Dan has published five books on the subject of guidance, and the importance of guidance for children. You can browse and purchase his books below. Click on the photo of each book to purchase it through NAEYC or Redleaf Press or Amazon.com. Check out his newest one, A Guidance Guide for Early Childhood Leaders: Strengthening Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues.
A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom
Addressing ages 3 to 8 years, A GUIDANCE APPROACH FOR THE ENCOURAGING CLASSROOM, 6th Edition, functions as a primary reference for professionals or as a resource for classes that address group management, the learning environment, child guidance, child behavior, challenging behavior, conflict management, and peace education topics. Part 1 explores the foundation of guidance in early childhood education. Part 2 focuses on building and organizing an encouraging classroom, and discusses such topics as daily schedules, routines, use of thematic instruction, and the importance of working with parents. Part 3 addresses problem solving and challenging behavior, including a practical illustration of how to use and teach conflict management and information about the “five-finger-formula.” Highlights of the new edition include standards and video integration, expanded coverage of diversity, and information on current brain research. Throughout, this experience-based resource includes real-life anecdotes that allow professionals to make the shift from conventional classroom to developmentally appropriate guidance.
The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Classrooms
The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills In the Early Childhood Classroom has the distinction of being selected as a 2003 comprehensive member benefit by the NAEYC, an honor for any author in the field. It is a collection of well-received writings on how to use guidance in early childhood classrooms. The material teaches strategies for developing an encouraging classroom and for working with children, particularly boys, who have moderate and serious conflicts. It also presents non-punitive approaches to classroom management. Those who will find the most value in this compilation of material on guidance are practitioners in the field, including Head Start teachers, childcare teachers and preschool and primary grade teachers and assistants. The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills In the Early Childhood Classroom also will be popular in training programs for staff pursuing Child Developmental Associate credentials and other early childcare training certificates.
Education for a Civil Society: How Guidance Teaches Young Children Democratic Life Skills
EDUCATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY: HOW GUIDANCE TEACHES YOUNG CHILDREN DEMOCRATIC LIFE SKILLS:
This collection of essays argues that it matters that children gain, through teacher guidance, the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in and participate civilly in modern life. Part One establishes historical roots for the type of education that prepares children for this participation. Part Two makes the case that three best practices in early childhood education offer the approach to education for democracy that society needs. Part Three provides anecdotes and case studies to illustrate how guidance fosters the development of the five democratic life skills.
What the Kids Said Today: Using Classroom Conversations to Become a Better Teacher
The great privilege of teaching is that you, the teacher, learn something new from the kids every day. “In fact,” writes author Dan Gartrell, “the freshness of life lessons that young children teach keeps many teachers rejuvenated, and committed to the field.” You can have years of experience, and you can own all of the latest textbooks. But you still need to keep your eyes and ears tuned to the greatest teachers of all—the children in your classroom.
Written for present and future early childhood teachers by present and future early childhood teachers, What the Kids Said Today looks directly and openly at how teachers and young children talk with each other in the classroom. A good teacher, Gartrell states, uses these conversations to build what he calls the encouraging classroom, a community where mutual acceptance is the priority and where children can learn the skills they’ll need in larger communities in the future. Skills that include acceptance and cooperation, creative and peaceful problem-solving, and ways to express emotions that are acceptable to all.
The author collected 160 stories from more than 60 adults at Head Starts, child care centers, family child care homes, and kindergarten classrooms—including anecdotes from beginning student teachers and from experienced directors. Each story includes an account of a teacher’s conversation with children, as well as reflections on how each conversation can help build the encouraging classroom. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help foster further exploration of what kids say to their teacher and what a teacher says to them.
This book is out of print. Contact Dan at gartrell@paulbunyan.net for a copy.
An Afternoon with the Experts: Dan Gartrell on Guidance
An Afternoon with the Experts: Dan Gartell on Guidance:
Learning what good guidance is and how to use it effectively with young children is the most important—and often the most difficult—part of working with young children. In this DVD, Dan Gartrell clarifies what effective guidance looks like, tells how to provide it in classrooms, and explains why providing good guidance for children is imperative for their lifelong social and emotional success. From Chattahoochee Technical College.
Overview of Exchange article: Volume 37, Issue 5: Guidance for Children Who Show Challenging Behaviors by Dan Gartrell & Michael Gallo
Dan Gartrell Ed.D. 