Includes bibliographical references and index.

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- What Do We Mean By "Moral Classrooms"?: -- Vignettes for three classrooms -- Study of the sociomoral atmospheres in three kindergarten classrooms -- Components of the sociomoral atmosphere -- Sociomoral outcomes of children from three different sociomoral atmospheres -- Sociomoral atmosphere as hidden curriculum -- So what is the constructivist sociomoral atmospheres? -- What Do We Mean By "Moral Children"?: -- What we do not mean by "moral children" -- How children think about moral rules -- How children think about others -- Moral children in the classroom -- Mental relationships -- How The Sociomoral Atmosphere Influences A Child's Moral Development: -- Social interaction and construction of the self -- Constructivist theory -- Attachment theory -- Peer relationships -- Constructivist teacher's role in promoting peer interaction -- Establishing A Constructivist Sociomoral Atmosphere: -- Definition of constructivist education -- Ideas for getting started -- Socializing children for self-regulation in a 1st-grade classroom -- Conflict And Its Resolution: -- Role of conflict in development -- Sociomoral atmosphere and conflict resolution -- Constructivist teacher's attitude toward children's conflicts -- Principles of teaching in conflict situations -- Conflict prevention -- Conflict between teacher and child -- Conclusion -- Group Time: -- Objectives -- Types of group time -- Formal aspects of group time -- Leading group time -- Common problems at group time -- Issue of show-and-tell -- Examples of group time -- Rule Making: -- Objectives -- Principles of teaching -- Teacher-made classroom norms -- Decision Making And Voting: -- Objectives -- Decisions about classroom activities -- Decisions about classroom procedures -- Decisions about special problems -- Principles of teaching -- When voting goes awry -- Social And Moral Discussions: -- Moral judgment theory -- Moral dilemmas -- Objectives -- Principles of teaching -- Real-life moral discussions -- Hypothetical dilemmas drawn from real-life experiences -- Cooperative Alternatives To Discipline: -- Two types of reaction to children's misbehavior -- Principles of teaching -- Situations that can lead to misbehavior -- Activity Time: -- Objectives -- Kinds of knowledge reflected in activities -- Planning for activity time -- Principles of teaching -- Sociomoral Atmosphere Of The School: -- Kohlberg and colleagues' work on assessing moral culture -- Children's experience of the school atmosphere -- Teacher's experience of the school atmosphere -- Principles for administrators -- Sociomoral atmosphere -- Sociomoral atmosphere of the State Department of Education -- Appendix: Rationales for general categories of constructivist activities during activity time -- References -- Index -- About the authors.

Overview: This classic bestseller, now updated for today's diverse teaching force and student populations, explores the benefits of sociomoral practices in the classroom. The authors draw on recent research to show how these approaches work with children ages 2-8. They focus on how to establish and maintain a classroom environment that fosters children's intellectual, social, moral, emotional, and personality development. Extending the work of Jean Piaget, the authors advocate for a cooperative approach that contrasts with the coercion and unnecessary control that can be seen in many classrooms serving young children. Practical chapters demonstrate how the constructivist approach can be embedded in a school program by focusing on specific classroom situations and activities, such as resolving conflict, group time, rule making, decision making and voting, social and moral discussions, cooperative alternatives to discipline, and activity time.