• Create a warm, nurturing physical environment and greet each child individually by name each day.
• Listen to children and encourage them to share and listen to others.
• Engage in one-to-one interactions with children on their level and face-to-face.
• Follow children’s lead and interests during play.
• Acknowledge children for their efforts and accomplishments.

• Building Positive Relationships with Young Children
• Promoting Positive Peer Social Interactions
• Social Emotional Tips for Families with Toddlers
• National Association for the Education of Young Children: Helping Children Play and Learn Together

• National Association for the Education of Young Children: The Role of Relationships in Early Childhood Education
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child: Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships
• Research Gate: Adult-Child Relationships in Early Childhood Programs

Children Read Alouds

Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan

This delightful and warm book is full of many examples of kindness and acts of love, describing the way our actions, small and significant, can make a positive impression on the hearts of others.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much.

The Center for Early Childhood Education: Building Positive Relationships with Young Children