Addressing Trauma in Early Childhood Classrooms: Strategies and Practices for Success

Abstract

157 Vol. 23, No. 3, September 2020 YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250619850137 DOI: 10.1177/1096250619850137 journals.sagepub.com/home/yec Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions © 2019 Division for Early Childhood Tatum is a 4-year-old girl who attends a childcare program in a high-poverty community in a large, urban area. On this day, Tatum seems sullen, sad, and very quiet. She rarely interacts with any of the other children or adults in the room. She keeps to herself by sitting in a large, comfortable chair in a quiet area. The teacher, Jess, and the assistant do not interact with Tatum because they are focusing on other children who have more immediate needs. At lunch, Tatum sits next to the teacher. During this time, Tatum says, “My mom whoops me when I am bad. I don’t cry anymore. My mom doesn’t care about me.” The teacher says, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Khiry also is 4 years old and in the same classroom as Tatum. As the children transition to circle time, Jess tells Khiry that he will miss 10 minutes of outdoor time because he did not come to the carpet fast enough. Khiry begins to cry and refuses to sit down. The teaching assistant says to Khiry, “You need to stop crying. There’s no reason for you to be crying because you weren’t listening. You need to stop.” Khiry runs to the bathroom and doesn’t come out for 5 minutes. According the teacher, Khiry’s dad is currently in prison; there is evidence of some physical abuse; and Khiry’s mom is about to have another baby. Both Tatum and Khiry are experiencing trauma in their daily lives; however, their symptoms and 850137 YECXXX10.1177/1096250619850137Young Exceptional ChildrenCreating Trauma-Based Early Childhood Programs / Neitzel research-article2019