Many classic definitions of prosocial behavior are similar to Eisenberg’s [The Caring Child, Harvard 1992], who describes it as ‘voluntary behavior intended to benefit another, such as helping, sharing, and comforting’ (p. 3). Some scholars stumble over the word intended when it concerns infants and toddlers, saying babies are incapable of being prosocial because even if they do something socially positive, it is unlikely to be altruistic (that is, deliberately selfless). The behaviors of the babies in high-quality classrooms—friendship, sharing, caring, rule following,. helpfulness, cooperation, and many others—may or may not satisfy the test for being truly altruistic, but they were certainly pro- rather than antisocial. Antisocial behavior involves showing disregard for others or being uncooperative or disagreeable. People who are antisocial are potentially destructive to themselves or the community.

We offer a different definition of prosocial behaviors, one that avoids notions of intention or motivation. We define prosocial behaviors for babies in a group setting as the communications and behaviors on the part of a baby that help create a positive emotional climate in the group and that involve reaching out—positive, discernable, outward social expression on the part of one baby toward one or more other inviduals, whether infant or adult.

–from “Learning to Be Me While Coming to Understand We: Encouraging Prosocial Babies in Group Settings” by Maria McMullen et al. (Young Children 64.4, July 2009, pp. 22-28)

What do you think of this definition? Does it clarify anything for you? (The full article is available online, at least for now, if you want to see the quote in context.)

The workshop runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Visit the Center’s website to register. You can also visit Lynn Plourde’s site, and check out the booklist that Born to Read compiled a few years ago, with help from St. Joseph’s College students, on Loving (and Losing) Grandparents.

I want to add to the discussion going on about center-based vs. family child care providers. I STRONGLY urge us to consistently use the language of “early childhood professional” to refer to either group. We have to assist people in identifying themselves as professionals (since the world doesn’t) and avoid distinctions of locale. The work we do is (or should be) fundamentally the same, regardless of our setting. When we wrote Literacy and the Youngest Learner, we intentionally included group homes, child care centers and 1/2 day preschool programs. Throughout the book, we refer to the professionals and their settings as “teachers” and “programs.” The objective is to make sure that every person in an early childhood setting perceives the work they do as providing a caring educational environment. “Program” promotes the notion of intentionality. As leaders, we can model the shift of vocabulary to help people see themselves in a new light. I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to have this discussion openly and early in the training series, so your participants can discuss the similarities and challenges of their work as equal colleagues.

Born to Read struggles constantly with this question of language. Late last year, when we surveyed the early childhood educators who have reading volunteers through our partnership with RSVP, we asked them, What do you usually say when someone asks “What do you do for work?” Here’s the list of responses we got:

Child Care [or childcare] (8)
Child Care [or childcare] Provider (7)
Day Care [or daycare] Provider (4)
Child Care Director (4)
Preschool Teacher (4)
Preschool Director (2)
Day Care (2)
Childcare Teacher (2)
I own my own daycare (2)
Family Child Care Provider (2)
Child care/ teach children
Early Childhood Education
I am a preschool teacher
Teacher/caregiver
Program Coordinator for Pre-K
early education
I am a home childcare provider
home childcare
family child care services
Grow responsible children
watching children grow
Take care of children
I Love my Job
I run a family child care and preschool
I run a preschool
Executive Director of a non-profit
Family Service Worker
Educator
I’m an early childhood educator
Head Start
I work with children and families
small business owner
pre-school
Preschool\Head Start
pre school teacher and director
I’m an early childhood educator. We learn social and independent skills with a focus on literacy.

Please weigh in! What terminology do you think is best? How can a shift in language be accomplished?

The Friends School of Portland (located on Mackworth Island in Falmouth) is bringing Dr. Linn to Maine next month. She’ll be giving a public lecture at the school on “The Case for Make Believe,” Tuesday, May 12 at 7pm. Earlier that day, she’ll lead a workshop for early childhood educators called “Puppets in the Classroom.” The workshop focuses on using puppets to help children express themselves in the face of the increasingly commercialization of children’s play.

For more information on either the lecture or the workshop, contact the Friends School at 781-6321. Thanks to Kimberly Simmons for letting us know about what promises to be a wonderful day with Dr. Linn.