Social Stories - Southern Early Childhood Association

Southern 

Early Childhood 

Association 

Dimensions 

Volume 33, Number 2 Spring/Summer 2005 

Inside this issue: 

• Family Diversity 

• Social Stories 

• Leveled Texts 

• Curriculum Is a Verb 

• Children’s Insights 

on Diversity 

of Early Childhood

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Dimensions of 


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SECA serves the interests of early childhood 

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early childhood, kindergarten, and primarygrade 

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Southern Early Childhood Association 

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e-mail: editor@southernearlychildhood.org 

Web: www.southernearlychildhood.org 

Dimensions 

of Early Childhood 

Volume 33, Number 2 Spring/Summer 2005 

—Refereed Articles— 

3 

Curriculum Is a Verb, Not a Noun 

Barbara Sorrels, Deborah Norris, and Linda Sheeran 

11 

Drawings on the Wall: Children’s Insights for Defining Diversity 

Diana Nabors and Cynthia G. Simpson 

18 

Enhancing Literacy With Leveled Texts: One School’s Experience 

Anita McLeod and Kathryn Parmer 

24 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Family Diversity 

Sabrina A. Brinson 

32 

Social Stories: Tools to Teach Positive Behaviors 

Sharon A. Lynch and Cynthia G. Simpson 

—Departments— 

2 

President’s Message 

Beverly Oglesby 

37 

Strategies to Support Children— 

Summer Carnival:“We did it ourselves!” 

Nancy P. Alexander 

39 

Book Reviews—Books for Early Childhood Educators 

E. Anne Eddowes, Editor 

Spring/Summer 2005 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 33, Number 2 1

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Beverly Oglesby 

President 

3138 Rhone Drive 

Jacksonville, FL 32208 

Terry Green 

President-Elect 

302 Clay Street 

Henderson, KY, 42420 

AFFILIATE REPRESENTATIVES 

Kathi Bush 

-Alabama- Jefferson State Community College 

2601 Carson Rd. 

Birmingham, AL 35215-3098 

Diana Courson 

-Arkansas- 

2 Woodlawn 

Magnolia, AR 71753 

Nancy Fraser Williams 

-Florida- 2430 NW 38th St. 

Gainesville, FL 32605 

Beth Parr 

Methodist Homes for Children 

-Georgia- 15 Jameswood Avenue 

Savannah, GA 31406 

Kathy Attaway 

-Kentucky- 401 Persimmon Ridge Drive 

Louisville, KY 40245 

Susan Noel 

-Louisiana- 211 Maureen Drive 

Youngsville, LA 70592 

Capucine Robinson 

-Mississippi- Jackson Public School District 

662 S President St. 

Jackson, MS 39201 

Georgia Lamirand 

-Oklahoma- 2013 Rocky Point Drive 

Edmond, OK 73003 

Judy Whitesell 

-South Carolina- 309 Moss Creek Dr. 

Cayce, SC 29033 

Nancy James 

-Tennessee- 7520 Cainsville Rd. 

Lebanon, TN 37090 

Judy Carnahan-Webb 

-Texas- 

11927 Waldeman 

Houston, TX 77077 

Steven Fairchild 

-Virginia- James Madison University 

MSC 1904 

Harrisonburg, VA 22807 

Nancy Cheshire 

-West Virginia- 270 W. Philadelphia 

Bridgeport, WV 26330 

Sandra Hutson 

1010 St. Peter St. 

New Iberia, LA 70560 

MEMBERS AT LARGE 

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 

Janie Humphries 

Louisiana Tech University 

Gloria Foreman McGee 

Tennessee Technological 

University 

Ollie Davis 

Houston Independent 

School District 

STAFF 

Glenda Bean 

Executive Director 

Lourdes Milan 

19019 Portofino Drive 

Tampa, FL 33647-3088 

Stephen Graves 

University of South Florida 

Peggy Jessee 

University of Alabama 

Nancy Mundorf 

Florida 

PRESIDENT’S 

MESSAGE 

As I take pen in hand to compose this President’s 

Message, I think about two things: the completion 

of a school year and the 56th annual conference of the Beverly Oglesby 

Southern Early Childhood Association. 

The school year has ended and teachers often say to ourselves, 

“Where did the year go?” We look back at how it started and how we 

faced the challenges and enjoyed the rewards. We think about whether 

or not we achieved all of the learning standards and we know that children 

learned and enjoyed that learning. The students passed that test 

that we were required to give even though we knew it wasn’t best practice. 

We faced the challenge of working with parents who wanted us to 

focus only on their child and helped them to learn that their child was 

one in a community of learners. 

We think about the little stars that came to us at the very beginning. 

Some were very shiny and others needed a little more polishing. Daily, 

we watched as they grew and as we helped polish. Helping children to 

grow and meet their potential is the biggest reward in working in the 

early childhood field. 

SECA celebrated early childhood professionals at the 56th annual 

conference held in Dallas, Texas, in March. Our theme was “Hitch Your 

Wagon to a Star” and SECA became that “star” for many who attended. 

Your SECA Board of Directors hosted this conference under the 

leadership of our awesome Executive Director, Glenda Bean. 

Although I was not able to attend due to a family crisis, Nancy 

Cheshire, SECA Vice-President, and Terry Green, President-Elect, 

made sure that the conference ran smoothly. The feedback I’ve received 

is that the conference was very professionally done, from the pre-conference 

sessions to the keynote speakers to the interest sessions. I would 

like to thank the SECA Board of Directors for taking on the extra challenge 

in my absence and making this conference a wonderful experience 

for everyone involved. 

This year, SECA financially supported its state affiliates in bringing 

their Presidents and another leader to the first SECA Leadership Summit. 

The Summit was designed to give the Board of Directors insight and 

input from the state affiliates. I want to thank all of the state leaders who 

attended and for your input on how to take SECA forward into the 

future. It takes both new and experienced leaders to guide an organization 

and we want to say a special “thank you” to the Fossils for sharing their 

wisdom and knowledge to help us keep our focus on SECA’s mission. 

SECA is truly a “Voice for Southern Children” and we have a bright 

future ahead! 

2 Volume 33, Number 2 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Spring/Summer 2005

Is curriculum something to be bought and taught? Or a dynamic process that is 

constantly changing? This article invites teachers to take a look at assumptions 

about children, teachers’ roles, and the continuous process of curriculuming. 

Curriculum Is a Verb, Not a Noun 

Barbara Sorrels, Deborah Norris, and Linda Sheeran 

The word curriculum brings to mind different definitions 

for teachers, administrators, and families. For 

many educators, the word evokes images of glossy packaged 

materials with “fool-proof” teachers’ guides. Thick, 

spiral-bound manuals provide detailed scripts and stepby-step 

instructions for the entire school day. The content 

is artificially compartmentalized into disconnected 

subject areas, each with its own script and prescribed 

activities. It is typically a “one size fits all” approach 

(Ohanian, 1999). All children are expected to learn the 

same content, perform the same tasks, and achieve the 

same results. 

This view of curriculum is based on 

traditional behaviorist theory that 

learning is a transactional process. Children 

are seen as empty vessels into 

which the all-knowing teacher pours 

knowledge and information outlined in 

a textbook. The content of this type of 

curriculum is to be “covered” and “taught” (Anderson, 

2000). The teacher’s primary role is to “deliver” curriculum 

rather than to create curriculum (Meyer, 2002). 

According to this view, curriculum is a product that 

can be bought and sold. Packaged curriculums are often 

marketed by publishers who are quick to embrace the 

most recent news of doom and gloom about the poor 

job that schools are doing as reflected in standardized 

test scores. They make grandiose promises to teachers 

and school district personnel that their particular product 

is the panacea for their educational ailments. In 

order to appeal to the broadest possible market, and to 

make the biggest profit, breadth rather than depth is the 

primary concern. 

Early childhood faculty and staff at Oklahoma State 

University (and many other high-quality universities and 

schools) believe that such a simplistic approach to curriculum 

undermines professional wisdom and teacher 

Curriculuming 

begins with 

careful observation 

of children. 

knowledge. In addition, it fails to effectively meet the 

needs of individual children. 

Informed by constructivist theory and the Reggio 

approach (Hendrick, 1997), most early childhood educators 

have come to view curriculum as a complex, 

dynamic process. This process is seen as constantly 

evolving and changing as teachers, children, the environment, 

and the community inform and interact with 

each other. Children’s learning is not something that can 

be bought and sold. Rather, children primarily learn 

through actions that take place over time. Curriculum is 

a verb, not a noun. 

The act of “curriculuming” is much 

like conducting a symphony. Just as the 

symphony conductor must balance the 

sounds of many different instruments to 

form beautiful, harmonious music, so 

too must teachers maintain a delicate 

balance between their own professional 

wisdom; the characteristics, interests, and needs of children; 

local, state, and national standards; and family 

and community resources and expectations. 

A symphony has many layers of textures and instrumentation. 

The curriculuming process is also multi-lay- 

Barbara Sorrels, Ed.D., is Assistant Professor of Early 

Childhood Education, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. 

Deborah Norris, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Early 

Childhood Education, Oklahoma State University-Stillwater. 

Linda Sheeran, Ed.D., is Visiting Professor of Early Childhood 

Education, Oklahoma State University-Stillwater. 

All three authors are instructors of the undergraduate 

integrated curriculum course. Each one has more than 

20 years of teaching and administrative experience with 

young children. 


ered, with thematic units, individual 

and group projects, skill-driven 

activities, and incidental learning 

opportunities working in harmony 

with one another. 

Recurring motifs and themes wax 

and wane throughout a musical production. 

In a similar way, different 

emphases wax and wane throughout 

the curriculuming process in 

response to the needs and interests 

of children, community events, and 

available resources. Effective teachers 

become adept at balancing these 

many facets to create curricula that 

meet the needs of children both 

individually and collectively, satisfy 

community and family expectations, 

and meet state requirements 

for accountability. 

Effective “curriculuming” is a 

challenging task built upon several 

assumptions about children, the role 

of the teacher, and the process itself. 

Assumptions About 

Children 

Children Are Curious 

Curriculuming is born out of 

curiosity. Young children are by 

nature very curious about the world 

and how it works (Perry, 2004). 

Curiosity drives children to ask 

questions, to wonder, and to explore 

the environment. Curriculuming 

begins with careful observation of 

children in order to discern those 

things that spark their curiosity and 

evoke questions. Curiosity, not 

teachers’ guides, leads teachers to 

choose those things that genuinely 

engage children’s interests and 

inform curriculum content. 

Recognition of the curious nature 

of children implies that children do 

not have to be coerced to learn—they 

are enthusiastic learners by nature. 

Curiosity is not something that must 

be stirred up in children—but something 

that teachers must be careful 

not to snuff out or extinguish 

through didactic, authoritarian, textand 

test-driven instruction and 

teaching (Anderson, 2000). 

The goal for many early childhood 

educators today is to avoid 

squeezing the curiosity out of children. 

Education has traditionally 

begun with content. Students are 

presented with definitions, facts, 

and dates to memorize with the goal 

of producing right answers. However, 

well-informed educators now 

advocate an approach to curriculuming 

that centers on encouraging 

children to ask the right questions 

rather than get the right answers. 

Starting with the questions that 

children think and wonder about 

keeps their curiosity (and their 

teachers’ curiosity) alive. 


Teachers maintain a delicate balance between their own professional wisdom; the 

characteristics, interests, and needs of children; local, state, and national standards; 

and family and community resources and expectations. 

Children Are Theory Builders 

As children act upon and interact 

with people and objects in their 

environment, they are constantly 

building and refining theories about 

the world and how it works 

(Chaille, 2003). Their quest to 

make sense and meaning of their 

world is evidenced by their drive to 

form connections, establish relationships, 

and recognize patterns. 

A contemporary approach to 

curriculuming respects the role of 

children as serious theory builders. 

Children are provided with 

authentic experiences that are rich 

in content. They encounter many 

opportunities for critical thinking 

and inquiry. 

Traditional approaches to early 

childhood curriculum often focus 

on activities that are cute and 

charming, but offer little in the way 


of substance and meaning. For 

example, thematic units focusing 

on bears is a popular topic in many 

early childhood classrooms. Pictures 

of bears dressed in cute clothing 

adorn the walls. Favorite teddy 

bears are brought from home to 

participate in a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic.” 

Bear-shaped cookies are served 

for snack. 

Although these opportunities are 

often amusing, they provide very little 

in the way of meaningful content 

and opportunities for intellectual 

engagement. Cutesy activities insult 

children’s intelligence. They often 

undermine children’s theory-building 

process by providing inaccurate 

and misleading information (Sussna, 

2000). When do children see 

bears dressed in human clothing? 

Instead, investigating the habitats of 

bears around the world, their sleeping 

habits, diets, and playful behaviors 

are content-rich topics that 

enhance children’s knowledge and 

understanding of the world. 

Children are 

enthusiastic 

learners by nature. 

Children Are Driven to Connect 

With Others 

A well-informed curriculuming 

process recognizes the highly social 

nature of children and their desire 

and drive to connect with others. 

Interpersonal relationships not only 

meet important social and emotional 

needs of young children but also 

make an important contribution to 

their learning. 

Cooperation, rather than competition, 

is fostered and encouraged in 

high-quality programs. As children 

are confronted with differing perspectives 

and ways of solving problems, 

they must naturally negotiate 

and renegotiate their own theories 

and understandings about the world. 

Curriculuming, therefore, provides 

a balance between large- and 

small-group activities as well as individual 

learning experiences to meet 

each child’s needs. Throughout the 

day children are given the opportunity 

to interact with peers and 

adults in a variety of settings as well 

as have spaces and opportunities for 

solitude and reflection. 

Children Are Active Physically as 

Well as Mentally 

The fact that children are physically 

active is obvious even to an 

untrained observer. The curriculuming 

process recognizes that more 

than children’s minds come to 

school, so it seeks to provide opportunities 

and experiences that enable 

children to touch, feel, taste, run, 

jump, sing, dance, draw, and paint 

their way into learning. 

Authentic learning does not happen 

while children are quietly sitting 

at desks with pencils in hand, but 

takes place as children move about, 

acting upon their environment. 

Authentic learning is sometimes a 

noisy and messy process. 

Children’s Emotional Natures 

Affect Curriculuming 

Young children are highly emotional 

beings. Intense moments of 

joy, anger, sadness, frustration, and 

satisfaction ebb and flow throughout 

the day. Curriculuming 

acknowledges the impact that emotions 

have on the learning process 

and seeks to create an environment 

that is responsive and supportive of 

children’s feelings. 

Fear is one of the most detrimental 

emotions to learning. Brain research 

has shown that perceived threat, 

either physical or emotional, causes 

the brain’s energy to become concentrated 

in the brainstem, shutting 

down a child’s ability to engage in 

higher-order thinking (Bruer, 1999). 

Early childhood educators therefore 

advocate an approach to curriculuming 

that takes place in the 

context of an emotionally safe environment 

that is free of threat and 

fear. This requires that teachers be 

attuned to children’s emotional 

states. Adults constantly monitor 

children’s intensity of activity, the 

level of fear and frustration, and the 

degree of pleasure and excitement. 

Careful listening and observation 

of children’s emotions inform 

the curriculuming process about 

the kinds of experiences and opportunities 

that motivate and engage 

children’s minds, and those that 

frustrate and discourage them. 

Becoming attuned to a group’s 

emotional states can be a challenging 

task for any teacher. Children’s 

faces are usually accurate barometers 

of their emotional states. 

Teachers must become adept at 

reading this non-verbal, but very 

powerful, form of communication. 

Cutesy activities 

insult children’s 

intelligence. 

Roles of Teachers 

Teachers Facilitate Learning 

The teacher, not any textbook or 

collection of worksheets, is the agent 

of the curriculuming process. Cur- 


iculuming challenges and changes 

traditional teacher roles. The traditional 

approach to education views 

learning as a transactional process, 

much like depositing money in a 

bank account. The (non-existent) 

all-knowing teacher deposits knowledge 

into the minds of children as 

an even exchange. 

Anderson (2000) refers to this 

view as the “mug and jug” approach 

to education. The teacher pours 

from the jug of knowledge into children’s 

empty minds, represented by 

the mug. Teaching as the simple act 

of imparting of knowledge might 

seem to make sense in an unchanging 

world and this has been an 

unquestioned role for centuries. 

However, if there is one truth 

today, it is that the world is constantly 

changing (Rogers & 

Freiberg, 1994). The teacher’s role 

as depositor of knowledge must be 

abandoned, so that professionals can 

become facilitators of learning. 

Teachers’ roles switch from content 

transmitters to process managers. 

“Getting rewards from controlling 

students is replaced by getting 

rewards from releasing students” 

(Musinski, 1999, p. 25). 

The primary responsibility of 

teacher as facilitator is to create an 

emotionally and physically safe 

environment that ignites children’s 

curiosity and engages their interests. 

A facilitator has no preconceived 

agenda and is less likely to 

take ownership of a project away 

from children who are in the cycle 

of learning. 

Teachers effectively manage time, 

space, materials, and relationships as 

they prepare this type of learning 

environment. Routines and transitions 

are carefully orchestrated so 

that the bulk of children’s time is 

Subjects & Predicates 

Curriculuming begins with careful observation of children in order to discern those 

things that spark their curiosity and evoke questions. Curiosity, not teachers’ guides, 

leads teachers to choose those things that genuinely engage children’s interests and 

inform curriculum content. 

spent in meaningful learning activities. 

Teachers also balance time spent 

in large and small groups, indoor 

and outdoor play, and in structured 

and unstructured activities. 

Another consideration is length 

of time for children’s learning 

experiences. Creativity and complex 

engagement require unhurried 

time for maximum involvement. 


Authentic learning is 

sometimes a noisy 

and messy process. 

The facilitator must carefully monitor 

the level of engagement to discern 

when it is time to change 

activities and when it is time to 

allow children to continue to pursue 

their activity. 

When managing space, attention 

must be given to safety, access, 

and efficiency (Bredekamp & 

Rosegrant, 1992). Physical space 

communicates messages that affect 

children’s behavior. Wide-open 

areas and long hallways beckon 

children to run and play. Space is 

therefore arranged to accommodate 

large groups, small groups, 

and individual activities. 

Quiet, cozy places are provided 

for those moments when children 

need to pull away from the noise 

and activity of the classroom to find 

a place of solitude. Traffic patterns 

are carefully planned to minimize 

congestion and reduce the likelihood 

of injury. If the classroom has 

children with special mobility 

needs, space is arranged so that children 

with wheelchairs, walkers, and 

crutches can safely maneuver their 

way around. 

Effective facilitators of learning 

manage materials to provoke wonder, 

curiosity, and intellectual 

engagement (Curtis & Carter, 

2003). Open-ended materials with a 

variety of textures, colors, and functions 

are beacons to create, invent, 

and experiment. 

Wise facilitators carefully monitor 

children’s use of materials to discern 

when they have maximized 

their engagement and other materials 

need to be added or changed. 

Materials are also organized to promote 

children’s independence. 

When children follow procedures 

for the use and care of materials, 

teachers are free to spend the bulk 

of their energy and time focusing on 

the curriculuming process. 

Learning takes place in the context 

of relationships and, as a result, 

teachers are often called upon to 

facilitate conflict resolution and 

problem solving among the children. 

The relational aspect of the 

classroom is as much a part of the 

curriculuming process as the content 

that is learned. Facilitating 

interpersonal relationships requires 

a great deal of patience and insight. 

The wise teacher knows when to 

intervene and when to let children 

work things out on their own. 

Teachers Are Provocateurs 

During the process of curriculuming, 

effective teachers seek to challenge 

children to think in new and 

different ways. This often begins by 

stimulating children to think about 

what they already know. Teachers 

build upon prior knowledge to lead 

children into more complex and creative 

ways of thinking. Asking 

provocative questions challenge 

children’s current ways of thinking 

and cause them to think more 

deeply or differently about a given 

topic. Effective provocateurs are 

masters at asking divergent questions—those 

that have no right or 

wrong answers and require children 

to answer with more than a yes or 

no answer. 

The Oklahoma State model of 

curriculuming envisions that teachers 

spend much of their time supporting 

children’s investigations. As children 

act upon and interact with the world 

around them, questions are generated 

about how the world works. 

Wise teachers avoid giving pat 

answers and skillfully respond with 

further questions that guide children 

to think in new ways. Sometimes, 

the teacher introduces situations 

that create “cognitive dissonance,” 

in which incomplete ideas 

about the world and how it works 

are challenged by new information 

and experiences. Together, they 

solve problems and dilemmas that 

are encountered. 

For example, one afternoon 

Arturo was at the easel painting fall 

leaves. He painted a large yellow leaf 

on his paper and then proceeded to 

paint a red leaf above the first. Streaks 

of red paint ran down the paper and 

through the yellow leaf below. 

A look of shock appeared on 

Arturo’s face as he watched orange 

streaks appear on his yellow leaf. He 

quickly dabbed at the orange with 

his red paintbrush, trying to make 

the orange disappear. As he mixed 

more red paint with the yellow, he 

created even more orange. He was 

experiencing cognitive dissonance 

because the paint was not conforming 

to his mental construct about 

how paint works. 

The wise teacher 

knows when to let 

children work things 

out on their own. 

Teachers Are Diagnosticians 

Because curriculuming is viewed 

as a dynamic process that grows out 



Careful listening and observation of children’s emotions inform the curriculuming process about the kinds of experiences and 

opportunities that motivate and engage children’s minds, and those that frustrate and discourage them. 

of the nature and needs of children, 

early childhood teachers 

must be diagnosticians who constantly 

assess strengths and weaknesses, 

staying close to and documenting 

students’ learning in 

order to inform the design of new 

learning experiences to come 

(Turner & Krechevsky, 2003). No 

textbook publisher or curriculum 

guide will ever know the strengths, 

weaknesses, and interests of young 

children as well as their teachers 

(Lederhouse, 2003). 

When teachers observe a lack of 

engagement or learning, the diagnosing 

begins with an inward 

look—“What am I doing that may 

be contributing to the situation?” 

Perhaps unrealistic expectations are 

the issue, or perhaps the adults have 

failed to develop authentic relationships 

with one or more children. 

After honest self-examinations, 

teachers begin to ask some hard 

questions about pedagogy: “Is the 

content appropriate for this particular 

child/group?” “Is there something 

in the environment that needs 

to be changed?” “Are the methods 

and strategies developmentally and 

culturally appropriate?” Perhaps a 

child lacks the background knowledge 

necessary to grasp new concepts 

and skills. Perhaps cultural 

issues affect a child’s learning. 

After introspective questions have 

been answered fully and honestly, 

attention can be turned to each 

child to determine if there are physical, 

emotional, or cognitive challenges 

that interfere with learning. 

Careful observation of each child is 

necessary to document any aspects 

of development that may be atypical. 

At this point it is often appropriate 

to enlist the aid of others with 

specific professional expertise. 


Teachers Are Reflective 

Practitioners 

The curriculuming process also 

hinges on every teacher’s ability and 

willingness to consistently reflect 

upon his/her own practice and the 

learning processes of the children 

(van Manen, 1995). 

Reflective practitioners have a conscious 

awareness of the underlying 

belief system that provides the foundation 

for their practice. Many times 

innovations are not put into practice 

because they conflict with deeply held 

internal images of how the world 

works, images that limit teachers to 

familiar ways of thinking and acting 

(Senge & Lannon-Kim, 1991). 

Reflective teachers strive to bring 

those internal images into conscious 

awareness so they can be openly examined. 

As the curriculuming process 

unfolds, reflective teachers continually 

ask two questions, “Why am I doing 

what I am doing? Is my practice congruent 

with my beliefs?” When inconsistencies 

between belief and practice 

are realized, adjustments must be 

made to bring them into alignment. 

Not only do implicit and explicit 

belief systems impact the curriculuming 

process, but personal emotions 

and values do so as well. For 

example, a teacher may have had 

very negative experiences with science. 

As a result, the curriculuming 

process is approached with an aversion 

to or fear of bringing science 

experiences into the classroom. 

On the other hand, a teacher 

may be determined that children in 

his or her care will have a very different 

experience and therefore 

strive to make science experiences 

the primary focus. Professionals at 

all levels examine the “baggage” they 

bring to the process and consciously 

choose the best course to follow. 

Teachers Are Learners 

The curriculuming process 

requires that teachers are also learners. 

Not only do teachers learn from 

children and from their questions 

and explorations, they learn from 

children’s families as well. To do so 

requires a great deal of humility. Parents 

are a source of valuable insights 

into individual children that inform 

the curriculuming process. 

Parents are seen as partners in the 

learning process, not just spectators. 

In a diverse society, teachers can no 

longer assume that children share 

the same culture, experiences, and 

values. Today, teachers take the time 

to understand the goals and values 

that parents hold for their children. 

They learn about the culture that 

has informed children’s views of the 

world and of school. Such information 

informs the content of the curriculuming 

process. 

Teachers are also learners. 

Assumptions About the 

Curriculuming Process 

Curriculum Is a Recursive, 

Spiraling Process 

Curriculuming is never fixed, linear, 

and unchanging. It is constantly 

emerging out of children’s needs and 

interests, embracing new ideas and 

directions, and letting go of those 

things that are no longer useful. It 

cannot be duplicated year after year, 

it is not something that can be put 

on a shelf and stored, but is created 

in response to the particular dynamics 

of a specific group of children. It 

is a process that is constantly inventing 

and reinventing itself. 

Ask divergent questions. 

Curriculum Relies on Assessment 

Teachers who curriculum begin 

by assessing children’s strengths and 

weaknesses, their prior knowledge 

and experiences, their needs and 

interests, and their ethnic and cultural 

backgrounds. Formal and 

informal assessment help answer 

the question, “Where do we go 

from here?” 

Oklahoma State’s curriculuming 

model is built on the assumption that 

teachers who are trained in child 

development and developmentally 

appropriate practice are crucial to the 

assessment process. Teacher assessment 

of authentic symbolic representations 

of learning and teacher observations 

drive curriculuming as well as 

the learning process. 

Curriculuming continues with 

assessment as teachers identify gaps 

in children’s knowledge, development, 

and understanding, and 

determine whether or not local, 

state, and national standards have 

been met. And the curriculuming 

process continues. 

Curriculuming Presumes 

an Underlying Confidence 

in Children 

A foundational principle of the 

curriculuming process is the belief 

that children tell astute observers 

what they need to learn. They speak 

to teachers through the gleams in 

their eyes as they strive and successfully 

complete a task. They speak 

through the slump of their shoulders 

as they struggle to master concepts 

for which they have no prior 

knowledge. And they speak with 

their voices as they proudly proclaim, 

“Teacher, look what I found!” 


References 

Anderson, R. (2000). Rediscovering lost 

chords. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(5): 

402-405. 

Bredekamp, S., & Rosegrant, L. (1992). 

Reaching potentials: Appropriate 

curriculum and assessment for young 

children (Vol. 1). Washington, DC: 

National Association for the Education 

of Young Children. 

Bruer, J.T. (1999). The myth of the first 

three years: A new understanding of early 

brain development and lifelong learning. 

New York: Free Press. 

Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2003). Designs 

for living and learning: Transforming 

early childhood environments. St. Paul, 

MN: Redleaf. 

Chaille, C. (2003). The young child as scientist: 

A constructivist approach to early 

childhood science education (3rd ed.). 

New York: Allyn & Bacon. 

Hendrick, J. (1997). First steps toward 

teaching the Reggio way. New York: 

Merrill. 

Lederhouse J.N. (2003). The power of one 

on one. Educational Leadership, 60, 

69-71. 

Meyer, R. (2002). Captives of the script: 

Killing us softly with phonics. 

Language Arts, 79(6): 452-462. 

Musinski, B. (1999). The educator as 

facilitator: A new kind of leadership. 

Nursing Forum, 34, 23-29. 

Ohanian, S. (1999). One size fits few. 

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Perry, B. (2004). Curiosity, the fuel of 

development. Retrieved on January 28, 

2003, from www.scholastic.com. 

Rogers, C., & Freiberg, H. (1994). 

Freedom to learn. New York: Macmillan. 

Senge, P., & Lannon-Kim, C. (1991). 

Recapturing the spirit of learning 

through a systems approach. 

The School Administrator, 48, 8-13. 

Sussna, A. (2000). A quest to ban cute— 

and make learning truly challenging. 

Dimensions, 28(2): 3-7. 

Turner, T., & Krechevsky, M. (2003). 

Who are the teachers? Who are the 

learners? Educational Leadership, 60, 

40-49. 

van Manen, M. (1995). On the epistemology 

of reflective practice. Teachers 

and teaching; theory and practice, vol. 1. 

London: Oxford Ltd. 

Menu for Successful Parent & Family Involvement 

written by Paul J. Wirtz and Bev Schumacher 

Getting parents involved in an early childhood program takes creativity, great 

ideas, and strategies that make it easy for parents to become involved. 

This SECA publication explores successful experiences in working with 

the families and helps you develop a “menu“ of activities and strategies 

that will promote parental involvement. The book includes ideas for all 

early childhood programs, including group settings and family homes. 

ISBN #0-942388-28-3 

$5.50 SECA Members 

$6.50 Non-members 

Plus S&H 

Call 1-800-305-7322 

to order today. 

Become a Volunteer Reviewer! 

Dimensions of Early Childhood is a refereed journal. Three experts review each manuscript we publish. If you 

have an advanced degree and expertise in one or more areas of early childhood education, please contact SECA 

about serving as a volunteer reviewer. 

We will send you a reviewer form and details. Our goal is to send no more than two journal manuscripts to 

each person a year. All reviews are conducted anonymously and through e-mail. 

Contact SECA today about this valuable, convenient way that you can serve your professional association 

and journal: 

editor@southernearlychildhood.org 


Sow SEEDs for success! Examine the Structure of the family, Ethnic and 

cultural backgrounds, Economic status, and Differing abilities of children 

(SEEDs) to better understand and meet their individual needs. 

Drawings on the Wall: 

Children’s Insights for Defining Diversity 

Diana Nabors and Cynthia G. Simpson 

Tomorrow night is Parents’ Night. Ms. Vandroel envisions 

that her classroom walls will be filled with children’s art. She 

asks children to draw pictures of their families on large 

sheets of manila paper. 

Twenty 5-year-olds diligently begin drawing. As Ms. Vandroel 

walks around the room, several children stop her to 

show the beginnings of their creations. Suddenly, a loud discussion 

erupts at one table. Sarah is digging in the crayon 

basket. “Peach, peach, I can’t find the peach!” 

“What do you need a peach for?” Jose asks. 

Sara responds, “I need to color in my face. My mom bought 

me crayons at home. I use the peach to color me.” 

Jose comments, “You need to use white, cuz you’re white 

and I’m gunna use brown, cuz I’m brown. See?” 

Today’s diverse early childhood classrooms, such as 

the one depicted here, have led to new approaches to 

teaching. Classrooms are filled with children with not 

only ethnic diversity, but also variations in family structure, 

religious preferences, and economic status (Olsen 

& Fuller, 2003). In addition, with the reauthorization of 

the Individuals With Disabilities Act (1997), children 

with challenging academic and behavioral concerns are 

included in classrooms. 

Diversity is a far more complex concept than physical 

differences such as skin color. Children enter early childhood 

classrooms with many experiences that they have 

gained not only from their near environment and their 

immediate families, but also from the surrounding environment 

and extended families (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). 

As a result of these changes, teachers are facing their own 

cultural barriers as they strive to accommodate the academic 

and social needs of all children they teach. By examining the 

Structure of the family, Ethnic and cultural backgrounds, 

Economic status, and Differing abilities of students 

(SEEDs), teachers are better able to understand and meet the 

individual needs of young children. 

Each person defines family. 

Structure of the Family 

As a first step in examining the idea of family structure, 

it is helpful to explore one’s personal definitions of 

family. Some questions to ask oneself might include: 

“Who do I consider to be members of a family?” and 

“What functions does a family fulfill?” Teachers’ perceptions 

of family may coincide with or expand upon the 

definition of family used by the U.S. Bureau of the Census 

(2004b): A family is a group of two people or more 

(one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, 

or adoption and residing together; all such people 

(including related subfamily members) are considered as 

members of one family. 

Children may watch television and read books that 

define family as a two-parent, two- or three-child household 

where the father works outside the home and the 

Diana Nabors, E.D., is Assistant Professor of Early 

Childhood Education, Department of Language, Literacy 

and Special Populations, Sam Houston State University, 

Huntsville, Texas. She is faculty advisor for the Sam 

Houston Association for the Education of Young Children 

and teaches several courses in the area of family involvement 

and collaboration. 

Cynthia G. Simpson, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of 

Special Education, Department of Language, Literacy 

and Special Populations, Sam Houston State University, 

Huntsville, Texas. She is the Treasurer and Vice-President 

of Public Policy-Elect for the Texas Association for the 

Education of Young Children. Simpson has presented 

and written several articles. 



Children are strongly influenced by how they perceive their families’ lifestyles and structures. 

mother works within the home 

(Fuller, 1992). This view of a family 

is embedded in the minds of many 

people in the United States as the 

“perfect” family. However, it is not 

the type of family that most children 

will draw in Ms. Vandroel’s classroom 

or similar classrooms across the 

country. In reality, less than 4% of 

families live in this type of traditional 

family (Proctor & Dalaker, 2003). 

As Ms. Vandroel viewed the 

portraits of her children’s families 

and remembered the conversations 

that took place in her classroom 

while the drawings were being 

made, her preconceived ideas of 

the outcomes of their creativity 

were challenged. She realized that 

who and what the children included 

or excluded in their pictures 

were strongly influenced by how 

they perceived their families’ 

lifestyles and structures. 

When children were asked to 

depict their families, the freedom 

to draw led children to discuss 

and create their own definition 

of their families. A conversation 

between Jaylyn and 

Bethany revealed one example: 

“Well, I’m using brown on my 

dog,” insists Jaylyn. 

“You can’t draw a dog. You’re supposed 

to be drawing your family. 

Dogs are not family,” interjects 

Bethany. 

“My dog lives with me and my 

papa. He sleeps with me. Mo is 

TOO my family,” insists Jaylyn. 

Jaylyn did include his dog, Mo. 

Mo has been in his family for as long 

as Jaylyn can remember. At times, 

Mo has been Jaylyn’s best friend. 

Someone else might insist that 

Bethany not include her Aunt Beth 

in her family portrait, because she 

lives a few blocks away. What about 

Andy’s Aunt Eliza that he sees every 

year at Christmas? Then, there is 

Tyler; he lives with his grandma 

while his mother is in prison. This is 

the reality in Ms. Vandroel’s classroom, 

which is filled with children 

living in a variety of family structures 

that may be very different from 

the traditional definition of family. 

Each person defines family. 

Adults may include dear friends 

with whom they have close ties, 

even though these people lack connection 

to each other via the legal 

ties of marriage or adoption. Teachers 

may regard students as their class 

family. Distinct emotional bonds of 

love and support often bring nonrelatives 

into a near circle of family. 

Could it be time to revise the traditional 

definition of family? 

The sociological definition of a 

family is people who love and support 

another throughout the stresses 

and joys of life (Olsen & Fuller, 

2003). This definition doesn’t necessarily 

look at individuals in a family, 

but instead views the emotional 

bonds shared among people. These 

bonds may change in strength over 

time and with unique experiences. 

The need to consider the sociological 

definition of family is clear to 

all who toured the gallery of portraits 

in Ms. Vandroel’s classroom. 

Family portraits created by any 

group of children are likely to display 

children in two-parent households, 

children in single-parent 

households, children in multigenerational 

families including grandpar- 


ents and aunts, and children living 

with parents who have same-gender 

partners. However, one similarity 

exists in all of these images—each 

child is loved and cared for by at 

least one adult who has a reciprocal 

attachment with the child. 

often shared with extended families 

and friends. Each person borrows 

and adapts new experiences 

to add to their own, as they see fit. 

Understanding and accepting the 

uniqueness of each family can lead 

teachers to value and build on children’s 

differences and strengths 

(Stauss, 1995). The unique experiences 

and traditions of children 

and their families are what make 

them each special. 

Ethnic and Cultural 

Differences 

As each child’s portrait is further 

examined, an observant classroom 

visitor is likely to notice that there 

are also differences in family values, 

customs, religions, and beliefs. In the 

1700s the United States was thought 

of as a great melting pot of the world. 

People came from many distant 

lands to form a new country with the 

people who were already living on 

the continent, although not without 

much strife and controversy. 

Everywhere in the world that 

children enter classrooms, they 

bring with them the foundations 

laid by families who practice their 

own beliefs, views, and traditions. 

For instance, Maggie’s family portrait 

was delicately laced with vines 

creating a border around the drawing. 

They come to a close with a 

small, gold cross neatly centered 

above the picture. Maggie stated 

that the vines are the plant that her 

grandmother sent her last year. She 

waters it each day and thinks about 

Grandma who lives far away. The 

cross of gold is the cross that she will 

soon receive. Maggie says that when 

she gets “bigger” she will get her 

cross necklace on the day of her First 

Communion, just like her sister. She 

then goes on to explain how Grandma 

will get to visit for a whole week 

for her First Communion. 

As families live and communicate 

with each other, their customs, 

stories, and celebrations are 


As families live and communicate with each other, their customs, stories, and 

celebrations are often shared with extended families and friends. Each person borrows 

and adapts new experiences to add to their own, as they see fit. 


Joey’s mom rides in cycling races. 

She raced before Joey was born 

and continues to ride. Joey has 

had the opportunity to travel with 

her to races around the country. 

This year, his mom is racing in 

France. Joey is staying at home 

with his dad. 

Ms. Vandroel, the class, and Joey 

look forward to the e-mails and 

pictures that Joey’s mom will send 

during her stay in France. The 

class has the opportunity to support 

Joey through any stresses or 

sadness of his Mom being gone as 

well as sharing the excitement of 

the race. 

Ms. Vandroel plans ways to highlight 

the special occasions in each 

child’s life. She wants children to 

have opportunities to share their 

experiences of visiting family members, 

traditions, and family activities. 

The more she learns and understands 

about each child, the more 

she will be able to assist children in 

their learning and growing process. 

Economic differences 

may affect children’s 

self-esteem and 

social acceptance. 

Economic Diversity 

Children’s clothing, their behavior, 

and their life experiences are 

often linked to their family’s 

income. Income has a major impact 

on families, their values, and the 

experiences that they have. The 

poverty rate and number of families 

in the United States living in poverty 

increased from 9.6% and 7.2 

million in 2002 to 10% and 7.6 

million in 2003 (U.S. Bureau of the 

Census, 2004a). 

Single females head many of 

these families. Those who have a 

limited education struggle to maintain 

a job and provide good-quality 

care for their children. Individual 

states assist with providing job training, 

education, child care, and transportation 

to help families. But this 

assistance is only temporary. The 

family must leave the rolls within 5 

years and remain economically independent. 

Parents struggle as they 

seek jobs, knowing that many entrylevel 

jobs have been eliminated. 

After they find a job, they are also 

hit with the fact that waiting lists 

exist for child care vouchers to assist 

them. Jane O’Leary of the Maryland 

Alliance for the Poor said it best, 

“Families on welfare are particularly 

fragile. They have tenuous housing 

and day-care arrangements. They 

have no assets to sell.... A sore throat 

or a flat tire or a snowstorm can be 

devastating” (Otto, 2003). 

Single parents face a multitude 

of stresses in their lives that can 

affect young children. Ms. Vandroel’s 

class, like so many across the 

United States, includes children 

from a variety of economic levels 

who work and learn together. Differences 

in economic status may 

affect children’s self-esteem and 

social acceptance. Economic differences 

may be demonstrated in children’s 

differing knowledge and 

problem-solving experiences. It is 

all too common to find a child 

whose family lives in a vehicle. 

Unfortunately, the car doesn’t run 

and the family doesn’t travel. 

Some teachers may incorrectly 

assume that all families who rarely 

are involved with their children’s 

school lack interest in education. A 

family’s ability and willingness to 

participate in school activities often 

depends on the availability of transportation 

and flexibility in work 

schedules. Parents who work at 

lower-paying, hourly jobs may not 

have the flexibility to revise their 

work schedules in order to participate 

as fully as they wish. 

Reaching out to families living in 

poverty creates new challenges for 

teachers. Understanding the growing 

numbers of families living in 

poverty, and seeking to assist these 

families, can offer hope to children 

who may be struggling not because 

of cognitive disabilities, but rather 

due to lack of experiences that support 

their educational growth (Children’s 

Defense Fund, 1994). 

See human differences 

as assets. 

Differing Abilities 

The early childhood years are a 

time of rapid growth and development. 

This growth is shaped by children’s 

experiences and influenced by 

their physical, emotional, and intellectual 

abilities. The variety of family 

pictures that Ms. Vandroel collected 

ranged from simple spiderlike 

line drawings of family members 

to explicitly detailed representations 

of each family member. 

The differing levels of representation 

found among children’s drawings 

remind teachers that children 

possess diverse levels of cognitive, 

social, and physical abilities. The disconnected 

bubble and stick figure 

family that Casey drew clearly indicates 

the value of further occupational 

therapy as specified in Casey’s 

Individualized Education Program. 

Children’s abilities are displayed 

not only through the shapes and 

lines they draw, but also in the stories 

that their pictures tell. In 

Billy’s family picture, the viewer is 

drawn to a small corner of the 


home, which is Billy’s room. Sitting 

on the nightstand is an 

oblong-shaped container with long 

tubes coming from it. From the 

oversize drawing of the container it 

is evident that this fixture represents 

a large portion of Billy’s life. 

Those who know Billy would 

understand that this oblong container 

is an oxygen tank similar to 

the one Billy uses at school. 

Billy is medically fragile. He has 

limited use of his left hand and is 

confined to a wheelchair. Most of 

his time is spent at home. Two days 

a week, if the weather is good and 

Billy is healthy, Billy comes to 

school. Most days are filled with visits 

to the hospital and interactions 

with nurses and a home-school 

teacher. The hospital has been part 

of his life since he can remember. 

With the reauthorization of the 

Individuals With Disabilities Act 

of 1997 and the move toward 

more inclusive environments, children 

with a broad range of intellectual, 

social, and physical abilities 

are now educated together in 

inclusive settings (Couchenour & 

Chrisman, 2004). 

The activity that Ms. Vandroel 

envisioned as a display for Parents’ 

Night opened the door of opportunity 

for her to expand parents and 

children’s perceptions about individuality 

and the uniqueness of 

one’s own experiences, families, 

and lives. Her goal was not to single 

out individual differences as 

negative aspects, but to enable each 

person to see those differences as 

assets. As a bridge from this activity, 

she planed to continue to guide 

her students to establish positive 

relationships with one another. 

Like most teachers, Ms. Vandroel 

understands that diversity is leading 

Elisabeth Nichols 

The differing levels of representation found among children’s drawings remind teachers 

that children possess diverse levels of cognitive, social, and physical abilities. 

to changes in teaching methods and 

in the ways that relationships among 

families, children, and teachers are 

nurtured. Even so, teachers remain 

steadfast in their commitment to 

families and children. 

• They value and respect each family 

and their own views and beliefs 

while maintaining professional 

responsibilities to each child. 

• They promote partnerships 

with families that focus on 

two-way communication and 

encourage participation within 

the school. 

• And lastly, they link parents and 

families to resources that may 

assist them as they rear their 

children. The most effective 

teachers accept children’s individual 

differences and establish 

relationships among families 

with a variety of SEEDs. 


References 

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of 

human development: Experiments by 

nature and design. Cambridge, MA: 

Harvard University Press. 

Children’s Defense Fund. (1994). Writing 

America’s future. Washington, DC: 

Author. 

Couchenour, D.L., & Chrisman, K. 

(2004). Families, schools, and communities: 

Together for young children (2nd ed.). 

Albany, NY: Delmar Thompson. 

Fuller, M.L. (1992). The many faces of 

American families: We don’t look like 

the Cleavers anymore. PTA Today, 

18(1): 8-9. 

Olsen, G., & Fuller, M.L. (2003). Homeschool 

relations: Working successfully with 

parents and families (2nd ed.). Boston: 

Pearson Education, Inc. 

Otto, M. (2003). Welfare rolls rise in 

area as governments confront cuts. 

Washington Post, March 10, 2003. 

Retrieved February 4, 2005, from 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/ 

wpdyn?pagename=article&contentId= 

A2659-2003Mar9.html 

Proctor, B.D., & Dalaker, J. (2003). 

U.S. Census Bureau Current Population 

Reports P 60-222: Poverty in the United 

States: 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Government Printing Office. 

Stauss, J.H. (1995). Reframing and 

refocusing American Indian family 

strengths. In C.K. Jacobson (Ed.), 

American families: Issues in race and 

ethnicity. New York: Garland. 

U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2004). News 

Reports: August 26, 2004 (Press 

Release). Income stable, poverty up, 

numbers of Americans with and without 

health insurance rise, Census 

Bureau reports. Retrieved January 30, 

2005, from http://www.census.gov/ 

PressRelease/www/releases/archives/ 

income_wealth/002484.html 

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, 

Fertility & Family Statistics Branch. 

(2004). Retrieved January 31, 2005, 

from http://www.census.gov/ 

population/www/cps/cpsdef.html 

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT 

Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair—Early Childhood Education 

Department of Counseling, Development, and Higher 

Education Program in Development, Family Studies, 

and Early Childhood Education 

Position: Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair in 

Early Childhood Education 

This position is a five year renewable contract appointment beginning 

fall semester 2005, in the program of Development, Family Studies, 

and Early Childhood Education. 

Rank and Salary: Professor of Early Childhood Education. Salary 

commensurate with background and experience. Research support and 

travel will be provided as a part of the appointment. 

Responsibilities: This position requires the ability to cooperate 

and collaborate across interdisciplinary settings. Responsibilities 

include, but are not limited to: (1) Teach and advise graduate and, 

teaching undergraduate students (2) Participate in Departmental, Program, 

and College committees (3) Mentor junior faculty (4) Collaborate 

in a nationally recognized doctoral program in early childhood 

education (5) Align personal and professional research and services with 

the goals of the University, College of Education, and the Program area. 

Academic and Professional Qualifications: (1) A nationally recognized 

record of research, scholarly writing, and professional presentations 

(2) A strong record of working with doctoral students (3) A commitment 

to teaching and mentoring doctoral students preparing for 

leadership positions in colleges and universities (4) A demonstrated 

ability to obtain external funding for research and program developmental 

activities (5) A willingness to work with University and community 

agencies in a collaborative fashion (6) An earned doctorate in Early 

Childhood Education or appropriate related field. 

The University: The University of North Texas is a nationally recognized 

metropolitan research institution with over 30,000 students, 

one-third of whom are graduate students. UNT is located in the 

vibrant and rapidly expanding Denton-Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 

Application Procedure: Applicants should provide a letter of 

application, a complete curriculum vita, official transcripts, and three 

letters of reference to: 

George S. Morrison, Ed.D. • Linda C. Schertz, Ed.D. 

Development, Family Studies, and Early Childhood Education 

University of North Texas • P.O. Box 310829 

Denton, TX 76203-0829 

Phone: (940) 565-2045 • Fax (940) 369-7177 

Application Deadline: Review of applications will continue until 

the position is filled. 

The University of North Texas is an AA/ADA/EOE and encourages 

applications from women and minorities, as it is committed to creating 

an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The College of Education 

welcomes applications from minority group members, women, and 

others whose background may further diversify faculty ideas, attitudes, 

and experiences. 


Call for Manuscripts 

for 

Theme Issue of Dimensions Fall 2006 

The Fall 2006 issue of Dimensions of Early 

Childhood will be a theme issue. Members and 

friends of the Southern Early Childhood 

Association are encouraged to submit proposals 

for manuscripts to be published in this issue. 

The topic is: 

From Biters to Bullies to Bullets: 

Guiding Positive Prosocial Behavior 

The importance of prosocial behaviors and 

positive guidance as an integral part of the early 

childhood social/emotional curriculum—from 

toddlers who bite, to the older child who bullies—will 

be addressed in this theme issue. The 

Guest Editors are seeking manuscripts that 

address the following topics for toddlers 

through 3rd grade: 

• Early relationships (attachment, trust, etc.) as a 

cornerstone for prosocial and positive behaviors. 

Brain research and social/emotional development 

research that “set the stage” for the emphasis in 

early childhood. 

• Practical early support for promoting prosocial 

and respectful interpersonal relationships 

in the early childhood setting. 

• Appropriate positive support and guidance 

for aggressive behaviors including biting and 

bullying. 

• Resiliency theory with practical applications. 

• Conflict resolution, play therapy, music 

therapy, bibliotherapy, and other programs 

appropriately addressing the theme. 

The Guest Editors ask that authors interpret 

current research findings and theories for use in 

a practical manner for early childhood educators 

in the field. 

Guest Editors for this issue are Stephen 

Graves and Nancy Mundorf. Please submit 

questions and proposals by email to: 

sgraves@sar.usf.edu 

nancymundorf@earthlink.net 

Proposals must include: 

• 2-page detailed outline 

• 200- to 400-word summary 

• list of pertinent sample references 

• indication of the author’s expertise 

All proposals must be submitted by October 1, 

2005. If accepted for the theme issue, final manuscripts 

(8 to 16 pages) will be due by January 5, 

2006. 

To review author guidelines for publication 

in Dimensions, please go to www.SouthernEarly 

Childhood.org. 


In the spring of 2002, Presbyterian College and M.S. Bailey Elementary School in Clinton, South Carolina, received a 

$1000 grant from the Southern Early Childhood Association’s (SECA) Division of Development to purchase three sets of 

leveled texts for use in the 4K, 5K, and first- and second-grade classrooms. This article reports on some lessons learned. 

Enhancing Literacy With Leveled Texts: 

One School’s Experience 

Anita McLeod and Kathryn Parmer 

The role of leveled texts in teaching reading has 

sparked a debate among early childhood teachers. Teachers 

continue to look for the most effective methods for 

teaching reading. Early childhood educators are committed 

to using practices that are rooted in child-development-based 

educational philosophy and research. 

Concerns have been expressed about whether leveled 

texts are simply a “fad” or an effective addition to a balanced 

literacy program. A brief discussion of why leveled 

texts were chosen for the M.S. Bailey Elementary School 

sets the stage for understanding how they were used successfully 

with children from ages 4 through grade 2. 

Changes in Reading Instruction 

The 20th century witnessed many changes in practices 

in teaching reading in the United States. These 

additions and changes eventually evolved into leveled 

texts. Between the 1930s and the 1980s, the use of 

preprimers and primers dominated the early reading 

curriculum. The Dick and Jane books were commonly 

used with this method. These texts were based on highfrequency 

words and/or phonetically regular units. The 

problem with these texts was that children were unable 

to relate many of the concepts to their own lives 

(Asselin, 2000). 

Then in the late 1980s, the focus moved to literaturebased 

materials that appealed to students’ interests. 

These were often too difficult to effectively teach reading 

(Asselin, 2000). 

Publishing companies use different 

leveling systems. 

Characteristics of Leveled Texts 

During the literature-based era, Clay (1972) began 

to investigate how young children learned to read during 

their first formal schooling. Her intervention strategies, 

which incorporated “little books,” were field tested 

in New Zealand and disseminated in other Englishspeaking 

countries. 

The “little books” were incorporated into the Reading 

Recovery assessment and teaching strategy system (Clay, 

1993) and teachers began to use them for instruction 

and independent reading. The books were placed into 

26 levels using these basic criteria: 

• naturalness of text, 

• close picture-text match, and 

• predictability of text structure (Asselin, 2000). 

Asselin (2000) noted that “since the little books were 

introduced nearly two decades ago, the market has been 

flooded with leveled books, and workshops abound on 

different leveling systems” (p.2). Leveled texts have 

come to mean any reading materials, including books, 

that show a gradient of text from simple to more complex. 

These texts are created to assist children with 

their fluency and comprehension. 

Matching books to young readers depends on teachers’ 

knowledge of the children, familiarity with the 

reading materials, and an understanding of the reading 

Anita McLeod, Ph.D., is an Early Childhood Consultant 

and President-elect of the South Carolina Early Childhood 

Association. She lives in Greenville. 

Kathryn Parmer, B.S., is a kindergarten teacher at North 

Douglas Elementary School, Douglasville, Georgia. 

During the initial grant experience and at the time the article 

was written, Dr. McLeod was Associate Professor of Education 

and Early Childhood Coordinator, Presbyterian College, 

Clinton, South Carolina. Kathryn Parmer was a senior 

early childhood teacher candidate at Presbyterian College. 


process (Fountas & Pinnell, 1999). 

Leveled texts are currently being 

used in classrooms during guided 

reading, for independent reading, 

and even as requirements for 

library classes. 

Today, publishing companies use 

different leveling systems. Some use 

a readability formula that is based on 

numerical calculations determined 

by the number of words, sentences, 

or syllables (Brabham & Villaume, 

2002). Other companies consider an 

assortment of factors, including the 

length of the book, text formatting, 

picture-text relationship, content 

complexity, the degree of predictability 

of the text, the proportion 

of unique or repeated words to 

familiar words, and the progression 

in difficulty of letter-sound relationships 

(Rog & Burton, 2001). These 

criteria are used in different combinations 

to identify levels. 

Different publishing companies 

use various ways to label levels: letters, 

numbers, or miles (Fountas & 

Pinnell, 1999). The books at lower 

levels are easier to read and the challenges 

increase as the level of difficulty 

increases. However, there is a 

lack of consistency between publishing 

companies in labeling leveled 

texts and, at times, the match 

between levels is not clear and some 

levels blend into the next. 

Criteria for Leveling Books 

• Number of words, sentences, 

and/or syllables 

• Length of the book 

• Text formatting 

• Picture-text relationship 

• Content complexity 

• Degree of predictability of text 

• Proportion of unique or repeated 

words to familiar words 

• Progression in difficulty of 

letter-sound relationships 


Children who are learning to read must be comfortable with the text and they 

should have opportunities to read both on their independent and instructional levels. 

Complicating the use of varied 

leveling criteria by publishing companies 

is the disagreement among 

literacy experts on text progression. 

The formulaic view, which was primarily 

used in the past, is based on 

readability formulas that operate on 

the assumption that shorter sentences 

are easier to read (Brabham 

& Villaume, 2002). Using this view, 

teachers are able to estimate a text’s 

readability level rather quickly; however 

the results do not always consistently 

match the reader’s actual 

ability to decode words and make 

sense of the text. 

Currently, the most accepted 

view is the comprehensive approach 

that incorporates many factors 

(Brabham & Villaume, 2002). This 

view appears to focus more on concepts 

and less on formulae. The 

comprehensive view is not perfect 

either, and teachers may become 

frustrated as students have difficulty 

decoding words (can’t read with 

95% accuracy) and do not indicate 

an understanding of what is happening 

in the book. 

Another approach has been an 

emphasis on phonics, which presents 

predictable and decodable texts to 

introduce and enhance phonics 

instruction. This view also poses 

problems because phonics can be 

hard for children to comprehend 

and for teachers to assess students’ 

abilities (Brabham & Villaume, 

2002). All three views of text progression 

can be seen in most leveled 

text series and are often interwoven. 

Informal assessment 

tools are used to 

determine children’s 

reading levels. 


Leveled Texts: 

Strengths and Weaknesses 

The controversy between leveled 

texts and assessment is a growing 

concern for educators. Running 

records and other informal assessment 

tools have been used to help 

determine children’s reading levels. 

In the United States, Informal 

Reading Inventories (IRIs) may be 

used to assess children’s fluency, 

retelling, and comprehension (Paris, 

2002). Assessment tools, such as the 

Qualitative Reading Inventory and 

the Developmental Reading Assessment, 

provide different levels and 

genres for assessing children’s reading 

ability (Paris, 2002). 

Controversy arises because this 

type of assessment is now being 

used as a summative evaluation in 

some districts. Informal assessment 

tools are not designed for summative 

evaluation, so Paris (2002) feels 

there are two main problems with 

their use: 

• When children are assessed at 

their reading level, there is no 

accurate way to determine children’s 

summative progress, 

compared to themselves or 

other children; and 

• “Just as the leveled texts are not 

equally seriated, neither are the 

IRIs testing levels equivalent.” 

(pp. 168-169) 

These concerns make it difficult 

for summative evaluations to be 

completed using only leveled texts. 

With these controversies, the 

increase in the use of leveled texts, 

and the growing availability of texts 

from a variety of publishers, teachers 

must make informed choices 

about their use in a balanced reading 

program. 

Children who are learning to 

read must be comfortable with 

the text and they should have 

opportunities to read both on 

their independent and instructional 

levels. According to Worthy 

and Sailors (2001), 

“When students read text that 

fits, their error rate is low, making 

it easier to focus on comprehension 

and fluency. Students who 

experience success in an endeavor 

feel more competent and are 

more likely to engage in it, to 

expend more effort, to persist in 

the face of challenges, and to 

achieve at higher levels.” (p. 229) 

College students used 

leveled texts in 

one-on-one teaching. 

Leveled texts enable teachers to 

effectively note their students’ 

strengths and weaknesses and act 

accordingly (Paris, 2002). Nevertheless, 

Brabham and Villaume (2002) 

acknowledge several problems in the 

popularity of leveling: 

Michele Lucia Brener 

Teachers established a system whereby texts could be exchanged among classrooms as 

children increased reading proficiency and needed additional levels for guided and 

independent reading. 


• Many educators use leveled 

texts inappropriately or as a 

sole means of teaching reading, 

perhaps because they are a 

new trend. 

• Teachers may ignore students’ 

other strengths and/or weaknesses 

and therefore choose 

inappropriate leveled texts for 

independent reading. Leveling 

should not be the only means 

for determining reading texts 

for students. 

• Leveled texts do not always 

meet students’ interests (Worthy 

& Sailors, 2001). “Text difficulty 

is only one aspect in fostering 

reading skill and positive 

attitude” (p. 229). 

• Negative attitudes about text 

content can cause students to 

lose interest in reading and hinder 

lifelong reading patterns. 

Changes in reading instructional 

practices came about at the same 

time that state mandates for testing 

were being set. 

Keeping the Founder’s 

Dream in Sight 

M.S. Bailey Elementary School is 

located in a small, rural town in 

South Carolina. It serves 269 students 

ranging from those in 4-yearold 

child development programs 

(4K) through grade 5. Seventy-nine 

percent of the students receive free 

or reduced lunch. The school and 

community have experienced a 

severe economic downslide in the 

last 3 years with the closing of textile 

plants. Despite financial losses, the 

community and school have kept 

3rd Grade South Carolina Test Score Results 

sight of the dream of its founder 

that each child should receive the 

best education possible. 

In 1999, 66% of third graders at 

the school scored below statedefined 

basic competency levels in 

math on the state’s criterion-referenced 

standardized test, and 44% 

scored below basic competency in 

English/Language Arts. 

As a result, the faculty scrutinized 

its curriculum in both areas, 

increased professional development, 

and implemented a philosophy of 

teaching and learning that includes 

hands-on math and a focused, literature-based 

writing approach. State 

test results in 2001 demonstrated 

student improvement in both curriculum 

areas. The percentage scoring 

below basic in math dropped to 

42.5% and in English/Language 

Arts to 20.5%. 

In September 2001, the elementary 

school and the early childhood 

teacher education coordinator at 

Presbyterian College entered a professional 

development/school partnership 

through a grant provided by 

the South Carolina Department of 

Education. Two college faculty members 

taught early childhood methods 

courses at the school for 29 teacher 

education students. The school provided 

mentoring for senior teacher 

education candidates who were completing 

the student teaching phase of 

their professional preparation. The 

partnership provided an authentic 

learning environment for preservice 

teachers as they experienced theory 

coupled with practice. 

Reading/Language Arts Math 

1999 44% below basic 66% below basic 

2001 20.5% below basic 42.5% below basic 

With these improvements in 

place, the need for additional leveled 

texts in the school’s early childhood 

settings was critical. The elementary 

school’s library and its classrooms 

had limited leveled texts. Teachers 

were aware of research that indicates 

student comprehension and fluency 

are enhanced when leveled texts are 

used for independent reading (Clay, 

1993; Taylor, Short, Frye, & Shearer, 

1992). Limited resources hampered 

teachers’ attempts to provide 

appropriate reading material during 

scheduled self-selected reading time. 

They were not able to hold smallgroup 

instruction with multiple 

copies of specific leveled texts. 

In addition, the public library 

had temporarily closed due to 

structural problems and had relocated 

across town. Children who 

previously used the facility near the 

elementary school were unable to 

ride their bikes or walk to the 

library to secure appropriate reading 

materials for their homes. 

Many of these students’ families 

had limited financial resources, and 

teachers realized that reading materials 

were scarce. There was a definite 

need for appropriate leveled 

reading material that teachers 

could send home with students. 

At the same time, early childhood 

teacher candidates had been 

developing and implementing literacy 

activities at the school as part of 

their on-site early childhood literacy 

methods course. Because of limited 

resources in the school, candidates 

often had difficulty selecting 

appropriate reading material to 

supplement classroom instruction. 

Materials from the college were 

often shared, but could not remain 

in the school for independent use 

by students. 


How the SECA Grant 

Was Used 

The purpose of the $1000 grant 

from SECA was to purchase leveled 

reading kits from The Wright 

Group/McGraw-Hill for 4K 

through second grades. The goals of 

the grant were to: 

• Increase appropriate independent 

reading materials used by 

children in 4K through grade 2. 

• Enhance leveled literacy materials 

for classroom use by teachers 

in 4K through grade 2. 

• Provide preservice training for 

early childhood teacher education 

students in the use of leveled 

texts for guided reading. 

• Increase materials available for 

young children to check out and 

read at home with their families. 

When participants were notified 

of the grant award, they ordered 

three sets of leveled texts, based on 

selections made by kindergarten and 

primary-grade teachers. Teachers 

assessed students’ reading levels and 

interests, selecting the most appropriate 

sets for their classrooms. The 

new texts were clearly marked by levels 

and were stored in bins or baskets 

in each room. Teachers began using 

these texts for both guided and independent 

reading. Because they had 

some leveled texts already in the 

classrooms, teachers and one early 

childhood student used a variety of 

resources to match levels and integrate 

texts from various publishers. 

Teachers established a system whereby 

texts could be exchanged among 

classrooms as children increased 

reading proficiency and needed 

additional levels for guided and 

independent reading. 

During fall semester 2002, college 

students in early childhood education 

used the new leveled texts in one-onone 

teaching with kindergarten and 

primary students at M.S. Bailey Elementary 

School. Teachers recommended 

specific leveled books to 

complement children’s familiarity 


Books were put in gallon-size storage bags and sent home with a journal. Teachers kept 

records of books read at home and of family members’ responses. The journal became an 

effective way for teachers and parents to correspond with each other. 

with the content, ease of reading 

independently, and other leveled texts 

used in guided reading instruction. 

Through these experiences, early 

childhood teacher education students, 

including the second author, 

gained experience in using leveled 

texts to conduct running records and 

to assess children’s miscues. 

Ms. Parmer worked one-on-one 

with two students in a first grade 

class. She met with these two students 

twice a week to review their reading 

assignments, read with them, and 

assess their strengths and weaknesses. 

Each week, Ms. Parmer noted what 

the students read, specific miscue patterns, 

effective use of reading strategies, 

and their attitudes about reading. 

Assessment procedures included 

observation, running records, and 

teacher-made informal reading inventories 

using the leveled texts. 

The two 6-year-old students were 

both reading at the first emerging 

level in September, using texts that 

had been leveled according to an 

equivalency chart published by the 

Wright Group. The books they were 

reading were at the Readiness or A/B 

level. By mid-December both children 

were reading at the Pre-Primer 2 

level or D/E level. However, the students’ 

reading needs and interests 

were very different. 

For example, the female student, 

Brianna, had a more positive attitude 

toward reading and also experienced 

more reading successes 

than the male student. Brianna was 

able to effectively use specific reading 

strategies and answer simple 

comprehension questions. She was 

also able to identify books that presented 

a challenge for her to read 

independently. Typically, Brianna 

read books identified at her independent 

and/or instructional level. 


Web Sites About Leveled Texts 

www.leveledbooks.com 

www.eduplace.com/marketing/leveledreaders 

www.rigby.com/Pages/articles/tea_levelingchart_rl.doc 

www.reading.org 

www.readingrecovery.org 

The male student, Anthony, was 

often frustrated with the books 

that were provided to him. The 

leveled texts he read appeared to be 

too difficult, especially at the end 

of the semester. Anthony tended to 

rely heavily on picture clues and 

struggled with certain letter/sound 

associations. He was much more 

excited about his reading when he 

was assigned a text that matched 

his independent reading level. 

Anthony also did much better 

when he read books that interested 

him. When he moved up to Pre- 

Primer 2, both page length and 

number of words increased. He 

was frustrated with the new book 

and struggled with word recognition 

and comprehension. 

Both students made progress over 

the course of the semester. Ms. 

Parmer concluded that Brianna’s 

success could be attributed, in part, 

to assignment of appropriately leveled 

books that maintained her 

interest. She did not need as much 

repetition of books at the same level 

and was able to progress in guided 

reading to higher-level texts at a 

quicker pace than Anthony. 

In contrast, Anthony needed 

greater variety within levels B and C 

so that his interest could be maintained 

and he could become more 

proficient in word decoding and in 

the use of reading strategies other 

than the use of picture clues. Ms. 

Parmer believed his slower progress 

and loss of enthusiasm for reading 

was due, in part, to reading leveled 

texts that did not 

interest him and 

that were above 

his independent 

and/or instructional 

level. 

Along with 

changes in classroom 

instruction, the teachers had 

worked diligently to enhance parent 

involvement in their students’ 

academic progress. The influx of 

additional leveled texts enabled 

teachers to develop a check-out system 

whereby students took books 

home that were determined to be 

on their independent reading level. 

Books were put in gallon-size storage 

bags and sent home with a 

journal. Teachers kept records of 

books read at home and of family 

members’ responses. The journal 

became an effective way for teachers 

and parents to correspond with 

each other. The independent reading 

log also became a part of students’ 

literacy portfolios. 

Perspectives on the Use 

of Leveled Texts 

At the close of the semester’s 

experiences, Ms. Parmer drew the 

following conclusions: 

• Leveled texts are an appropriate 

way to teach children to read 

when they are used in conjunction 

with a balanced literacy program. 

• Leveled texts are effective in 

meeting student’s individual 

needs and, when chosen appropriately, 

their interests. 

• For leveled texts to be most 

effective in literacy programs, 

teachers should be involved in 

leveling the texts to assure that 

text progression is consistent for 

all students and is based on 

multiple factors, not just the 

publishers’ formulae. 

The early childhood teacher 

coordinator (this article’s first 

author) and building principal drew 

the following conclusions about the 

use of leveled texts in kindergarten 

and primary grades: 

• The use of leveled texts increased 

students’ reading in content areas. 

• Teachers were more successful at 

planning and conducting flexible, 

small-group reading instruction 

when leveled texts matched 

the group’s reading level. 

• The increased supply of leveled 

texts provided resources for both 

preservice early childhood 

teachers and early childhood 

inservice teachers when texts 

were stored in a central location. 

• When teachers were purposeful 

about matching students’ reading 

levels with texts for independent 

reading, students read 

with greater fluency. 

• The increased supply of leveled 

texts allowed teachers to develop 

parent-child at-home reading 

activities on students’ independent 

(not instructional) levels. 

References 

Asselin, M. (2000). Texts for beginning 

readers: The critical match between reader 

and text. Teacher Librarian, 28(2), 58. 

Brabham, E.G., & Villaume, S.K. (2002). 

Leveled text: The good news and the 

bad news. The Reading Teacher, 55(5), 

438-441. 

Fountas, I.C., & Pinnell, G.S. (1999). 

Matching books to readers using leveled 

books in guided reading, K-3. 

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Paris, S.G. (2002). Measuring children’s 

reading development using leveled texts. 

The Reading Teacher, 56(2), 168-169. 

Rog, L.J., & Burton, W. (2002). Matching 

texts and readers: Leveling early 

reading materials for assessment and 

instruction. The Reading Teacher, 

55(4), 348-356. 

Worthy, J., & Sailors, M. (2001). This book 

isn’t on my level: Moving beyond text 

difficulty in personalizing reading choices. 

The New Advocate, 14(3), 229-239. 


Think back to your childhood. Now think about a fond family memory. Remember how 

good it makes you feel? Many families nurture these positive feelings in young children. 

Early childhood educators can extend children's positive feelings in their programs, too. 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Family Diversity 

Sabrina A. Brinson 

As children develop physically and cognitively, their 

emotional and social well being usually flourishes in the 

context of their families. This article explores strategies 

for early childhood educators to facilitate children’s 

learning in supportive, family-oriented environments. 

Activities designed to help all children and families feel 

welcome, involved, and respected in early childhood 

programs are also discussed. Children’s books that celebrate 

diversity and families are recommended. 

Contemporary Family Diversity 

Today’s families include many structures, such as single 

parents, two parents, extended families, and blended 

families. They are supported by an array of primary caregivers 

for children, including grandparents. 

Bigner (2002) states that families are responsible for 

socializing children to become competent members of 

society. Although families have been the foundation of 

our culture, they have changed immensely over time in 

structure, size, and functioning, as well as in the qualities 

that define them. 

Families vary by culture, ethnicity, gender, language, 

socioeconomic status, vernacular, and other qualities. 

Preparing children to be productive and culturally 

competent adults is a challenging task. Together, families 

and teachers can lay a solid foundation for children 

by creating family-friendly learning experiences during 

the early years. 

It is essential for early educators to promote family 

participation and complement the diverse learning 

styles and cultures of all young children. Pena (2000) 

notes that children who were enrolled in schools that 

favored family involvement had higher achievement 

levels than children in schools with little family 

involvement. 

Foremost in their demonstrations of support, early 

childhood educators recognize the diversity of families 

in today’s multicultural, multiethnic society. Early educators 

make concentrated efforts to tap into the 

strengths of families as various issues, such as developmental 

milestones and discipline strategies, are 

addressed with young children. Educators can reinforce 

the ties that bind all families together by shaping social 

connections, such as acceptance of others. 

As classrooms become more diverse, cultural competency 

is an increasingly important trait for early childhood 

professionals. Greater exposure to beliefs, values, 

and practices of diverse peoples can help caregivers adopt 

more teaching strategies that are inclusive (Huntsinger, 

Huntsinger, Ching, & Lee, 2000). 

Family-Oriented Practices 

A variety of family-oriented practices can be implemented 

in early childhood settings that encourage children 

to understand and embrace their own families, 

respect others’ family structures, and appreciate the worth 

of ethnic and cultural diversity. 

Goals for Early Childhood Educators 

How can early childhood educators facilitate positive 

support, ongoing involvement, and a sense of belonging 

with all families? Four key goals can be identified. 

Sabrina A. Brinson, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Early 

Childhood Education, Department of Instruction and Curriculum 

Leadership, The University of Memphis, Tennessee. 

She has published articles and book chapters about culturally 

responsive education and designed a course about cultural 

competence with diverse populations for university honor 

students. Dr. Brinson has also worked with children and 

families in home/school/community partnerships as the 

coordinator of an inclusive preschool program, teacher, family 

support specialist, and community representative on the 

Head Start Policy Council. 


1. Welcome children and their families 

with current, family-friendly 

information about all aspects of 

the program and its activities. 

2. Embrace children and their families 

with sincere invitations to be 

an integral part of the school, 

including decision-making, 

vision, and program outcomes. 

3. Respect children and their families 

by maintaining healthy exchanges 

of dialogue with families. When 

teachers value parents’ observations 

and recommendations to enhance 

goals for their children, parents 

usually respond in kind. 

4. Construct various avenues of participation 

to accommodate the 

diversity of children’s families. Ask 

family members how they prefer 

to contribute their time, expertise, 

and experiences. 

For example, Eldridge (2001) 

suggests inviting parents to share 

talents (singing), hobbies (carpentry), 

or vocations (firefighting) with 

the class. Teachers can schedule surprise 

parent readers each week. 

Children know that a parent will 

read to them, but they do not know 

which one it will be. 

Activities such as these, all 

planned to encourage home-school 

partnerships, validate parents, inspire 

them, and give them a sense of connection 

with classroom goals, along 

with evidence of their impact on the 

lives of their children. 

Recognize the 

diversity of 

families today. 

Activities With Families 

and Children 

Greenberg (2001) reports the 

importance of conveying the following 

messages: 

• every individual has an engaging 

life story, 

• every family is unique, and 


Together, families and teachers can lay a solid foundation for children by creating familyfriendly 

learning experiences during the early years. 

• there are many ways to live 

a life right. 

The activities suggested here are 

designed to foster family involvement 

and the development of young children’s 

cultural competence. 

Sing Praises of Appreciation 

for the Diversity of Families 

and Languages. 

• Family Song: Encourage children 

and families to compose their 

own songs. Invite children and family 

members to debut newly composed 

songs for the class. Invite children and 

their relatives to teach the whole 

group songs in their home languages. 

Children gain a sense of family ownership, 

along with exposure to music 

and movement, during the process. 

Encourage Children and Families 

to Share Their Values, Beliefs, 

and Talents. 

• Family Creed: Suggest that 

children and their families discuss 

ethics and principles they value and 

then establish their own mottos of 

inspiration. Children could help 

print and decorate their families’ 

creeds on sturdy paper and display 

them. Invite family members and 


children to share their mottos in 

class. As part of this emergent literacy 

process in language and the arts, 

children build a sense of respect for 

their family beliefs. 

Showcase Special Mementos From 

Children and Families to Give 

Them a Sense of Belonging. 

• Family Treasure: Children and 

their families can choose endearing 

family mementos to temporarily display 

at school. Invite family members 

to help children explain their chosen 

keepsakes. Children can select a 

choice spot to feature family treasures. 

They can write or copy and 

decorate labels, too. Self-esteem 

within their family will grow, along 

with their literacy skills. 

Provide Ways for Children and 

Families to Display Symbols of 

Unique Traits and Interests. 

• Family Crest: Children and their 

families usually enjoy creating their 

own distinctive emblems. Invite family 

members to help children share 

information about their symbols. 

Again, children can pick the perfect 

place to display their family crests. In 

doing so, children gain a sense of 

honor in their individual family, along 

with experience in art and creativity. 

When children have 

choices they gain 

experience in peer 

leadership and 

cooperative 

decision making. 

Engage Children and Families 

in Projects That Build Rapport 

Among Families. 

• Family and Friends Classroom 

Quilt: At home children and their 

families can create unique fabric 

squares to represent them in a classroom 

quilt. Everyone can gather in a 

“quilting bee” to fashion their pieces 

into a quilt for display in the classroom. 

Children develop a sense of 

camaraderie and cooperation, along 

with fine motor skills. 

Create a Warm Atmosphere 

With True Reflections of Children 

and Families. 

• Family Picture Gallery: Children 

and their families can choose 

family pictures taken at home or 

school for the family picture gallery. 

Children can design frames and 

labels to showcase their family pictures. 

They gain a sense of pride in 

their families, along with enriching 

emergent literacy and visual arts 

skills in the process. 

• Family Poster: Encourage children 

and their families to choose 

family pictures for a family poster. 

Extend the project into an excursion 

to a copy center to enlarge family 

photographs to poster sizes. As children 

display and view their posters, 

they are likely to use their spatial 

skills as well as increasingly feel a 

sense of belonging to the group. 

• Family Button: Buttons or 

badges can easily be made from favorite 

family pictures. Children, families, and 

staff can wear their buttons at school 

events such as Family and Friends Day. 

Again, the activity develops fine motor 

skills and builds a sense of connection 

within and among families. 


Reading to young children with culturally diverse, family-centered literature benefits children 

from a variety of backgrounds. 

Take Time to Read to and With 

Children Often During Individual 

and Group Read-Alouds. 

• Family-Centered Children’s Literature: 

Reading to young children 

with culturally diverse, family-centered 

literature benefits children from a 

variety of backgrounds. Brewer (2001) 

notes that children need to be exposed 

to positive images of themselves in lit- 


erature. Choosing just the right story 

can help children see the importance 

of their culture and its language. 

Literature can also help young children 

address issues such as transracial 

adoption and acceptance of blended 

families. For example, reading Boundless 

Grace (Hoffman, 1995) can provide 

children with helpful information 

that may increase their understanding 

about divorce and help make 

connections to new members of the 

family. It may facilitate children’s willingness 

to pose questions about their 

own family experiences. 

Highlighting books about ethnically 

diverse families, such as Fathers, Mothers, 

Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family 

Poems (Hoberman, 1991), and related 

activities can nurture positive self-concepts 

in young children. Extend reading 

with follow-up activities such as reenacting 

stories, creating related songs, 

or making puppets and paper menagerie 

characters (Brinson, 2002). Creative, 

child-directed opportunities enable children 

to show how they have processed 

the literature through individual expressions 

that also boost self-confidence. 

Encourage families to take a leadership 

role in planning and implementing 

learning experiences. 

Facilitating a variety of activities 

in schools sparks more involvement 

by family members who have talents, 

interests, and strengths to share. 

When a group of kindergarteners 

were about to embark upon making 

a classroom quilt, their teacher, Ms. 

Myers, assured that it would be a 

long-term project that integrated 

art, reading, writing, math, and science. 

She introduced quilt-making 

to her class by reading a lot of books, 

such as The Josafina Story Quilt 

(Coerr, 1986) and The Patchwork 

Quilt (Flournoy, 1985), after which 

they quilted the stories on paper. 

The children’s interests grew as they 

measured fabric, created patterns, 

and painted their designs on quilt 

squares with a parent’s help. Their 

anticipation mounted as they waited 

for a community volunteer to 

sew the quilt, which was a huge 

undertaking because of the quilt’s 

mammoth size. 

Finally, when the quilt was hung in 

the classroom, it sparked a lot of 

conversation and excitement, especially 

after a school program attended 

by family members. Gathered in 

front of the quilt, children and parents 

pointed to and chatted about 

the squares they designed. 

Invite families to join in activities 

such as this, inform them about benefits 

of their contributions to young 

children’s development, and urge 

them to take advantage of similar 

educational opportunities. In one 

early childhood program, a father 

who was a firefighter had a penchant 

for art. He thoroughly enjoyed parlaying 

his talents into amazing art 

lessons for the children. 

As rapport is established, teachers 

and families may come to exchange in- 


The best family-oriented gift any child care program can give is the creation of a community 

of families within the setting that connects families to each other. 


kind support. A grandmother made 

such a gesture when she volunteered to 

oversee a class while her granddaughter’s 

teacher attended a luncheon during 

teacher appreciation week. After 

the welcome mat has been extended, 

and families really feel like equal partners, 

they often become involved in 

schools through self-initiated activities. 

A Latina mother collaborated with 

other Latino families at their school 

to share information about their 

cultures and customs. With the support 

of school administrators, she 

spearheaded a program that evolved 

into an educational affair extraordinaire. 

Parents talked with students 

about their native countries and 

cooked a yummy, authentic meal 

for the entire school. Children 

dressed in traditional clothing and 

danced in styles from several 

regions. A lively Mariachi band 

topped off the day. 

Best of all, mothers, fathers, sisters, 

brothers, and a host of other relatives 

participated, and the program 

was well attended by children’s families 

and friends. 

Family-energized events such as 

this are always desirable. Schools 

must also keep in mind the importance 

of culturally responsive curriculum 

and teaching strategies. 

Extend reading with 

follow-up activities. 

Creating a Learning 

Community 

Not long ago, there was a shortage 

of information for young children that 

accurately represented diversity of 

culture, ethnicity, and language, 

along with gender, ability, age, religion, 

and socioeconomic status 

(Gann, 2001). Now, early educators 

are committed to continuing to 

advance cultural competence with 

diverse school communities. 

Offering activities such as those 

suggested here presents opportunities 

for quality interactions among and 

between children, families, and staff. 

As a result, gaps in understandings 

about diversity in culture, ethnicity, 

gender, language, and socioeconomic 

status may be bridged. Lines of communication 

may also be opened. 

Families may become better 

acquainted with each other as they 

get more involved with their children’s 

learning. Farran (2001) states 

that the best family-oriented gift any 

child care program can give is the 

creation of a community of families 

within the setting that connects families 

to each other. 

Engaging in family-oriented activities 

may motivate children to more 

freely exchange information about 

their respective families, customs, and 

practices. They are likely to feel more 

secure in their family identities. More 

fond family memories and positive 

feelings may be created. 

When children have choices, such 

as how and where to display their projects 

and multicultural books, they 

gain experience in peer leadership and 

cooperative decision-making. A sense 

of ownership becomes evident in a 

supportive environment that is created 

with all children and their families. 

Skills for Early Childhood Teachers 

To successfully create welcoming 

environments that reflect families, nurture 

a community of learners, and support 

family involvement, early childhood 

educators develop these skills: 

• Demonstrate a sound understanding 

of the importance of 

nurturing young children within 

the context of their families. 

• Extend age- and culturallyappropriate 

practices into meaningful, 

family-oriented activities 

for children. 

• Use naturally occurring activities 

to address family-related issues 

with young children. 

• Simultaneously accentuate 

common bonds that unite and 

complement differences that 

make individuals unique, to foster 

favorable attitudes about 

all families. 

• Set up a variety of ways to 

engage in regular dialogue with 

families to exchange valuable 

information about children. 

• Design learning experiences that 

involve children and their families 

in the entire program. 

Early childhood programs can 

become more family-centered via 

home-school collaboration. It is 

essential that families of all children 

are welcomed, embraced, and regarded 

with genuine respect. 

Eldridge (2001) asserts that teachers 

who involve parents in children’s 

learning are more likely to obtain 

better understanding of families’ cultures, 

have increased appreciation for 

parents’ desires to help their children, 

and gain greater respect for parents’ 

time and skills. 

Likewise, more family involvement 

may enhance the overall 

progress of children. Eldridge (2001) 

also notes that families who are 

involved with schools in parent-oriented 

activities demonstrate more 

self-confidence in parenting, better 

knowledge of child development, and 

greater understanding of the home as 

a place for children’s learning. 

Young children clearly are more 

likely to make excellent progress 

when their families are involved in 

their learning. Therefore, a central 

goal for all early childhood programs 

should be r-e-s-p-e-c-t for all children 

and their families as contributing 

partners in the learning process. 


Recommended Children’s Books About Diversity and Families 

Fathers and Mothers 

Cowan-Fletcher, J. (1996) Mama zooms. 

New York: Scholastic. 

Fox, M. (2001). Zoo-looking. Madison, WI: 

Turtleback Books. 

Johnson, A. (1989). Tell me a story, Mama. 

New York: Orchard. 

Johnson, D. (1999). My mom is my showand-tell. 


Joosse, B. (1998). Mama, do you love me? 

San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 

Lee, H.V. (2000). In the snow. New York: 

Henry Holt. 

Lee, S., & Lee, T. (2002). Please, baby, 

please. New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Mora, P. (2001). Love to mama: A tribute to 

mothers. New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Parr, T. (2002). The daddy book. New York: 

Little Brown. 

Pringle, L. (1999). Octopus hug. 

Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. 

Smith, W. (2001). Just the two of us. 


Spinelli, E. (2000). Night shift daddy. 

New York: Hyperion. 

Cultivating Camaraderie Among 

Diverse Populations 

Alvarez, J. (2000).The secret footprints. 

New York: Knopf. 

Bowie, C.W. (2000). Busy toes. Watertown, 

MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. 

Cosby, B. (1999). Hooray for the dandelion 

warriors! New York: Scholastic. 

DeRolf, S. (1997).The crayon box that 

talked. New York: Random House. 

Falwell, C. (2001). David’s drawings. 

New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Garcia, M. (1994). The adventures of 

Connie and Diego/Las adventuras de 

Connie y Diego. New York: Scholastic. 

Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool. 

(1990). The land of many colors. 


Lin, G. (1999). The ugly vegetables. 

Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge 

Publishing. 

Lucado, M. (1997). You are special. 


Nicola-Lisa, W. (1994). Bein’ with you this 

way. New York: Scholastic. 

Weatherford, C.B. (2002). Jazz baby. 


Weiss, G.D., & Thiele, B. (1994). What a 

wonderful world. Northborough, MA: 

Sundance. 

Culture-Specific Stories 

Ada, A.F. (1997). Gathering the sun: 

Alphabet in Spanish and English. 

New York: RAYO. 

Blanco, A. (1998). Angel’s kite/La estrella de 

Angel. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press. 

Castaneda, O.S. (1995). Abuela’s weave. 


Cheng, A. (2003). Goldfish and chrysanthemums. 


Collier, B. (2000). Uptown. New York: 

Henry Holt. 

Delacre, L. (1992). Arroz con leche: 

Popular songs and rhymes from Latin 

America. New York: Scholastic. 

Falwell, C. (2003). Butterflies for Kiri. 


Madrigal, A.H. (1999). Erandi’s braids. 


Pinkney, S. (2000). Shades of black. 


Smith, C. (2000). Jingle dancer. 

New York: Morrow. 

Steptoe, J. (2001). In daddy’s arms I am 

tall:African-Americans celebrating fathers. 


Stuve-Bodeen, S. (1998). Elizabeti’s doll. 


Diverse Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, 

and Fun Tales 

Andrews-Goebel, N. (2002). The pot that 

Juan built. New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Baumgart, K. (2002). Laura’s star. 

Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales. 

Chinn, K. (1997). Sam and the lucky money. 


Climo, S. (1996). The Korean Cinderella. 

New York: HarperTrophy. 

dePaola, T. (1988). The legend of the Indian 

paintbrush. New York: Paperstar. 

Gollub, M. (2000). Ten oni drummers. 


Lee, H.V. (1997). I had a hippopotamus. 


Nolen, J. (2003). Thunder Rose. San Diego: 

Silver Whistle. 

San Souci, R. (1998). Cendrillon: A 

Caribbean Cinderella. New York: 

Simon & Schuster. 

Stevens, J.R. (1993). Carlos and the 

squash plant. Flagstaff, AZ: Rising Moon. 

Terasaki, S.T. (2002). Ghosts for breakfast. 


Wilson-Max, K. (2001). Max’s starry night. 

New York: Jump-at-the-Sun. 

Jubilant Family Gatherings 

Crews, D. (1991). Bigmama’s. 

New York: Greenwillow. 

Dorros, A. (1995). Isla. New York: Dutton. 

Lin, G. (2004). Fortune cookie fortunes. 


Lopez, L. (1997).The birthday swap. 


Louie, T.O. (2002). Raymond’s perfect 

present. New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Miller, W. (2001). Rent party jazz. New York: 

Lee & Low Books. 

Mora, P. (1997). A birthday basket for Tia. 

New York: Aladdin Library. 

Polacco, P. (1998). When lightening comes 

in a jar. New York: Philomel. 

Rylant, C. (1993). The relatives came. 

New York: Aladdin Books. 

Soto, G. (1996). Too many tamales. 

New York: Puffin. 

Steptoe, J. (2003). The Jones family 

express. New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Woodson, J. (1997). We had a picnic this 

Sunday past. New York: Hyperion. 

Nurturing a Sense of Belonging 

in Families 

Buehner, C. (2001). I want to say I love you. 

New York: Phyliss Fogelman Books. 

Cosby, B. (1999). The worst day of my life. 


Curtis, J.L. (1996). Tell me again about the 

night I was born. New York: HarperTrophy. 

Ho, M. (1997). Hush! A Thai lullaby. 

New York: Orchard. 

Hooks, B. (2003). Homemade love. 

New York: Jump-at-the-Sun. 

Johnson, A. (1997). Daddy calls me man. 

New York: Orchard Books. 

Katz, K. (1997). Over the moon: 

An adoption tale. New York: Henry Holt. 

Lin, G. (2001). Dim sum for everyone. 


Mora, P. (1994). Pablo’s tree. New York: 

Simon & Schuster. 

Polacco, P. (1998). The keeping quilt. 

New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Tsubakiyama, M.H. (1999). Mei-Mei loves 

the morning. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. 

Zolotow, C. (2000). Do you know what 

I’ll do? New York: HarperCollins. 

Respecting Families 

Alma, A.F. (2002). I love Saturdays y 

Domingos. New York: Atheneum. 

Cowan-Fletcher, J. (1993). It takes a village. 


Dooley, N. (1992). Everybody cooks rice. 

Minneapolis: Coralrhoda Books. 

English, K. (1999). Nadia’s hands. 

Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. 

Friedman, I.R. (1984). How my parents 

learned to eat. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 

Lindsey, K.D. (2003). Sweet potato pie. 


Monk, I. (1999). Hope. Minneapolis: 

Carolrhoda Books. 

Polacco, P. (1992). Mrs. Katz and Tush. 

New York: Dell. 

Rattigan, J.K. (1998). Dumpling soup. 

New York: Megan Tingley. 

Say, A. (1982). The bicycle man. Boston: 

Houghton Mifflin. 

Taylor, D.A. (2004). Sweet music in Harlem. 


Uff, C. (1999). Hello, Lulu. New York: Walker. 


References 

Bigner, J.J. (2002). Parent-child relations: 

An introduction to parenting (6th ed.). 

Columbus, OH: Merrill/Prentice-Hall. 

Brewer, J.A. (2001). Introduction to early 

childhood education: Preschool through 

primary grades (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn 

& Bacon. 

Brinson, S.A. (2002). Live to read. TOP: 

Tips on Parenting, 4(4): 4-5. 

Coerr, E. (1986). The Josafina story quilt. 

New York: HarperCollins. 

Eldridge, D. (2001). Parent involvement: It’s 

worth the effort. Young Children, 56(4): 

65-69. 

Farran, D.C. (2001). Decisonmaking in a 

multiple-choice world. Young Children, 56 

(2): 76-77. 

Flournoy, V. (1985). The patchwork quilt. 

New York: Dial. 

Gann, C. (2001). A spot of our own: The 

cultural relevancy, anti-bias resource 

room. Young Children, 56(6): 34-36. 

Greenberg, J. (2001). “She is so my real 

mom!” Helping children understand 

adoption as one form of diversity. Young 

Children, 56(2): 90-93. 

Hoberman, M.A. (1991). Fathers, mothers, 

sisters, brothers: A collection of family 

poems. New York: Puffin. 

Hoffman, M. (1995). Boundless Grace. 


Huntsinger, C.S., Huntsinger, P.R., Ching, 

W., & Lee, C. (2000). Understanding 

cultural contexts fosters sensitive caregiving 

of Chinese American children. 

Young Children, 55(6): 7-15. 

Pena, D. (2000). Parent involvement: Influencing 

factors and implications. Journal 

of Educational Research, 94(1): 42-54. 

Present at SECA 2006 

57th Annual Conference 

SOUTHERN EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION • February 2-4, 2006 • Nashville, TN 

POSTMARK DEADLINE: September 1, 2005 

The Southern Early Childhood Association serves the needs of professionals, paraprofessionals, parents, and others in early childhood 

education and care. The planning committee for the 2006 conference seeks sessions on innovative practical experiences, programs, and 

applied research in the following areas: 

• Leadership/Professional Growth: conference planning affiliate activities, ethics, staff development, supervision, self-evaluation, 

philosophy, professional issues, dilemmas, program administration. 

• Curriculum Trends: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, High/Scope, year-round school, multi-age, learning experiences, portfolio/assessment, 

curriculum ideas for all ages, technology. 

• Crisis Intervention and Management: safety in schools and the workplace, violence prevention, effects of violence, trauma and 

families, mental health, anger management, conflict resolution. 

• Behavior and Guidance: classroom management, positive guidance, self-esteem, developmental characteristics, techniques for 

guidance, working with parents. 

• Teacher Preparation: Head Start, CDA, school-age programs, 4-year-old programs, military programs, teacher development, staff 

relations, certifications, technology. 

• Diversity: gender, race, culture, language trends, research and issues. 

• Family Interventions: Parents as Teachers, HIPPY, Teacher/Parent conferences, stepfamilies, domestic violence, crisis in families, 

parent meetings and education, literacy, grandparenting. 

• Learning Differences: challenged children and families, inclusion, multiple intelligences, giftedness. 

• Public Policy: advocacy, grants, nonprofit programs, networking federal, state, and local initiatives. 

• Community Collaboration: mentoring, community projects, resource and referral, early intervention, community activities. 

• Standards and Guidelines: health issues and trends, licensure, trends in medication, nutrition, chronically ill children, accreditation 

programs and updates, credentials, assessment. 

Go to www.SouthernEarlyChildhood.org to download the Request for Proposals 

or call 1-800-305-SECA (7322) to request a faxed or mailed copy. 


The Board of Directors of the Southern Early Childhood Association 

is committed to ensuring that SECA is a representative and 

open organization that welcomes those who wish to serve. Nominations 

of candidates for SECA President-Elect may be made by: 

❒ State or local affiliates ❒ Individuals or groups 

❒ Nominees themselves 

In Memoriam 

Jeanne Mack Gilley, Ph.D., retired Professor and Dean Emeritus, College of Human Ecology, Louisiana 

Tech University, and a Past President of the Southern Early Childhood Association died on February 25, 2005. 

A widely known educator and scholar in the area of early childhood education, Dr. Gilley taught at 

Louisiana Tech University from 1973 to 1981 and served as Dean of the College of Human Ecology from 

1981 until 1996. She received the Louisiana Tech University Alumni Foundation Professorship Award in 

1978 and was named Dean Emeritus upon her retirement. 

Dr. Gilley was active in professional organizations in the home economics and early childhood fields. She 

served as President of the Southern Early Childhood Association from 1977 to 1978 and as chairperson of the 

Editorial Board of Dimensions of Early Childhood. She also served as president of the Louisiana Early Childhood 

Association (LAECA), the SECA affiliate in Louisiana, in 1973. 

Jeanne Gilley was an outstanding educator who cared about the education and foundation of children and 

their families. She dedicated her professional efforts to the improvement of their lives. In addition to serving 

on numerous state committees concerned with children, Dr. Gilley served as laboratory school director at 

three different Louisiana universities and enjoyed visiting and interacting with children and their families at 

the Louisiana Tech University Early Childhood Education Center. 

In recognition of her efforts on behalf of the Louisiana Early Childhood Association, a scholarship was 

established in her name. Contributions in honor of Dr. Gilley may be made to: 

LAECA 

Jeanne Mack Gilley Scholarship 

P.O. Box 433 

Swartz, LA 71281 

Nominate SECA’s Next President-Elect 

At least two candidates for President-Elect are selected each 

election cycle. Nominations must be received by the SECA office 

by September 1, 2005. The SECA Nominating Committee will 

interview prospective candidates and make the final selection of 

the official candidates for SECA President-Elect. 

To nominate a person for consideration by the SECA Nominating 

Committee, follow these steps: 

STEP ONE: Consider these criteria before selecting a candidate: 

❒ The office of President-Elect is a commitment of four years. 

One year is served on the Board as President-Elect, two years as 

President and one year as Immediate Past-President. 

❒ During the years as President, travel to state conferences to 

represent the Association is expected. The majority of this travel 

comes in the months of September and October. 

❒ The SECA Board of Directors meets twice a year, a full 

week in the spring at annual conference and three days in the fall. 

Additionally, the Executive Committee of the Board meets a 

weekend in the summer of each year. 

❒ The SECA President is responsible for ensuring the efficient 

operation of the Association and communicates weekly, biweekly 

or monthly with the Executive Director and the Board. 

❒ The SECA President must be a diplomat, manager and 

leader. Leadership experiences at the state affiliate level and with 

other organizations is necessary for the SECA President to be successful 

during his/her tenure. 

❒ The SECA President must be committed to the mission 

and goals of the organization and familiar with the products and 

services provided to SECA members. 

STEP TWO: Submit these documents by September 1, 2005: 

1. A letter of nomination stating why you think the nominee 

should be considered for the position of President-Elect. If this is 

a self-nomination, you should state why you would like to serve 

and what skills you bring as a candidate. The letter should be 

addressed to Phil Acord, Chair, SECA Nominating Committee. 

2. A current vita or resume of the nominee should be submitted. 

Be sure to include all volunteer work with the SECA state 

affiliate and other related organizations. 

STEP THREE: Send all nomination materials by 

September 1, 2005 to: 

SECA Nominating Committee 

PO Box 55930 • Little Rock, AR 72215-5930 

The Nominating Committee will notify nominees who are to 

be interviewed by October 15, 2005. 

The strength of an organization is its leadership, and you can 

make a difference today. Help SECA select its next President! 


How do teachers help children learn to share? To follow classroom routines? 

To prepare for schedule changes? Teachers who write social stories help children 

develop social skills for almost any situation. 

Social Stories: 

Tools to Teach Positive Behaviors 

Sharon A. Lynch and Cynthia G. Simpson 

Teachers and families have used stories to teach social 

behaviors and values to children for generations. Written 

in the eighth century B.C.E, Aesop’s Fables are stories that 

illustrate morals and values. For at least the last century, 

adults have used similar stories to help children learn to 

understand themselves and others, as well as to address 

feelings that would otherwise be difficult to articulate. 

Gray introduced social stories to teach young children 

with autism how to negotiate social 

settings (Gray, 1995, 2000). This use 

of stories typically is referred to as 

bibliotherapy (Pardeck, 1995). More 

recently, some teachers have begun 

using social stories with typically 

developing young children to teach 

both social and self-help behaviors. 

This practice has proven especially beneficial because 

many children without identified disabilities may exhibit 

social deficits that can lead to rejection or isolation 

(Gut & Sufran, 2002). 

A number of children in classrooms today may not 

have experienced appropriate role models of behavior. 

Other children may not have learned social skills incidentally 

in their environment and need more direct 

instruction. Deficits in social abilities also may be linked 

to developmental, biological, emotional, familial, economic, 

cultural, ethnic, or peer group factors (Coleman 

& Lindsay, 1992). In addition, there are children who 

understand appropriate social behavior but may not 

have transferred this knowledge into practice. 

All of these needs can be addressed through the use 

of social stories. Most children can benefit from the use 

of social stories because the technique can be adapted 

for a wide range of children in a variety of settings 

(Rowe, 1999). Social stories have been demonstrated to 

When teachers notice 

difficulty with social 

situations, they write a 

social story. 

be effective in addressing social skills in inclusive settings 

as well (Gut & Sufran, 1992). 

What Is a Social Story? 

A social story is a written narrative that specifically 

tells how to negotiate a problem situation. When teachers 

notice that children have difficulty with social situations, 

they write a story to communicate how others successfully 

behave in the specific situation. 

Miles and Simpson (2001) point 

out that social stories are ways of 

teaching children the “hidden curriculum” 

of the school: the do’s and don’ts 

of everyday behavior that seldom are 

taught directly but that everyone is 

expected to know. 

Sharon A. Lynch, Ed.D., is Associate Professor of Special 

Education, Department of Language, Literacy, and Special 

Populations, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, 

Texas. She has extensive experience as a speech-language 

pathologist, educational diagnostician, and special educator 

in public schools. Dr. Lynch teaches courses in assessment 

and inclusion of young children and is an affiliate representative 

for the Sam Houston Association for the Education of 

Young Children. 

Cynthia G. Simpson, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Education, 

Department of Language, Literacy, and Special Populations, 

Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. Dr. 

Simpson spent many years in the special education community 

in the public schools as a teacher and diagnostician as 

well as the owner and director of a private preschool. At the 

university level, she teaches courses in preschool inclusion 

and assessment. She is treasurer for the Texas Association for 

the Education of Young Children and is on the advisory 

board for the Texas Educational Diagnostician Association. 


Examples of topics that teachers 

have written stories about for children 

are how to sit and listen during 

circle time, how to share toys, and 

how to use a tissue. The teacher 

examines how other children successfully 

perform these actions and 

then writes the sequence of steps in 

the form of a story. 

Stories can be illustrated with 

children’s own drawings, pictures, 

cartoons, or photographs. With very 

young children or those children 

with significant disabilities, it is 

often preferable to use realistic photographs. 

When teachers take photographs 

in the classroom and 

school, it promotes transfer to the 

actual situation. Photographs also 

are available in recycled magazines 

and clip art is readily found on the 

Internet (see box). 

Internet Sources for Clip Art 

Barry’s Clip Art Server 

http://www.barrysclipart.com/ 

Clip Art.Com 

http://www.clip-art.com/ 

Clip Art Connection 

http://clipartconnection.com/ 

Clip Art Centre 

http://clip-art.easy-interactive.com/ 

Clip Art Universe 

Backgrounds and symbols 

http://nzwwa.com/mirror/clipart/index.html 

Discovery School.com 

http://school.discovery.com/clipart/ 

How Does a Teacher 

Write a Social Story? 

The development of a social story 

begins with selecting the social situation 

that needs to be addressed, 

observing how children successfully 

behave in the setting, and jotting 

down the steps they engage in on a 

notepad. Gray (2000) recommended 

that the sentences in social stories 

follow a specific sequence. 


Most children can benefit from the use of social stories because the technique can be 

adapted for a wide range of children in a variety of settings. 

Free Clip Art 

http://www.venturnet.com/clipart/ 

#1 Free Clip Art 

http://www.1clipart.com/ 

Kid’s Domain 

http://www.kidsdomain.com/clip/ 

Microsoft Office Online 

http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/defau 

lt.aspx 

Photos.com 

http://www.photos.com/en/ 

Webplaces.com 

http://www.webplaces.com/search/ 

• First, the teacher writes two to 

five sentences describing what 

adults and children do in the 

social situation. These are 

known as descriptive sentences. 

• Next, the writer develops a sentence 

to describe a child’s 

appropriate response using positive, 

observable terms. This is 

the directive sentence. 

• After the directive sentence, the 

teacher develops the perspective 

sentence that tells others’ reactions 

to the situation so that 

children can understand the 

viewpoint of others. 

• The teacher can insert an affirmative 

sentence that expresses a 

commonly shared value or 

opinion such as, “This is very 

important.” 

• The last step involves the child 

and teacher reading the story 

together to develop the ending 

or control sentence. The control 

sentence helps the child to 

remember what to do in the 

social situation. It typically 

begins with the phrase, “I will 

try to remember to...” 


Describe only positive 

behaviors and 

responses. 

Gray (2000) recommends that 

teachers write from two to five 

descriptive, perspective, and/or 

affirmative sentences for every control 

sentence. The control sentence 

stresses that the child “will try to 

remember to...” rather than “must 

remember to....” 

The writer does not describe 

negative behaviors in the social 

story, but rather describes only positive 

behaviors and responses. The 

vocabulary is simple and easily 

understood by children. With 

young children, the teacher can 

make the social story into a book 

with one sentence and picture per 

page. It then can be bound and 

laminated for durability. Hagiwara 

and Myles (1999) used computer 

technology with a slide show to 

share social stories. 

Steps in Writing a Social Story 


With very young children or those children with significant disabilities, it often is 

preferable to use realistic photographs. When teachers take photographs in the classroom 

and school, it promotes transfer to the actual situation. 

Types of Skills That Can 

Be Addressed 

Recently an increase in the use of 

social stories within the context of 

the general education classroom has 

emerged. Practitioners began to realize 

that many children, those identified 

with disabilities as well as their 

typically developing peers, exhibit 

inappropriate behaviors that arise 

from lack of social competence and 

social understanding. Such behaviors 

frequently lead to the social 

exclusion of these children by their 

peer groups (Gut & Safran, 1992). 

Social deficits are likely to be 

“detected in the general education 

classroom, and teachers must be 

1.Write two to five sentences describing what people do in a social situation. 

(descriptive sentences) 

2.Write one sentence to describe the child’s appropriate behavior. 

Use positive terms. (directive sentence) 

3.Write one sentence to describe others’ reactions to the situation to give 

another person’s perspective of the behavior. (perspective sentence) 

4.Write a sentence expressing a commonly shared value or opinion. 

(affirmative sentence—optional) 

5.Read the social story with the child and together develop a sentence to help 

the child to remember what to do in the social situation. (control sentence) 

prepared with intervention strategies 

that will allow infusion of social 

skills instruction into the existing 

curriculum” (Gut & Safran, 1992, 

p. 89). Social stories can assist practitioners 

in helping children to 

understand and develop appropriate 

behaviors within the structure of 

daily routines. 

Practitioners use social stories to 

address skills manifested within the 

day such as taking turns, transitioning 

between activities or events, 

assembly behaviors, winning and losing, 

receiving and accepting gifts, following 

whole-class directions, listening 

during group time, being first, 

and greeting friends (Howley, 2000). 

Additional skills that might be 

addressed are remaining calm during 

fire drills, going through the lunch 

line, accepting grades, and recognizing 

the cues of others when expressing 

boredom, interest, or excitement. 


Social stories can be used to provide children with advance information on how to cope with situations. 

An Example of a 

Social Story 

Several children in a class may 

exhibit problem behaviors when a 

change in routine occurs; this especially 

holds true for children with 

mild disabilities. For instance, the 

presence of a substitute teacher may 

cause an elevated level of concern in 

the classroom and leave children 

unable to cope with the change in 

routine. Social stories can be used to 

provide children with advance information 

on how to cope with this situation 

(Gut & Safran, 1992). The 

following is an example of a social 

story that could be easily illustrated. 

Listening to the Substitute Teacher 

My teacher, Ms. Kay, reads books 

to the class. She helps us learn new 

things every day at school. 

Sometimes Ms. Kay is away and 

another teacher comes to our class. 

The new teacher helps us learn, 

too. 

Sometimes the new teacher helps 

my friends and me at the same 

time. 

Examples of Social Stories Published on the Internet 

http://www.thegraycenter.org/sample_social_stories.htm 

http://home.swbell.net/jim-rand/examples_of_social_stories.html 

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mdenoncourt/ss.htm 

http://www.geocities.com/denisev2/social_stories.html 

http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/autismservices/Social_Story/social_stories.htm 

http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/demo/kckpreschool/accommodations/ideas.html 


We call it working in small groups. 

It is important to look at the 

teacher and listen when we are in 

small groups. 

This is because she is helping us 

learn new things that are important. 

The new teacher knows I am paying 

attention when I look and listen 

to her in small groups. 

I will try to remember to look and 

listen to the teacher when we work 

in small groups. 

How to Use a Social 

Story in the Classroom 

Teachers of young children 

have experienced success in using 

social stories within the context of 

their curriculum (Gut & Safran, 

2002). These are the steps that are 

often followed: 

• Generally, the teacher presents 

the social story to the class during 

circle time or during a regularly 

scheduled story-reading period. 


Types of Illustrations for Social Stories 

Photographs taken in the classroom or school 

Children’s own illustrations 

Photographs 

Original art 

Line drawings 

Clip art 

PowerPoint ® slideshow with photographs or clip art 

Picture communication symbols (available from 

Mayer-Johnson http://www.mayer-johnson.com) 

Cartoons with captions 

• The teacher and children discuss 

the story and practice the 

social skill that it presents. 

• Prior to experiencing the situation 

described in the social 

story, the teacher reminds the 

children about the skill that 

they learned in their story. 

• Finally, the teacher reminds the 

children to use the skill during the 

daily routine until it is learned. 

• For those children who have significant 

needs in the area of social 

skills, individualized reading of 

the social story and frequent 

practice often are necessary. 

Through the use of social stories, 

children learn what they are supposed 

to do in daily situations that 

they encounter. These important 

skills promote children’s successful 

adjustment to classrooms and the 

community. When children are 

taught appropriate behaviors, everyone 

benefits: child, classmates, 

teacher, parents, and community. 

References 

Aesop’s Fables. Retrieved February 25, 

2004, from http://www.tomsdomain.com/ 

aesop/aesopmain.htm 

Coleman, W.L., & Lindsay, R.L. (1992). 

Social skill deficits in older children 

and adolescents: Their description, 

assessment, and management. The 

Pediatric Clinics of North America, 

39(3), 551-567. 

Gray, C. (1995). Teaching children with 

autism to “read” social situations. In K. 

Quill (Ed.),Teaching children with 

autism: Strategies to enhance communication 

and socialization, (pp. 219-241). 

Albany, NY: Delmar. 

Gray, C. (2000). Writing social stories with 

Carol Gray [Videotape and workbook]. 

Arlington, TX: Future Horizons. 

Gut, D., & Safran, S. (2002). Cooperative 

learning and social stories: Effective social 

skills strategies for reading teachers. Reading 

and Writing Quarterly, 18(2): 87-91. 

Hagiwara, T., & Miles, B.S. (1999). A 

multimedia social story intervention: 

Teaching skills to children with autism. 

Focus on Autism and Other Developmental 

Disabilities, 14(2): 82-95. 

Howley, H. (2000). Using social stories to 

promote the inclusion of pupils with 

autism spectrum disorders into mainstream 

settings. Retrieved February 28, 

2004, from http://www.isec2000.org.uk/ 

abstracts/papers_h-howley_1.htm 

Miles, B.S., & Simpson, R.L. (2001). 

Understanding the hidden curriculum: 

An essential social skill for children and 

youth with Asperger Syndrome. 

Intervention in School and Clinic, 

36(5): 279-286. 

Pardeck, J. (1995). Bibliotherapy: An 

innovative approach for helping 

children. Early Childhood Development 

and Care, 110: 83-88. 

Rowe, C. (1999). Do social stories benefit 

children with autism in mainstream 

primary schools? British Journal of 

Special Education, 26(1): 12-14. 

Thank You, Reviewers 

SECA expresses its appreciation to these experts who reviewed the articles that appear in this issue: 

Florie Babcock 

Carolyn Spence Cagle 

Linda Christian 

Pamela Davis 

E. Anne Eddowes 

Janet Foster 

Rebecca McMahon Giles 

Marcy Preiss Guddemi 

Janie Humphries 

Mary Ruth Isaacs 

Brenda Jackson 

Stacy Larson 

Gloria Foreman McGee 

Beth Nason Quick 

Christine A. Readdick 

Emily Schmidt 

Anne Stanberry 


Strategies to Support Children 

Summer Carnival: “We did it ourselves!” 



It was mid July in a summer program for schoolagers. 

The staff had already organized and completed many 

activities and taken numerous field trips for their 

charges who were mostly 6 through 8 years old. Yet, the 

children were already echoing the familiar, “I’m bored,” 

that every parent has heard. On one of those lazy Southern 

afternoons, following a morning at the swimming 

pool, the teacher was brainstorming with the children 

what they could do after their snack. One of the boys 

brought up a carnival that they had had during the 

spring at their school. 

“But we didn’t get to do anything!” he exclaimed. 

“They did it for us. All we did was play the games.” 

Questioning him more about the school carnival, the 

teacher learned that the parents had put on the carnival 

for the children, and with the best of intentions, they had 

Nancy P. Alexander is Executive Director of the Northwestern 

State University Child and Family Network in Shreveport, 

Louisiana. She is the author of Early Childhood Workshops 

That Work: The Essential Guide to Successful Training 

and Workshops published by Gryphon House and available 

through SECA. 

Permission is granted to reproduce this article to distribute 

to parents or to use for staff training provided credit is given 

to SECA and Nancy P. Alexander. 


planned and designed all of the 

games, competitions, cake walks, 

auctions, and even selected the food. 

“Hey, I have an idea!” added one 

of the girls. “Why don’t we have a 

carnival here? We can have it on 

the playground.” 

The astute teacher was knowledgeable 

about the need to give 

schoolagers choices and make use of 

their ideas. She also knew that when 

activity ideas came from the children, 

they were much more apt to follow 

through and be involved than when 

the activity was imposed upon them 

or even suggested by an adult. 

Taking advantage of the expressed 

interest, the teacher produced paper 

and pencils and began to assist the 

children in making plans. Her role 

was to ask questions to help the 

children think about what they 

could do and to consider ways to 

carry out their plans and to accomplish 

their goals. 

She asked questions such as, 

“When do you think we can have 

it?” and “Who will we invite?” After 

each question, there was considerable 

discussion and in time a group 

consensus was reached. Then she 

proceeded to the “What will we 

do?” and “What will we have to 

eat?” questions. By then, more children 

had joined the group and were 

eagerly contributing to the plans. 

The carnival planning filled the rest 

of the day, and each child involved 

went home to think about ideas to 

plan the carnival. 

The children arrived eagerly the 

next day, excited about the plans they 

were making. One boy brought a 

game book to share ideas for games. 

Another brought a magazine with 

easy-to-make snacks to use as a 

resource for planning the food. One 

of the girls had made a list of the carnival 

games she remembered from 

school activities in the past. 

As the children worked, still others 

were drawn to the activity. Soon 

a suggestion of forming committees 

was made and the children broke 

up into small groups to focus on 

separate aspects of the carnival. 

Each committee selected a chairperson, 

who took his/her job very seriously. 

When groups did not reach 

consensus, votes were taken to 

decide the issues. 

The teacher continued to support 

the planning, through her interest 

and questions. She did not tell the 

children what to do, but constantly 

asked “how” and “what” questions, 

encouraging the children to think 

for themselves. The planning took 

most of the week, and then it was 

time to begin the construction of the 

games. The game committee gathered 

cardboard boxes, tempera paint, 

markers, masking tape, and all the 

other supplies needed to make the 

carnival games. 

The committee designated to 

select the prizes went with a chaperone 

on a purchasing trip to a local 

discount store. The program director 

gave them a maximum amount 

they could spend. Much addition 

and multiplication had to be done 

to purchase as much as possible with 

the funds available. 

A similar task befell the food 

committee. They came up with a 

Plan A List for what they most wanted 

to get and a Plan B List in case 

the cost of any of the first list items 

too high. 

Another committee made posters 

and invitations, making use of the literacy 

skills they had learned in school. 

After the nearly 3 weeks of 

preparation, the day finally came to 

hold the carnival. The children had 

decided to have the parents attend 

and bring younger siblings. And as 

the cliché goes, a good time was had 

by all. 

The carnival activity kept these 

schoolagers very involved for almost 

3 weeks. And what skills they 

learned! The committee work, the 

planning and follow through, the 

organizing and problem solving, and 

the cooperation and collaboration 

are skills that they will need even as 

adults in the workforce. 

The boy who initiated the idea 

with his statement about the school 

carnival of “They did it for us. All 

we did was play the games,” 

summed up the success of the summer 

carnival when he stated afterward, 

“This was the most fun 

because we did it ourselves!” 


Book Reviews 

Books for Early Childhood Educators 

by E. Anne Eddowes, Editor 

Empowering Parents, Families, 

Schools and Communities During 

the Early Childhood Years by Kevin 

J. Swick. Champaign, IL: Stipes 

Publishing, 2004. 262 pp., $26.80. 

Swick, who is Professor of Early 

Childhood Education at the University 

of South Carolina in Columbia, 

has published more than 100 articles 

and 20 books and monographs on 

parent and family issues. In this 

book, he utilizes an empowerment 

approach, an ecological framework, 

and a partnership focus in describing 

collaborative work with parents, 

families, schools, and communities. 

Based on research and theoretical 

perspectives, the book contains eight 

chapters filled with strategies and 

tools to build positive partnerships. 

Swick draws upon the work of 

Bronfenbrenner, Maslow, Erikson, 

Brazelton, and Greenspan, as well as 

Comer, Epstein, Noddings, Honig, 

Lawrence-Lightfoot, and others. 

There is a clear emphasis on how 

programs can be effective in collaborative 

and partnership efforts with 

families and communities. 

Each chapter contains tables, lists 

of references, and Web sites with 

resources for agencies, organizations, 

national programs, and projects. 

The entire last chapter is dedicated 

to resources on building collaborative 

relationships. 

Chapter content includes: understanding 

and relating to the needs of 

children; understanding parents and 

families; needs and strengths of 

diverse families; parenting and parent 

education; building strong partnerships; 

communication concepts 

and strategies; involving community 

groups in partnerships; and 

resources for strengthening and 

renewing family, school, community 

involvement, and partnerships. 

One unique feature of the book is 

the discussion of how families, 

schools, and communities collaboratively 

help facilitate children’s efforts 

to become engaged and responsive 

life-long learners. Other noteworthy 

features are information on the 

importance of play, ways to create 

caring environments for children, 

and relationship-building processes. 

Swick also includes important 

sections on working with families in 

high-risk situations and working 

with families whose children have 

special needs. The author’s expertise 

is clear in the discussions of parenting 

and parent education. Chapter 4 

gives teachers a wealth of resources 

for creating, nurturing, and maintaining 

positive partnerships with 

children, families, and communities. 

Chapter 6 provides helpful 

information on parent conferences, 

newsletters, home visits, and effective 

group programs, as well as sample 

topics for group meetings. 

Throughout the book, Swick identifies 

strategies, tools, and resources for 

teachers to use in strengthening partnerships. 

The book is an easy read for 

students, seasoned professionals, new 

teachers, parents, and community 

members. It can be used as a textbook 

or resource guide for anyone committed 

to collaborative partnerships. It is 

a very appropriate book for SECA 

members and should be on everyone’s 

shelves. Happy reading. 

—Stephen B. Graves 

Professor of Early 

Childhood Education 

University of South Florida,Sarasota 

Creative Construction of Mathematics 

and Science Concepts in 

Early Childhood by Nancy L. Gallenstein. 

Olney, MD: Association 

for Childhood Education International, 

2003. 96 pp., $22.00 

($14.00 members). 

Concepts are the building blocks 

of knowledge. Gallenstein begins 

her introduction by reminding the 

reader that young children (ages 3 to 

8) understand best when they are 

active participants in learning. Further, 

many concepts children develop 

in their daily interactions with 

materials are basic to both mathematics 

and science. One-to-one correspondence, 

number patterning, 

sets, comparison, classification, 

communication, counting, measurement, 

and graphing are but a 

few concepts learned through play 

and skillful teacher facilitation. 

The purpose of this book is to provide 

“pre-service and in-service teachers 

with an explanation of teaching 

models that promote critical thinking, 

problem solving, decision making, 

and cooperative learning through 

creative construction of mathematics 

and science concepts” (p. 5). 


This book contains five tightly 

connected chapters, each with several 

lesson plans illustrating the teaching 

concept developed and explained 

within. Gallenstein begins with a 

chapter briefly describing the nature 

of mathematics and science, and how 

children acquire concepts according 

to the cognitive theories: Piaget’s 

constructivism, Bruner’s representation 

of knowledge, and Gardner’s 

theory of multiple intelligences. 

Gallenstein also addresses the 

importance of problem solving in 

developing concepts. The chapter is 

a bit unusual because it includes a 

section on affective issues related to 

learning, as well as the importance 

of making learning meaningful 

through activities such as play, use 

of puzzles and games, interaction 

with others (Vygotsky), subject integration, 

and meaningful learning. 

Chapters two through four 

address three different models for 

lesson planning with which teachers 

need to be familiar for their teaching 

of mathematics and science. 

These are the Learning Cycle 

Model, Concept Attainment Methods, 

and Concept Mapping, each of 

which can be used to develop different 

types of concepts. For example, 

Chapter Two describes the 

Learning Cycle Model, provides a 

lesson format for its use, and concludes 

with six model lesson plans. 

Each sample lesson indicates the age 

range of children for whom it 

would be appropriate as well as a 

list of necessary materials 

Chapter Three illustrates Concept 

Attainment Methods, beginning with 

a section on how concepts are 

formed, followed by nine examples of 

concept activities, each fully described 

and including suggestions for beginning 

and continuing dialogue 

between teacher and children. The 

chapter concludes with a list of more 

than 80 concepts that could be developed 

in an early childhood setting. 

Chapter Four addresses the 

model of Concept Mapping, or use 

of a visual chart or graph, as one 

way for teachers to help children 

modify their misconceptions about 

the world by linking new concepts 

to those previously learned, and 

clarifying connections between 

concepts. Gallenstein also suggests 

adjustments to the usual method of 

concept mapping in order for it to 

be used with children who are 

emerging readers and writers. She 

includes six sample activities 

where concept mapping could be 

used effectively. 

In Chapter Five, Gallenstein ties 

it all together in a review of the presented 

models, a reminder of the 

benefits of the models presented, 

and a reminder for teachers that 

concepts are acquired when they 

are understood. 

In summary, Nancy Gallenstein 

has written a very concise and userfriendly 

book for teachers looking 

for recommended practices for 

teaching mathematics and science to 

young children. This book could be 

very useful for university-level classes 

(upper division or master’s level). 

Supplementing it with teacher elaboration 

and class discussion would 

enlarge the teaching concepts presented. 

For less advanced students, 

it may be too dense and concise, and 

the reading level may be too high. 

Although not a quick read, this 

book would be a wonderful addition 

to a professional’s reference 

shelf because the contents are clearly 

laid out and illustrated with 

examples, making it easy to use. 

—Carole Campbell 

Adjunct Professor, 

University of Arizona, 

South Sierra Vista 

Correction: Betsy Broome of Christ Lutheran Preschool, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, wrote the book 

review of Listening to Children that appeared in the Winter 2005 issue of Dimensions. We regret the error. 

MEMORIALS 

Contributions in memory of the following individuals have been made to the Southern Early Childhood Association. 

Rich Scofield 

By Dr. Cathy Grace 

Ruth Ann Ball 

Paul Byrne 

By Dr. Pam Schiller 

Michael M. Montgomery 


Claire Riley 


Mary Buck 



Dimensions on CD 

Tired of trying to find the journal to make 

paper copies of Dimensions articles? You’ll now 

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Math, Science, and the Arts 


Early Literacy & 

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For a complete list of the articles 

included in each CD, go to 

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click on Dimensions, and you’ll find 

product information there. 

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quantities with discounts.)

New Release from 

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Mathematics for young children? 

Dr. Jean Shaw makes it simple to include basic 

mathematics concepts in your daily curriculum. 

Never thought you could teach algebra 

or geometry? Learn how to give your children 

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Social Stories - Southern Early Childhood Association

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