children’s Development and Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Build Relationships with Families and Communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
The Teacher’s Role in Context. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Widening the Lens: Moving from Either/Or to Both/And Thinking . . . . . . . . . . 89
Developmentally Appropriate Learning Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Organize the Physical Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Organize the Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Research on Developmentally Appropriate Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Research Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Research on Elements of Developmentally Appropriate Practice. . . . . . . . . . . 95
The Future of Developmentally Appropriate Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

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Part 2 Learning and Developing from Birth to Age 8: Who We Teach 100
Chapter 4 Applying What We Know about Children’s Learning
and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Understanding Development and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
What Is Development? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
What Is Learning?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Role of Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Relationship between Theory, Research, and Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Why Study Child Development and Learning?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brain Development and Implications for Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
How the Brain Promotes Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Implications for Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Implications for Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Child Development Theories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Human Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Maslow’s Self-Actualization Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Piaget and Cognitive Developmental Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Vygotsky and Sociocultural Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory of Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Learning Theories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
B. F. Skinner and Behaviorism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Albert Bandura and Social Cognitive Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The Role of Play in Development and Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Types of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
The Benefits of Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Play and Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Connecting Theory and Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Chapter 5 Adapting for Individual Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

The Importance of Individual Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Why Pay Attention to Individual Differences?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Where Do Individual Differences Come From?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
How Experience Affects Outcomes for Children: Risk or Resilience. . . . . . . . . . 142
What We Know About Individual Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Gender Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Cognitive Development and Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Emotional and Social Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Approaches to Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Physical Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Seeing Each Child as an Individual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Multiple Intelligences: A Theory of Individual Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Gifted and Talented Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Responsive Education for All Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Differentiating Instruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Response to Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

xviii
 Individual Differences in Ability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
The Language of Early Childhood Special Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
What Teachers Should Know about Children with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Seeing Children with Disabilities as Individuals: The Case of Autism . . . . . . . . . 155
What Teachers Should Know about Legal Requirements
for Children with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Embracing Natural Learning Environments and Inclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Effective Practices for Children with Diverse Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Work on a Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Assess Young Children of Diverse Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Plan Individualized Instructional Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Chapter 6 Embracing a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse World . . . . . . . . . . 170

Understanding Cultural Diversity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
What Is Culture?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
The Role of Culture in Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
How Culture Functions: Principles to Keep in Mind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
A Framework for Thinking About Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Individualistic Cultural Orientation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Interdependent Cultural Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Continuum of Common Cultural Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Applying the Continuum in Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Understanding Your Own Cultural Perspective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Become Aware of Your Own Cultural Experiences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Learn about the Perspectives of Various Cultural Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Teaching in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Why Does Culture Matter to Teachers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Embracing Linguistic Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cultural Competence: The Key to Effective Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Cross-Cultural Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Effective Practices for Diverse Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Culturally Responsive Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Linguistically Responsive Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Anti-Bias Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Part 3 Intentional Teaching: How to Teach 204

Chapter 7 Building Effective Partnerships with Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Today’s Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Welcoming Diverse Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Family Dynamics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Family Circumstances and Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Reciprocal Relationships with Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Roles of Teachers and Parents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Family-Centered Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

xix
 Communication with Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Barriers to Effective Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Effective Communication Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Family Engagement in Programs and Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Benefits of Family Involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Opportunities for Meaningful Family Engagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Community Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
A Framework for Building Partnerships with Families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Clarify Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Communicate Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Negotiate Successfully. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Demonstrate Willingness to Learn and Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Chapter 8 Creating a Caring Community of Learners: Guiding

Young Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
A Caring Community of Learners: The Teaching Pyramid Model . . . . . . . . 240
The Value of a Caring Community of Learners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
The Teaching Pyramid Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Positive Relationships with Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
The Importance of Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Effective Strategies to Build Positive Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
High-Quality Supportive Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Establish Clear, Consistent, Fair Rules for Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Support Children to Do Their Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Teaching Social-Emotional Competence and Guiding Behavior. . . . . . . . . 255
Guidance and Punishment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Teach Emotional Literacy and Social Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Conflict Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Intensive Individualized Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Understand Challenging Behaviors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Assess and Address the Function of the Child’s Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Team with Families and Professionals to Implement Individualized Plans . . . . . 261
Use Positive Behavior Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Applying the Teaching Pyramid Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Apply the Pyramid Model to Teaching Boys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Apply the Pyramid Model to Address Biting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Apply the Pyramid Model to Alleviate Bullying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Chapter 9 Teaching to Enhance Learning and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Teaching: Both a Science and an Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
The Science of Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
The Art of Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
A Repertoire of Effective Teaching Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
What Are Teaching Strategies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Teacher-Initiated and Child-Initiated Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Using an Array of Teaching Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
The Power of Scaffolding: An Integrated Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Connecting Teaching Strategies and Learning Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
xx
 Reflect on Your Own Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Strategies That Make Learning Meaningful. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Strategies That Develop Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Strategies That Promote Higher-Level Thinking and Problem Solving. . . . . . . . . 292
Grouping as an Instructional Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
The Learning Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Play as a Context for Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Teachers’ Involvement during Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Teachers’ Role during Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Teaching with Digital Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Research on Digital Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Using Technology and Digital Media to Teach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Assistive Technology for Children with Diverse Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Chapter 10 Planning Effective Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Defining Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
What Is Curriculum?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Curriculum Models, Approaches, and Frameworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Written Curriculum Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
The Teacher’s Role. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Components of Effective Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
The Role of Standards in Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
What Are Standards? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
How Do Standards Affect Curriculum? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Alignment of Standards and Curriculum across Age Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Approaches to Planning Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Emergent Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Integrated Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Thematic Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Webbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
The Project Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Scope and Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Research-Based Early Childhood Curricula. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Comprehensive Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Focused Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
The Reggio Emilia Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Research on Preschool Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
A Model for Planning Effective Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
The Child in the Sociocultural Context. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Sources of Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Applying the Curriculum Model in Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Adapting for Individual Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

Chapter 11 Assessing Children’s Learning and Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Learning the Language of Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Formative and Summative Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Informal and Formal Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Observation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
xxi
 Performance Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Dynamic Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Standardized Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Types of Standardized Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Purposes of Assessment: Why Assess?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Assessing to Improve Teaching and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Identifying Children with Special Learning or Developmental Needs . . . . . . . . . 351
Evaluating Program Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Assessing for Accountability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Connecting Purposes and Types of Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Indicators of Effective Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Developmentally Appropriate Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Individually Appropriate Assessment for Children with Special Needs. . . . . . . . 358
Observation and Recording to Improve Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Observing and Gathering Evidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Recording What Children Know and Can Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Interpreting and Using Evidence to Improve Teaching and Learning . . . . . . . . . 369
Standardized Testing of Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Types of Standardized Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Appropriate Uses of Standardized Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Concerns about Standardized Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Assessment and the Common Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Kindergarten Entry Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375

Part 4 Implementing an Effective Curriculum: What to Teach 378

Chapter 12 Teaching Children to Communicate: Language, Literacy, and the Arts. . . . 378
Children’s Language Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
The Critical Importance of Language Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Types of Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Language Differences in Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Developmental Continuum: Oral Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Impact of Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Scaffolding Children’s Language Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Supporting Language Development in Babies and Toddlers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Scaffolding Preschoolers’ Language Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Dual Language Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
How Children Learn a Second Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Developmental Continuum: Dual Language Acquisition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Teaching Dual Language Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Early Literacy: Birth through Age 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Developmental Continuum: Early Literacy Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Literacy-Rich Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Early Literacy from Birth to Kindergarten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Literacy in the Primary Grades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
xxii
 Learning to Read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Developmental Continuum: Literacy in Kindergarten and Primary Grades. . . . . 404
Evidence-Based Reading Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Digital Literacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Impact of the Common Core State Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Communicating Through the Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
The Value of Creative Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Visual Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Music, Movement, and Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Drama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Seeing the Arts with New Eyes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Chapter 13 Teaching Children to Investigate and Solve Problems:

Mathematics, Science, and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
The Importance of Mathematics and Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
The Need for an Educated Workforce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
The Mathematics Achievement Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
The Cognitive Foundations of Early Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
The Continuum of Cognitive Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Executive Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Children’s Thinking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Language and Cognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Mathematical Language and the Achievement Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Effective Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Mathematics Curriculum Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Mathematics Process Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Effective Mathematics Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Effective Mathematics Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
The Role of Play in Teaching and Learning Mathematics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Effective Science Curriculum and Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Science and Technology in the Early Childhood Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Science Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Effective Science Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Teaching about and with Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
A Developmentally and Technologically Appropriate Classroom. . . . . . . . . . . . . 449

Chapter 14 Teaching Children to Live in a Democratic Society:

Social-Emotional Learning and Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Social-Emotional Foundations of Early Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Emotional Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Self-Regulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Social Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Stress in Children’s Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Continuum of Social and Emotional Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Infants and Toddlers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Preschool and Kindergarten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Primary Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
xxiii
 Diversity and Social-Emotional Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
The Role of Play in Social-Emotional Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Emotional Development and Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Social Development and Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Effective Social-Emotional Curriculum and Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Social and Emotional Curriculum Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Effective Social Studies Curriculum and Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
What Is Social Studies?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Social Studies Content Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Effective Strategies for Teaching Social Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

Chapter 15 Teaching Children to Be Healthy and Fit: Physical

Development and Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
The Importance of Physical Fitness and Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Benefits of Physical Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Childhood Obesity Crisis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Implications for Early Childhood Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
How Physical Development Occurs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
The Continuum of Physical Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Phases of Motor Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Gross-Motor Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Fine-Motor Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
The Role of Play in Physical Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Childhood Experiences with the Natural Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Outdoor Play Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
The Value of Rough-and-Tumble Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
Health and Safety Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
The Teacher’s Role in Health and Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Effective Curriculum and Teaching to Promote Physical
Fitness and Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Curriculum for Physical Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Effective Health Curriculum and Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511

Chapter 16 Putting It All Together in Practice: Making a Difference

for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Life as an Early Childhood Educator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Caring for and Educating Infants and Young Toddlers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Teaching the Whole Child in the Preschool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Teaching the Whole Child in the Kindergarten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Teaching the Whole Child in the Primary Grades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Beginning Your Journey as an Early Childhood Professional . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Become a Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Protect Children from Abuse and Neglect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Join a Profession That Makes a Difference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
Author Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
xxiv Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
appearance, and with the king’s money in his pocket. The grief and
agony of Jeanie, and of her affectionate parents, were past all
description; and the consideration of her rashness and imprudence
having been the occasion of so much distress to herself and others,
rendered her almost desperate.
Henry was not long in the hands of the drill sergeant till he became
nearly as penitent and full of regrets as his lovely young wife, and he
willingly would, had he been permitted, have returned to a faithful
discharge of the duties of a husband; but the country was at that time
in too great need of men such as Henry, to part with him either for
money or interest. When he began to reap the bitter fruits of his own
folly, his affection for Jeanie, if it ever deserved so sacred a name,
returned with redoubled intensity; and that object, for the
abandonment of which he had plunged himself into the hardships of
which he complained, he thought he could not now live without. He
was shortly to be marched off to his regiment, and poor Jeanie,
whose attachment remained unshaken amidst the severe treatment
she had suffered, determined to follow him through all the casualties
of the military life; and at any rate preferred hardship to the disgrace
which she thought she had brought upon herself by her own
imprudence. She had at this time been a mother for little more than
two months; but even this could not change her resolution to follow
the father of her child, exposed as she must be to all the privations
and hardships of the soldier’s wife. She saw her father and mother on
the morning of her departure, but neither she nor they were able to
exchange words, so full were their hearts; save that the old man said,
“God help and bless you, Jeanie!” Scarcely a dry eye was to be seen in
the village that morning, and a crowd of youths, amidst silent
dejection, saw her far on her way, carrying her baby and her bundle
by turns. The toils through which she passed in following her
husband were too many and too severe to be here related. He was
ultimately one of those who assisted to decide the dreadful conflict at
Waterloo, and received a severe wound when the day was just about
won. In a foreign hospital, though he suffered much, he at length
recovered; but upon returning home, his wounds broke forth afresh,
and at last carried him off. Jeanie was now left quite unfriended. She
had seen her two eldest children laid in the dust, the one in a distant
clime, and the other, though on British soil, yet far from the tomb of
her fathers. She still had three surviving, and her parents being gone
to their long home, her only resource at the time I met her was
dependence on public charity.—“The Athenæum,”—Glasgow
University Annual, 1830.
 THE VILLAGERS OF AUCHINCRAIG.

By Daniel Gorrie.

In one of the eastern counties of Scotland, there is a pleasant

secluded valley, known by the name of Strathkirtle. It is well
cultivated, growing good grain crops, abounding in rich pasture-
land, and beautified by the water of Kirtle, which winds smoothly
along between its fertile banks, and loses itself at last in the German
Ocean. Strips and roundels of woodland, snug farm steadings, and
the sheltering hills on either side, impart an air of peace and an
aspect of comfort to this secluded Scottish strath, such as may rarely
be witnessed in other countries. Spring nurses there her sweetest
wild-flowers, on the meadows, in the woods, and by the water-
courses; summer comes early with choirs of singing-birds, and the
voice of the cuckoo; autumn adorns the fields with the mellowest
beauty, and touches the green leaves into gold; and winter ever
spares some gladsome relics of the sister seasons, to cheer the hearts
of the inhabitants at Strathkirtle.
In the centre of the valley, and close beside the stream, there
formerly stood the ancient village of Auchincraig; but the progress of
improvement has, I am told, almost swept its last vestiges away. It
was, without exception, the oddest, old-fashioned place in which I
ever resided for any length of time. The dwelling-houses were of all
shapes and sizes, and they had been built, whether solitary, in rows,
or in batches, in utter contempt of all order and regularity. One
might almost have imagined that they had fallen down in dire
confusion from the clouds, and been allowed to stand peaceably
where they fell. Some had their gables to the street, some were
planted back to back, some frowned front to front. The roofs of not a
few rose in ridges like the back of a dromedary, while the appearance
of others betokened a perilous collapse and sudden downfall.
Auchincraig could boast of styles of architecture unknown to Grecian
and Roman fame. The primitive builders had not been particular
regarding the situation of the doors, and evidently considered
windows as useless breaks in the walls. Houses two storeys high,
with weather-worn and weather-stained slate roofs, stood beside
humbler dwellings, low and long, and covered with thatch. The
parish church was situated in the burial ground at the east end of the
village. It was an old edifice, with ivy-mantled spire, which seemed
ready to sink down and mingle with the dust of the many generations
who slept around. Jackdaws congregated on its summit, and
swallows, unmolested, built their nests in all the windows of the
hoary pile. The parish manse, which appeared scarcely less ancient
than the church, stood about a stone’s cast from the place of graves.
Primeval trees hung their foliage over it in summer, shading its roof
and windows from the sunrays, and groaned mournfully throughout
all their bare bulk when the bitter blast of winter swept over the
exposed churchyard. A beechen hedge encircled the manse and the
garden attached. The residence of the minister was by far the
pleasantest abode in Auchincraig.
Queer and old-fashioned as the village was, it was far surpassed in
these respects by the villagers. I could scarcely have believed that it
was possible to find so many odd characters and strange mortals
collected together in one locality. Nothing astonished me more than
the number of old people, male and female, who, “daunered” about
the village streets, or sat dozing on three-legged stools at the doors of
their dwellings. It seemed as if the promise, “Thou shalt live long
upon the land,” had been specially vouchsafed to them. The old men
wore knee-breeches, home-made stockings, blue coats with metal
buttons, and red Kilmarnocks; while the old women looked the very
picture of sedate, sagacious, and decent eld, with their white coifs
and black ribbons, and bone spectacles bestriding their attenuated
noses. The village children had an “auld-farrant” appearance; and
the young men and women, whose principal employment was
weaving and spinning, partook somewhat of the gravity of their
elders with whom they associated so much. It was only at such festive
seasons as Hallowe’en, Hansel Monday, and the annual summer
Fair, that the natural hilarity of youth displayed itself in any
remarkable degree.
 One of the odd characters of this venerable village was the minister
himself. He belonged to that quaint, homely class of Scottish rural
pastors, the last remnants of which have now altogether vanished. A
strange, eccentric old man was the Rev. Thomas Watson—more
generally and familiarly known by the name of “Tammy”—parish
minister of Auchincraig. He was a grayhaired man, but stout of body
and ruddy of countenance, hale and hearty as an old farmer, and
fond of his own creature comfort, while he imparted to others
spiritual consolation. He was generally attired, at home and abroad,
in a broad-brimmed hat, knee breeches, and a loose coat, cut in the
shape of a jockey’s jacket. He had a habit of screwing his face and
shrugging his shoulders, both in the pulpit and out of it, when
anything unpleasant occurred. It was amusing to see him engaged in
conversation with one of his aged parishioners on the streets of the
village. He applied vigorously to his snuff-box, and a hearty slap on
the shoulder of his auditor was the invariable prelude to a humorous
remark. One day, while he was thus enjoying a “twa-handed crack”
with an aged member of his congregation, he administered a heavier
slap than was desirable, upon which the parishioner exclaimed, with
more familiarity than reverence, “Tammy, Tammy! my banes are no
made o’ brass—dinna hit sae sair!” Tammy, notwithstanding his
slapping propensities, was a great favourite amongst the people, and
I have heard the villagers repeating with great glee some of his witty
remarks, and telling anecdotes regarding his eccentricities. He
always addressed the people in broad Scotch from the pulpit. Indeed
it is more than probable that they would have accused him of
preaching heresy if he had ever attempted English. He felt himself as
much at home, and said as homely things, in the church and before
the congregation, as when sitting in social converse beside the manse
hearth. Several instances of this I distinctly remember. One Sabbath
forenoon, his own servant-girl entered the church rather late—in
fact, the first psalm had been sung, and the Rev. Thomas was in the
midst of his lengthy opening prayer. Janet, flurried no doubt by
disturbing the devotions of the congregation, omitted to shut the
door behind her, and a breeze blew up the passage and waved the
gray locks of the minister. This was more than the reverend
gentleman could endure. He opened his eyes, saw the culprit, and
said with his own broad peculiar accent, “Janet, woman, Janet! can
ye no steek the door ahint ye, an’ keep the wund oot!” Ludicrous as
this remark might have appeared in the circumstances to a stranger,
it was listened to by his hearers as devoutly as if it had been an
ordinary part of the service.
On another occasion “Tammy” was holding an evening diet of
worship in the church. This, it must be confessed, was with him a
rare event indeed. It was the winter season, and, at the close of the
first devotional exercise, the candles were emitting a light faint, and
feeble as that of the waning crescent-moon. “Tammy” took up the
psalmbook and adjusted his spectacles, but it was of no avail. The
solitary “dips” at each side of the pulpit showed long wicks but little
flame. The minister fumbled about for a time, but could not find the
object of his search. At last, screwing his face, and shrugging his
shoulders, he exclaimed, addressing the beadle (who was also the
grave-digger), “Pate, I say, Pate! what’s come ower ye?—whaur’s the
snuffers, man?”
Numerous anecdotes of a similar kind are recorded of the eccentric
divine of Auchincraig. Once, however, on a baptismal occasion in the
church, he committed what was regarded as a sacrilegious act by
many of his parishioners. It set the tongues of all the mothers and
grandmothers a-wagging for a month, and “Tammy” narrowly
escaped a presbyterial investigation. The affair was innocent enough,
allowing a margin for oddity of character, and he would, in all
probability, have come off triumphant from a trial, unless the
members of the presbytery had been rigid disciplinarians. The
circumstances of the case may briefly be told. At the conclusion of
the forenoon’s discourse, a child was brought up for baptism. The
father received the customary exhortations and took his vows, and
“Tammy” had just folded up his sleeve preparatory to sprinkling the
baptismal water on the infant’s face, when he found to his surprise
that Peter, otherwise Pate, the beadle, had stinted somewhat the
necessary supply of liquid, perhaps in deference to the wishes of the
child’s mother. The eccentric minister had conscientious objections
at performing the sacred rite in a perfunctory manner, and he
accordingly lifted the large pewter basin from its place, much to the
amazement of the congregation, and sprinkled the whole contents to
the last drop over the face and white attire of the squalling babe! He
then coolly continued the service, in his own peculiar style, as if
nothing extraordinary had occurred.
 The Reverend Thomas Watson made himself at home wherever he
was. When breakfasting with any of his parishioners, or in the
neighbouring manses of brother clergymen, he invariably took
possession of the largest egg, giving as his excuse and speaking from
his experience, that “the biggest were aye the maist caller!” He was
very fond of porter, and could drink as much toddy as any laird in all
Strathkirtle, without showing the slightest symptoms that he had
imbibed more than was good for the health of his body and brain.
“Tammy,” it must be confessed, with all his good qualities, was
rather lazy and self indulgent. To have spent more than an hour or
two in the preparation of a discourse he would have regarded as a
culpable waste of precious time. A clergyman in the neighbourhood
once narrated to me a ludicrous instance of the manner in which the
Auchincraig minister rolled the burden of duty upon the shoulders of
others, and managed to escape himself.
“Tammy,” on a certain occasion, was assisting at the dispensation
of the sacrament in another part of the county. The good cheer
provided for clergymen in the manses at communion seasons he
relished with infinite zest, and he generally contrived to coax the
younger “hands” into undertaking a large share of his allotted
spiritual work. When he could not succeed by coaxing, he adopted
more effective means. On the special occasion referred to, he had
taken as little part as he possibly could in the Saturday and Sunday
services. It was his duty on Monday to preach one of two sermons;
but that was with him the great day of the feast; a good winding-up
dinner was expected in the afternoon, and he felt little inclination for
ministerial work. Accordingly, as soon as breakfast was finished, and
an hour before the commencement of public worship, he
mysteriously disappeared. When the bell began to toll, the Rev.
Thomas was searched for through every room of the house, and in
every nook of the manse garden, but he could not be discovered, and
another clergyman present was compelled, at a moment’s notice, to
undertake the duty of the renegade. Meanwhile, “Tammy” was
stretched at full length in an adjoining corn-field, quietly sunning
himself, with much self-complacent composure, and listening to the
voice of psalms floating upwards to the summer heavens from the
lips of the assembled worshippers. He did not leave his lair until the
guests were assembled for dinner, and then he returned to the
manse, and heartily thanked the “dear brother” who had officiated in
his stead. His ready wit, his contagious laugh, his fund of racy
anecdotes, would doubtless be regarded by the company as some
compensation for the sin he had committed in failing to discharge his
ministerial duty. Many years have elapsed since old Tammy Watson
was gathered to his fathers; and of the ancient kirk of Auchincraig in
which he preached not one stone now stands upon another.
Requiescat in pace!
The parish dominie was another of the eccentric characters in the
village. He inhabited a house that had once seen better days, and he
appeared also to have seen them himself. He was a tall, thin, silent,
swarthy man, past middle age, abstemious and even miserly in his
habits. Dominie Dawson was a bachelor, and few people ever crossed
his threshold. He disliked old “Tammy,” who took a malicious
pleasure in plaguing and bantering him upon the spareness of his
body. Never were two men, occupying the highest posts in a parish,
more utterly opposed to each other in appearance, tastes, and habits.
“Tammy” was always ready with his joke; dominie Dawson had never
even perpetrated a pun all his life. “Tammy” laughed immoderately
when anything tickled his fancy; dominie Dawson was seldom seen
to relax his grim countenance by a smile. Some men seem to have all
things in common, but these two had absolutely nothing. The
dominie never dined at the manse, and the minister never supped
with the dominie. Still there was room in the parish for them both,
and each held on the tenor of his way, independent of the other. The
dominie, it could not be denied, was by far a more learned man than
the minister. He was a capital linguist, as had been proved on more
than one occasion, although his knowledge of languages was of little
practical avail in the village of Auchincraig. He was also an
enthusiastic naturalist. He returned from solitary rambles among the
woods, and along the banks of the Kirtle, with his hat full of wild
flowers and “weeds of glorious feature.” The old wives of the village
used to say, “the man mun be crazed, for he’s aye houkin’ among
divots!” On Saturday afternoons he sent bands of the school children
away in search of beetles, moths, butterflies, and all varieties of
insects; and these, after much study and careful examination, he
pinned carefully on squares of pasteboard. Dominie Dawson was, in
fact, an unrecognised genius. He seemed quite out of place in that
secluded village, and yet it was almost impossible that he could have
existed anywhere else. He was neither very much beloved, nor
particularly disliked by his scholars. He flourished the birch pretty
vigorously at times, and it was universally allowed that he made an
excellent teacher. He opened his school each day with a prayer,
which he had repeated so often that he could think on other matters
during the time of its delivery. He always kept his eyes wide open
when engaged in the act of devotion, watching intently the behaviour
of his scholars, and no sooner was the prayer finished than he
proceeded to apply the birchen rod as a corrective to misconduct,
and an incitement to devotional feeling. “Tammy,” alluding to this
circumstance, said to him one day—“Skelpin’ may mak gude
scholars, dominie, but it’s sure to mak bad Christians.” After school-
hours, the dominie either kept within doors, or walked forth alone.
He had not a single companion in the whole village, nor did he
cultivate any one’s society. He returned a salutation with civility, but
appeared to have no desire for further intercourse. He was still
parish teacher when I left the village; but it is more than probable
that the loneliness of his life has now merged into the solitude of the
grave.
After the minister and dominie, the village crier must not be
forgotten. He used a large hand-bell instead of the kettle-drum which
is employed in most country places to herald important public
announcements. “Pob Jamie” was the name by which the bellman, as
he was called, was generally known throughout the district. A
squalid, ragged, cadaverous, miserable-looking object he was. He
wore a hat “which was not all a hat,” part of the rim being gone, and
the rain and sunshine finding a free passage through its rents of ruin.
A long gaberlunzie’s gaberdine, formed, like Joseph’s coat, of many
colours, and adorned with many streamers, descended from his neck
to his heels. His feet were strapped over the soles of old shoes that
served the purpose of sandals. Thus arrayed, he shuffled with his bell
through the streets of Auchincraig, like the presiding genius of the
place. It was no use attempting to clothe him in better attire. If he
had been presented over night with a royal mantle, he would have
appeared at his vocation next day in his many-coloured and tattered
gaberdine. “Pob Jamie” was “cracked,” and public pity alone kept
him in his responsible office. It was one of the most ludicrous sights
in the world to see him actively engaged in the discharge of his duty,
for which he seemed to think he had special calling. After tingling his
bell for a time, he planted his staff behind him, and leant upon it in a
half-sitting posture, and then drawing a long breath, commenced
thus, in drawling tones, to give the world the benefit of his
announcement:—“Go-od faa-aat bee-eef to be so-old at Mustruss
Ma-act-avushes sho-op at sa-axpence the pund.” Poor Pob made a
sad mess of long roup-bills and documents of a similar kind. The
villagers, accustomed to his voice and manner, could make some
meaning out of his words; but to strangers it sounded like a language
never spoken before on earth since the dispersion at the Tower of
Babel. The village boys annoyed the bellman greatly by mimicking
his attitude and voice when he was in the act of “crying” through the
streets. It invariably excited his somewhat irascible temper, and he
prolonged and intensified his tones to an amusing extent. Jamie had
a withered, ill-natured, half-crazed old woman for a wife, and a
wretched cat-and-dog life they led together in their tottering hovel.
The union of these two miserable beings was a melancholy caricature
of the matrimonial alliance. They were never known to exchange a
single word of affection. In fact, they were apparently bound to each
other by mutual hatred. It was strange to think for what purpose they
had been created, or why they should exist in the world so long. One
winter day, after going his customary round, Pob fell sick, and
rapidly declined. In the course of a day or two it was apparent that he
was on the very verge of death. His old wife contemplated with
evident pleasure the prospect of his speedy dissolution, and within
five minutes of his death the half-crazed hag hissed these words into
his ear, “Dee, ye deevil, dee!”
Space would fail me to describe minutely all the oddities of
Auchincraig. There was the keeper of the post-office—a dwarfish
man, with elfin locks, and a notorious squint, who knew all the
secrets of the village, and seemed to possess the power of reading the
contents of letters without breaking the seals. There was
“burnewin,”—a man of huge stature and gigantic strength,—whose
“smiddy” after nightfall, when the furnace blazed, was the favourite
resort of all the cockfighters, poachers, and blackguards throughout
Strathkirtle. There were the “souter” and the tailor, politicians both,
and hard drinkers to boot. Nor did the village want its due
complement of “innocents.” It had greatly more than the average
number; and throughout all my wanderings, and during all my
residences in towns and remote villages, I have never met so many
odd characters gathered together as in old Auchincraig. It seemed to
me strange that in a valley so beautiful,—where nature is prodigal of
her richest gifts, where flowers bloom, birds sing, and corn-fields
rustle in the summer breeze,—humanity should have appeared in
such strange shapes and eccentric manifestations. But the old village
is gone, and the old villagers have departed, and the sun now shines
upon new homes and fresher hearts.
 PERLING JOAN.

By John Gibson Lockhart, LL.D.

Our Laird was a very young man when his father died, and he gaed
awa to France, and Italy, and Flanders, and Germany, immediately,
and we saw naething o’ him for three years; and my brother, John
Baird, went wi’ him as his own body-servant. When that time was
gane by, our Johnny cam hame and tauld us that Sir Claud wad be
here the next day, an’ that he was bringing hame a foreign lady wi’
him—but they were not married. This news was a sair heart, as ye
may suppose, to a’ that were about the house; and we were just glad
that the auld lady was dead and buried, not to hear of sic doings. But
what could we do? To be sure, the rooms were a’ put in order, and
the best chamber in the hale house was got ready for Sir Claud and
her. John tauld me, when we were alane together that night, that I
wad be surprised wi’ her beauty when she came.
But I never could have believed, till I saw her, that she was sae very
young—such a mere bairn, I may say; I’m sure she was not more than
fifteen. Such a dancing, gleesome bit bird of a lassie was never seen;
and ane could not but pity her mair than blame her for what she had
done, she was sae visibly in the daftness and light-headedness of
youth. Oh, how she sang, and played, and galloped about on the
wildest horses in the stable, as fearlessly as if she had been a man!
The house was full of fun and glee; and Sir Claud and she were both
so young and so comely, that it was enough to break ane’s very heart
to behold their thoughtlessness. She was aye sitting on his knee, wi’
her arm about his neck; and for weeks and months this love and
merriment lasted. The poor body had no airs wi’ her; she was just as
humble in her speech to the like of us, as if she had been a cottar’s
lassie. I believe there was not one of us that could help liking her, for
a’ her faults. She was a glaiket creature; but gentle and tender-
hearted as a perfect lamb, and sae bonny! I never sat eyes upon her
match. She had never any colour but black for her gown, and it was
commonly satin, and aye made in the same fashion; and a’ the
perling about her bosom, and a great gowden chain stuck full of
precious rubies and diamonds. She never put powder on her head
neither; oh proud, proud was she of her hair! I’ve often known her
comb and comb at it for an hour on end; and when it was out of the
buckle, the bonny black curls fell as low as her knee. You never saw
such a head of hair since ye were born. She was the daughter of a rich
auld Jew in Flanders, and ran awa frae the house wi’ Sir Claud, ae
night when there was a great feast gaun on,—the Passover supper, as
John thought,—and out she came by the back-door to Sir Claud,
dressed for supper wi’ a’ her braws.
Weel, this lasted for the maist feck of a year; and Perling Joan (for
that was what the servants used to ca’ her, frae the laces about her
bosom), Mrs Joan lay in and had a lassie.
Sir Claud’s auld uncle, the colonel, was come hame from America
about this time, and he wrote for the laird to gang in to Edinburgh to
see him, and he behoved to do this; and away he went ere the bairn
was mair than a fortnight auld, leaving the lady wi’ us.
I was the maist experienced body about the house, and it was me
that got chief charge of being with her in her recovery. The poor
young thing was quite changed now. Often and often did she greet
herself blind, lamenting to me about Sir Claud’s no marrying her; for
she said she did not take muckle thought about thae things afore; but
that now she had a bairn to Sir Claud, and she could not bear to look
the wee thing in the face, and think a’ body would ca’ it a bastard.
And then she said she was come of as decent folk as any lady in
Scotland, and moaned and sobbit about her auld father and her
sisters.
But the colonel, ye see, had gotten Sir Claud into the town; and we
soon began to hear reports that the colonel had been terribly angry
about Perling Joan, and threatened Sir Claud to leave every penny he
had past him, if he did not put Joan away, and marry a lady like
himself. And what wi’ fleeching, and what wi’ flyting, sae it was that
Sir Claud went away to the north wi’ the colonel, and the marriage
between him and lady Juliana was agreed upon, and everything
settled.
Everybody about the house had heard mair or less about a’ this, or
ever a word of it came her length. But at last, Sir Claud himself writes
a long letter, telling her what a’ was to be; and offering to gie her a
heap o’ siller, and send our John ower the sea wi’ her, to see her safe
back to her friends—her and her baby, if she liked best to take it with
her; but if not, the colonel was to take the bairn hame, and bring her
up a lady, away from the house here, not to breed any dispeace.
This was what our Johnny said was to be proposed; for as to the
letter itself, I saw her get it, and she read it twice ower, and flung it
into the fire before my face. She read it, whatever it was, with a
wonderful composure; but the moment after it was in the fire she
gaed clean aff into a fit, and she was out of one and into anither for
maist part of the forenoon. Oh, what a sight she was! It would have
melted the heart of stone to see her.
The first thing that brought her to herself was the sight of her
bairn. I brought it, and laid it on her knee, thinking it would do her
good if she could give it a suck; and the poor trembling thing did as I
bade her; and the moment the bairn’s mouth was at the breast, she
turned as calm as the baby itsel—the tears rapping ower her cheeks,
to be sure, but not one word more. I never heard her either greet or
sob again a’ that day.
I put her and the bairn to bed that night—but nae combing and
curling o’ the bonnie black hair did I see then. However, she seemed
very calm and composed, and I left them, and gaed to my ain bed,
which was in a little room within hers.
Next morning, the bed was found cauld and empty, and the front
door of the house standing wide open. We dragged the waters, and
sent man and horse every gate, but ne’er a trace of her could we ever
light on, till a letter came twa or three weeks after, addressed to me,
frae hersel. It was just a line or twa, to say that she was well, and
thanking me, poor thing, for having been attentive about her in her
down-lying. It was dated frae London. And she charged me to say
nothing to anybody of having received it. But this was what I could
not do; for everybody had set it down for a certain thing, that the
poor lassie had made away baith wi’ hersel and the bairn.
 I dinna weel ken whether it was owing to this or not, but Sir
Claud’s marriage was put aff for twa or three years, and he never cam
near us a’ that while. At length word came that the wedding was to be
put over directly; and painters, and upholsterers, and I know not
what all, came and turned the hale house upside down, to prepare for
my lady’s hame-coming. The only room that they never meddled wi’
was that that had been Mrs Joan’s: and no doubt they had been
ordered what to do.
Weel, the day came, and a braw sunny spring day it was, that Sir
Claud and the bride were to come hame to the Mains. The grass was
a’ new mawn about the policy, and the walks sweepit, and the cloth
laid for dinner, and everybody in their best to give them their
welcoming. John Baird came galloping up the avenue like mad, to
tell us that the coach was amaist within sight, and gar us put oursels
in order afore the ha’ steps. We were a’ standing there in our ranks,
and up came the coach rattling and driving, wi’ I dinna ken how
mony servants riding behind it; and Sir Claud lookit out at the
window, and was waving his handkerchief to us, when, just as fast as
fire ever flew frae flint, a woman in a red cloak rushed out from
among the auld shrubbery at the west end of the house, and flung
herself in among the horses’ feet, and the wheels gaed clean out ower
her breast, and crushed her dead in a single moment. She never
stirred. Poor thing! she was nae Perling Joan then. She was in rags—
perfect rags all below the bit cloak; and we found the bairn, rowed in
a checked apron, lying just behind the hedge. A braw heartsome
welcoming for a pair of young married folk!—The History of
Matthew Wald.
 JANET SMITH.

By Professor Thomas Gillespie.

Old Janet Smith lived in a cottage overshadowed by an ash-tree,

and flanked by a hawthorn, called Lasscairn,—so named, in all
probability, from a cairn of stones, almost in the centre of which this
simple habitation was placed, in which, even within the period of my
remembrance, three maiden veterans kept “rock and reel, bleezing
hearth and reeking lum.” They were uniformly mentioned in the
neighbourhood as “the lasses o’ Lasscairn,” though their united ages
might have amounted to something considerably above three-score
thrice told. Janet, however, of whom I am now speaking, had been
married in her teens, and her husband having lost his life in a lime-
quarry, she had been left with an only child, a daughter, whom, by
the help of God’s blessing, and her wee wheel, she had reared and
educated as far as the Proofs and Willison’s. This daughter having
attained to a suitable age, had been induced one fine summer
evening, whilst her mother was engaged in her evening devotion
under the shadow of the ash-tree, to take a pleasure walk with Rob
Paton, a neighbouring ploughman, but then recently enlisted, and to
share his name and his fortunes for twenty-four months to come. At
the end of this period, she found her mother nearly in the same
position in which she had left her, praying earnestly to her God to
protect, direct, and return her “bairn.” There were, however, two
bairns for the good old woman to bless, instead of one, and the young
Jessie Paton was said to be the very picture of her mother. Be that as
it may, old Janet, now a grannie, loved the bairn, forgave the mother,
and by the help of an additional wheel, which, in contradistinction to
her own, was designated “muckle,” she, and her “broken-hearted,
deserted” daughter, contrived for years to earn such a subsistence as
their very moderate wants required. At last a severe fever cut off the
mother, and left a somewhat sickly child at about nine years of age,
under the sole protection of an aged and enfeebled grandmother. It
was at this stage of old Janet’s earthly travail that, in the character of
a schoolboy, I became acquainted with her and her daughter,—for
ever after the mother’s death, the child knew her grandmother by no
other name, and under no other relation.
Janet had a particular way—still the practice in Dumfriesshire—of
dressing or preparing her meal of potatoes. They were scraped, well-
dried, salted, beetled, buttered, milked, and ultimately rumbled into
the most beautiful and palatable consistency. In short, they became
that first, and—beyond the limits of the south country—least known
of all delicacies, “champit potatoes.” As I returned often hungry and
weary from school, Janet’s pot presented itself to me, hanging in the
reek, and at a considerable elevation above the fire, as the most
tempting of all objects. In fact, Janet, knowing that my hour of
return from school was full two hours later than hers of repast, took
this method of reserving for me a full heaped spoonful of the residue
of her and her Jessie’s meal. Never whilst I live, and live by food,
shall I forget the exquisite feelings of eager delight with which that
single overloaded spoonful of beat or “champit” potatoes was
devoured. There are pleasures of sentiment and imagination of
which I have occasionally partaken, and others connected with what
is called the heart and affections; all these are beautiful and
engrossing in their way and in their season, but to a hungry
schoolboy, who has devoured his dinner “piece” ere ten o’clock a.m.,
and is returning to his home at a quarter before five, the
presentiment, the sight, and, above all, the taste and reflection
connected with the swallowing of a spoonful—and such a spoonful!—
of Janet Smith’s potatoes, is, to say nothing flighty or extravagant,
not less seasonable than exquisite. As my tongue walked slowly and
cautiously round and round the lower and upper boundaries of the
delicious load, as if loath rapidly to diminish that bulk, which the
craving stomach would have wished to have been increased had it
been tenfold, my whole soul was wrapped in Elysium; it tumbled
about, and rioted in an excess of delight—a kind of feather-bed of
downy softness. Drinking is good enough in its season, particularly
when one is thirsty; but the pleasures attendant on the satisfying of
the appetite for me!—this is assuredly the great, the master
gratification.
But Janet did not only deal in potatoes; she had likewise a cheese,
and, on pressing occasions, a bottle of beer besides. The one stood in
a kind of corner press or cupboard, whilst the other occupied a still
less dignified position beneath old Janet’s bed. To say the truth of
Janet’s cheese, it was not much beholden to the maker. It might have
been advantageously cut into bullets or marbles, such was its
hardness and solidity; but then, in those days, my teeth were good;
and, with a keen stomach and a willing mind, much may be effected
even on a “three times skimmed sky-blue!” The beer—for which I
have often adventured into the terra incognita already mentioned,
even at the price of a prostrate person and a dusty jacket—was
excellent, brisk, frothy, and nippy;—my breath still goes when I think
of it. And then Janet wore such long strings of tape, blue and red,
white and yellow, all striped and variegated like a gardener’s garter! I
shall never be such a beau again, as when my stockings on Sabbath
were ornamented with a new pair of Janet’s well-known, much-
prized, and admired garters.
It was, however, after all, on Sabbath that Janet appeared to move
in her native element. It was on Sabbath that her face brightened,
and her step became accelerated—that her spectacles were carefully
wiped with the corner of a clean neck-napkin, and her Bible was
called into early and almost uninterrupted use. It was on Sabbath
that her devotions were poured forth—both in a family and private
capacity—with an earnestness and a fervency which I have never
seen surpassed in manse or mansion, in desk or pulpit. There is,
indeed, nothing in nature so beautiful and elevating as sincere and
heartfelt, heart-warming devotion. There is a poor, frail creature,
verging on three-score and ten years, with an attendant lassie, white-
faced, and every way “shilpy” in appearance. Around them are
nothing more elevating or exciting than a few old sticks of furniture,
sooty rafters, and a smoky atmosphere. Surely imbecility has here
clothed herself in the forbidding garb of dependence and squalid
poverty! The worm that crawls into light through the dried mole-hill,
all powdered over with the dust from which it is escaping, is a fit
emblem of such an object and such a condition. But over all this let
us pour the warm and glowing radiance of genuine devotion! The
roots of that consecrated ash can bear witness to those half-
articulated breathings, which connect the weakness of man with the
power of God,—the squalidness of poverty with the radiant richness
of divine grace. Do those two hearts, which under one covering now
breathe forth their evening sacrifice in hope and reliance—do they
feel, do they acknowledge any alliance with the world’s opinions, the
world’s artificial and cruel distinctions? If there be one object more
pleasing to God and to the holy ministers of His will than another, it
is this—age uniting with youth, and youth with age, in the giving
forth into audible, if not articulate expression, the fulness of the
devout heart!
Lord W——, whose splendid residence stands about fifteen miles
distant from Lasscairn, happened to be engaged in a hunting
expedition in the neighbourhood of this humble and solitary abode,
and having separated from his attendants and companions, he
bethought himself of resting for a little under a roof, however
humble, from which he saw smoke issuing. But when he put his
thumb to the latch it would not move; and after an effort or two, he
applied first his eye, and lastly his ear, to the keyhole, to ascertain the
presence of the inhabitants. The solemn voice of fervent prayer met
his ear, uttered by a person evidently not in a kneeling, but in an
erect position; he could, in short, distinctly gather the nature and
tendency of Janet’s address to her Maker.
She was manifestly engaged in asking a blessing on her daily meal,
and was proceeding to enumerate, with the voice of thanksgiving, the
many mercies with which, under God’s good providence, she and
hers had been visited. After an extensive enumeration, she came at
last to speak of that ample provision on which she was now
imploring a blessing. In this part of her address she dwelt with
peculiar cheerfulness, as well as earnestness of tone, on that
goodness which had provided so bountifully for her, whilst many
better deserving than she were worse circumstanced. The whole
tenor of her prayer tended to impress the listener with the belief that
Janet’s board, though spread in a humble hut, must be at least amply
supplied with the necessaries of life. But what was Lord W——’s
surprise, on entrance, to find that a round oaten bannock, toasting
before a brick at a peat fire, with a basin of whey,—the gift of a kind
neighbour,—composed that ample and bountiful provision for which
this humble, but contented and pious woman expressed so much
gratitude! Lord W—— was struck with the contrast between his own
condition and feelings and those of this humble pair; and, in settling
upon Janet and her inmate £6 a-year for life, he enabled her to
accommodate herself with a new plaid and black silk hood, in which
she appeared, with her granddaughter, every Sabbath, occupying her
well-known and acknowledged position on the lowest step of the
pulpit stair, and paying the same respect to the minister in passing as
if she had been entirely dependent on her own industry and the good
will of her neighbours as formerly.