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Supporting Early Childhood Teachers to Promote Children’s Social Competence: Components for Best Professional Development Practices

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Abstract

There is a growing recognition that young children’s social competence is critical because it is positively associated with their school readiness and academic success. However, professional development (PD) opportunities for early childhood teachers to enhance their roles in promoting young children’s social competence are limited. In this article, five key components of best PD on social competence for early childhood teachers are recommended. These include (1) identifying PD content based on participants’ contextual needs; (2) sequencing PD aligned with the positive behavior support framework; (3) providing opportunities for participants to receive feedback on their implementation; (4) guiding participants to reflect on their own practices; and (5) embracing socio-cultural perspectives throughout the PD.

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Correspondence to Heejeong Sophia Han.

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Han, H.S. Supporting Early Childhood Teachers to Promote Children’s Social Competence: Components for Best Professional Development Practices. Early Childhood Educ J 42, 171–179 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0584-7

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