The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) has released “Understanding Temperament in Infants and Toddlers” (PDF handout or HTML), the 23rd brief in its What Works series.
Authors Lindsey T. Allard and Amy Hunter explain why temperament is important, provide clarifications about temperament, and explain how to use what you know about temperament to promote children’s positive social-emotional development and behavior. A Temperament Continuum handout called is included in the brief to help you analyze where your temperament is similar and different to the children you care for. Knowing that it is the adult who must adjust to make a good “fit,” you can use the suggestions included in the brief to create care strategies that provide the best possible experience for each child in your care.
Each CSEFEL What Works brief provides a summary of an effective practice (or practices) for supporting children’s social-emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors. Each brief describes practical strategies, provides references to more information about specific practices, and includes a one-page handout that highlights the major points of the brief.
