Separation often evokes feelings of fear and anxiety in all of us-children, parents, and teachers alike. Because the success or failure of early separation experiences can affect a child's movement toward independence, teachers and parents must know how to help young children cope with the unpleasant feelings sometimes associated with separation. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Nancy Balaban, Ed.D., is on the faculty of Bank Street College Graduate School, involved in educating graduate students to work both in Early Childhood Education and Infant and Parent Development and Early Intervention Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
1 Starting Early Care and Education: How Does It Feel?	1
What Might Children Be Feeling?	2
What Might Parents Be Feeling?	8
What Might Teachers Be Feeling?	13
The Impact of Separation Is Complex	15
2 The Meanings of Separation	16
Attachment: The Roots of Separation Feelings	17
How Attachment Develops	20
About Separating	24
3 Learning from Children's Behavior	29
Very Good Behavior	29
Delayed Reaction	32
Regressive Behaviors: Thumb Sucking, Eating, Wetting, Sleeping	33
Looking and Talking	37
Increased Dependence	41
Security Objects	42
Relations with Other Children	45
Coping Through Play	46
When Parents Return	52
Other Separation Reactions	54
How Observations Can Help	55
4 Using Curriculum to Cope with Separation	58
Children Who Are "Too Good"	60
Delayed Reaction: Children Who Are "Fine," Then Fall Apart	62
Is it Regression or Temperament?	64
Children with Special Needs	65
Adult Behaviors That Help Children Cope With Separation	68
Activities that Support Children	69
Beginning Days in a Program	78
Social Life	79
Encouraging Children's Competence	81
5 Parents and Teachers: Learning Together	85
Paving the Way	86
Children Are Strangers	89
Parents as a Source of Information	90
Providing Help for Parents and Children When the Program Begins	91
Parents in the Classroom	92
Parents Contribute to Children's Security	93
Teachers Also Experience Conflict	94
A Parents' Meeting Before the Program Opens	95
Fathers and Children	99
Varied Approaches to Helping Parents	102
Using a Questionnaire with Parents	108
6 Entry and Separation Policy	112
Information for Parents and a Welcome Letter for Children	113
A Special "Spruce-Up" Time	113
A First Visit	114
Home Visits	115
A Slow Beginning	115
Adjustment to Eating and Sleeping	116
Parents in the Classroom	117
"Sneaking Out"	117
Security Objects	118
An End-of-the-Year Get-Together	119
What About a Policy for Children Who Are Not Ready?	119
There Are Good and Bad Separations	120
The Value of a School Policy That Supports Separation	122
Appendix A Suggested Reading	123
Books for Adults	123
Books for Children	125
Selected Professional Readings	130
Appendix B Letter and Phase-In Schedules	133
Sample Letter to Parents	133
Sample Phase-In Schedules for Parents and Children	134
References	137
Index	143
About the Author	153

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.