DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Acknowledgments This is the first book I wrote on my own. It would not have been possible without the collaborators, supporters, and friends listed here: My editor Danny Miller understood and liked the book from the start. He trained a clear and honest eye on the first draft without letting his enthusiasm wane. It was as fun as it was easy working with him. I am honored and thrilled to have Carolyn Pope Edwards’s foreword and am sincerely thankful for her participation. David Heath, Kyra Ostendorf, Jim Handrigan, Carla Valadez, and all the other folks at Redleaf Press are, to a person, truly devoted to creating growth in the field of early childhood education—not to mention being flexible, relaxed, and incredibly good at their jobs. I am inspired to be part of their stable of authors. The staff and families at The Little School form a uniquely supportive and creative community. They have shown excitement for the book from the idea stage. Creativity is one of the most visible values of our program—from how we value children’s thinking and work to how we work together as a group. This book is a product of that community. My very sincere thanks to the families who consented to include images of their children at work. These photographs made the book. Special thanks to my current coteacher, Sarita Escobar, for creative inspiration, rooting me on, and enduring my divided attention! I owe a priceless debt to the teachers in the toddler classes at The Little School: Tim Treadway, Lisa Treadway, Megan London, and Lindsey Freedman. They embraced and encouraged this project from the start, gave me constant support and advice, and opened their classrooms to me with enthusiasm and patience. Their collaboration with me exemplifies the integrated approach to children and their surrounding community that I hope this book will present. Thanks to them, I can show you these projects. I have worked with Tim and Lisa for over twenty years. They taught me much of what I know about teaching, and I’d like to think I had a beneficial effect on theirs as well. I must reserve special thanks for Megan London, my coteacher of six years in a toddler classroom. Megan’s insight into very young children, her talent for partnering with them in work and play, and her creative and energetic stance COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL xiii