(120) Speeches/Conference Papers (150)

In the future, as societies become more technologically demanding and families find less time for socializing their young, the power of the early childhood educator (ECE) will grow. The role must be professionalized. First and foremost, child development knowledge must be the foundation of ECE expertise. Within the curriculum, the building of prosocial skills and attitudes needs to become a primary goal of teacher training. Teachers-in-training will need courses in children's emotional and personal development and how these affect early learning, as well as some specialized intimate topics such as the intergenerational transmission of secure and insecure attachment patterns of young children with their caregivers. Parenting courses and practica with families, especially families under stress, will provide hands-on experience for teachers in training. Teachers in training must be challenged to grasp the implications of theoretical ideas. Knowledge about the subtle relationship between the domains of language and cognition is important, as well as an appreciation for dance, classical music, poetic rhythms, and painting. Finally, coursework on differences in cultural patterns of child rearing and in treatment of children as a function of gender will empower teachers to become more aware of ethnic and gender differences and similarities. Contains 32 references. (EAJ) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.