Education for a Civil Society: Teaching Young Children to Gain Five Democratic Life Skills, Second Edition

Learning to Work Cooperatively and Respectfully with Others 

Democratic life skills are skills that enable all of us—children and adults alike—to be caring, thoughtful members of families, schools, communities, and societies. But these emotional and social skills don’t just happen. Teachers and families support and nudge young children toward them, using guidance techniques that calm and teach. 
Completely updated and revised, the second edition of this classic resource provides relatable anecdotes and practical strategies for teachers to understand 

• Why building secure relationships with children and families is so important—and eight communication practices to build them 
• How viewing misbehavior as mistaken behavior allows you to focus on helping a child learn better ways to meet their needs 
• When and how to use specific guidance practices to promote children’s healthy personal development and social cooperation 
• How an encouraging learning community helps everyone move toward achieving their potential 

Whether you’re a veteran teacher or just embarking on your teaching journey, you’ll find what you need in this book to provide young children with a solid foundation for their—and society’s—future. 

 

List of contents

Dedication 

Acknowledgments 

About the Author 

A Semi-Lively Introduction 

Chapter 1: Roots and Shoots: The Democratic Life Skills and Progressive Education 

Chapter 2: Teaching for Healthy Brain Development: Motivation, Guidance, and  

Developmentally Appropriate Practice for All 

Chapter 3: The Community of Relationships: Unmanageable Stress and the Centrality of Secure Relationships 

Chapter 4: The Substance Chapter: A Guide to Studying the Democratic Life Skills in Practice 

Chapter 5: The Foundational Skill: DLS 1: Finding a Place as a Member of the Group and as a Worthy Individual 

Chapter 6: The Pivotal Skill: Expressing Strong Emotions in Nonhurting Ways 

Chapter 7: The Learning Skill: Solving Problems Creatively—Independently and in Cooperation with Others 

Chapter 8: The Inclusion Skill: Accepting Unique Human Qualities in Others 

Chapter 9: The Democracy Skill: Thinking Intelligently and Ethically 

Chapter 10: Teachers and the Democratic Life Skills 

Appendix 

Glossary 

References 

Index 

About the author

Dan Gartrell, EdD, Dan Gartrell is a former Head Start teacher for the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota. During the 1970s, Dan completed his master’s degree at Bemidji State University in northern Minnesota, where he was a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential adviser for the Child Development Training Program. Dan received his EdD from the University of North Dakota in 1977. For 40 years, Dan was director of the Child Development Training Program and professor of early childhood education at Bemidji State University. He is now a professor emeritus. 

Dan has written 30 articles that have appeared in Young Children, Teaching Young Children, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education, and Exchange. His column, Guidance Matters, appeared in Young Children from 2004 to 2015. 

 Dan is the author of seven books, including six editions of his textbook, A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom, and two NAEYC comprehensive membership selection books: The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Classrooms (2004) and Education for a Civil Society: How Guidance Teaches Young Children Democratic Life Skills (2012). 

 His books on guidance in early childhood education and guidance for early childhood leaders were published in 2017 and 2020 by Redleaf Press. 

 Dan has led over 300 presentations, keynotes, and master classes in 23 states; Washington, DC; Germany; and Mexico. About 20 times Dan has presented at NAEYC annual conferences and professional learning institutes. Dan is a member of two families that include wife, Dr. Julie Jochum, five adult children, and fifteen grandchildren. 

Summary

Learning to Work Cooperatively and Respectfully with Others 

Democratic life skills are skills that enable all of us—children and adults alike—to be caring, thoughtful members of families, schools, communities, and societies. But these emotional and social skills don’t just happen. Teachers and families support and nudge young children toward them, using guidance techniques that calm and teach. 

Completely updated and revised, the second edition of this classic resource provides relatable anecdotes and practical strategies for teachers to understand 

• Why building secure relationships with children and families is so important—and eight communication practices to build them 
• How viewing misbehavior as mistaken behavior allows you to focus on helping a child learn better ways to meet their needs 
• When and how to use specific guidance practices to promote children’s healthy personal development and social cooperation 
• How an encouraging learning community helps everyone move toward achieving their potential 

Whether you’re a veteran teacher or just embarking on your teaching journey, you’ll find what you need in this book to provide young children with a solid foundation for their—and society’s—future. 

 

Foreword

This book will be promoted via various NAEYC marketing efforts, including

·        Social media pages promotions (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest with a reach of over 200K followers)

·        Promotional emails

·        Advertisements in Young Children, Teaching Young Children, and Exchange magazines

·        NAEYC’s seasonal resource catalogs

·        A webinar presented by the author on a topic covered in the book soon after its publication

·        Advertising and selling the publication at various early childhood conferences and trade shows (NAEYC’s Annual Conferences, NAEYC’s Professional Learning Institutes, Zero to Three, etc.).     

Product details

• Authors: Dan Gartrell
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 04.07.2023, delayed
• EAN: 9781952331169
• ISBN: 978-1-952331-16-9
• No. of pages: 176
• Illustrations: 4-color figures, tables, and photos
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > Education system; EDUCATION / Classroom Management, Early childhood care & education, Pre-school & kindergarten, EDUCATION / Teaching / General