Why Temperament Matters: Guidance Strategies for Young Children

Why Temperament Matters: Guidance Strategies for Young Children addresses early childhood behavior guidance strategies related to children’s specific temperament traits. There are nine temperament traits that influence a child’s behavior: Activity Level, Distractibility, Persistence, Adaptability, Approach/Withdrawal, Intensity, Regularity, Sensory Awareness, Mood. All nine temperament traits are grouped into three major categories of personality: easy/flexible, feisty/spirited, and slow-to-warm-up/sensitive. This book provides specific ideas about how a child care provider can adjust the early childhood program and environment to meet the individual needs of each child’s temperament. There is a specific emphasis on children who fall into the feisty/spirited or the slow-to-warm-up/sensitive categories because they are often the ones who are expelled with challenging behaviors. Why Temperament Matters explains where challenging behaviors may originate in temperament and provides strategies for meeting temperament needs that prevent or lessen challenging behaviors.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Why Temperament Matters! Chapter 2: Guiding Through Each Child’s Strengths Chapter 3: Activity Level—The Need for Speed Chapter 4: Distractibility—Paying Too Much Attention or No Attention at All Chapter 5: Persistence—Patient or Stubborn? Chapter 6: Adaptability—Resisting or Embracing Change Chapter 7: Approach/Withdrawal—Quick to Join or Wait to See Chapter 8: Intensity—Use Your Quiet Voice Chapter 9: Regularity—How Does My Engine Run? Chapter 10: Sensory Awareness—Too Hot, Too Cold, or Just Right Chapter 11: Mood—Sunny or Cloudy Day Chapter 12: Guidance Strategies for Temperament Types—Putting the Pieces Together!

About the Author :
Cindy Croft, M.A., is the founding director of the Center for Inclusive Child Care and has worked in the early childhood field for more than 25 years. She provides technical assistance and training to early childhood educators on adapting their physical and emotional environments to meet children’s specific behavioral needs. Cindy is also the author of Caring for Young Children with Special Needs.

Review :
“This book is a must-read for both early childhood professionals and parents. Its focus on research, the importance of the adult-child relationship, and on practical strategies for supporting individuality in young children is foundational to high-quality early childhood education.” —Ann E. Bailey, PhD, director, Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota “Understanding our own temperament traits, and those of the children in our program, is an important foundation of understanding for us to best meet children where they are and support their development. This book provides practical knowledge to better understand children and provides strategies to assure their success.” —Christine Bentley, director of education and employment, Fraser “Drawing on her years of direct experience in the early childhood field, Ms. Croft provides a well-laid out and in-depth guide to temperament traits and how child care providers/programs can focus their practice to address or prevent behavior challenges. She includes important reminders about how a provider’s own temperament can influence their practice and the lens through which they see the children in their care.” —Ann McCully, executive director, Child Care Aware of Minnesota