Let's Be Friends: Peer Competence and Social Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs

This book describes methods of support and intervention teachers can use to create social inclusion in preschool and the primary grades. Combining general early childhood education with special education, this unique volume explains a wide variety of strategies ranging from environmental arrangement, on-the-spot teaching, and cooperative learning, to more intensive, individually-targeted interventions for children experiencing particular challenges and disabilities.

“This is a book richly populated with young children, their words, their concerns, and a host of collaborative strategies for promoting peer affirmation. . . . How I wish that all young children would have had the benefit of teachers who read, understood, and implemented the ideas in this book.”
—From the Foreword by Mary Renck Jalongo, Editor-in-Chief, Early Childhood Education Journal

“Let’s Be Friends addresses critical questions about how early childhood programs can help all young children, including those at-risk, to develop competent social interaction skills . . . an invaluable contribution in its translation of research results to practical interventions.”
—Karen E. Diamond, Director, Child Development Laboratory School, Purdue University