Conflict Resolution in Early Childhood: Helping Children Understand, Manage, and Resolve Conflicts

This text examines the nature of conflict among 2- to 8-year-olds from a research-based, constructivist/ecological perspective - integrating themes of caring, building classroom community, connecting curriculum, involving family and community, and responding to the current educational climate. The author thoroughly discusses children's conflicts, emphasizing that peer and community culture make up the foundation for preventing and resolving conflict, and advocates teaching conflict resolution skills via a "three-layer-cake" of understanding, management, and resolution. Coverage presents ways to create a caring classroom - both in physical environment and curriculum, to work with other adults in a child's life, and to implement peer mediation. Throughout, the material stresses the need to understand all children in light of applicable theory and current "best practice" in culturally responsive and inclusive classrooms.

ONE: CHILDREN'S CONFLICTS WITH PEERS: A FIRST LOOK.

TWO: PEER CONFLICT AND CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT.

THREE: HELPING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND, MANAGE, AND RESOLVE CONFLICTS: “A THREE-LAYER CAKE.”

FOUR: SUPPORTING CHILDREN'S CONFLICT RESOLUTION BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION IN FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY.

• Chapter 12, Program Models for Conflict Resolution —Including discussion of ways to evaluate, adapt, and create conflict resolution/character education program models.

  • Gives current and prospective teachers the tools to compare current and future programs—helps them understand what to look for, how to adapt already-structured programs, and what it takes to create an effective, caring program to meet a specific goal.

• Chapter 11, Working with Families and Communities for Conflict Resolution —Exploring children's experiences within the family and community structure.

  • Offers strategies for addressing family/community conflicts that have an impact upon the classroom environment and children's peer interactions.

• A chapter on teachers' response to violence, peace education, and the need for safe environments—Placing children's classroom conflicts into a broader context of contemporary social issues.

  • Ensures students see children's classroom conflicts as the "microcosms" that they are—emphasizes the importance of teaching even the youngest learners how to resolve conflict peacefully, whether it's a simple playground scuffle or a nation-to-nation conflict.

• Real-life scenarios presenting conflicts from the point-of-view of both children and adults—Interspersed throughout the text.

  • Illustrate theories on which text-advocated strategies are based—gives readers a realistic glimpse into the types of conflicts children engage in, how children address conflict in the absence of adult intervention, and the difference adult understanding and guidance can make.

• Thinking about All Children sections emphasizing inclusive strategies—In every chapter.

  • Encourages future teachers to view children's conflict in context—helps them understand the influence of each child's culture, language, and ability; as well as age and emotional/social maturity.

• Teacher Talk sections with classroom examples and resources—In every chapter.

  • Engage students in building a repertoire of skills that they can take into their classrooms—offers ideas for working with children in preschool through Grade 3.

• Key Points, Summaries, Teacher as Researcher , and Application Assignments —In each chapter.

  • Assist readers to frame chapter content for maximum comprehension—provide the means for self-assessment of understanding, and serve as a handy study guide.