Emotionally Responsive early childhood programs are conscious of supporting children's emotional well-being and acknowledge that children's developmental issues must be welcome and understood by teachers and caregivers. The classroom environment lets children know what teachers value and extends an invitation for children to focus on the valued activities. Emotionally Responsive classroom environments reflect children's developmental concerns, personal, familial, and cultural attributes and provides opportunity to play about real experience. Songs, stories, and photographs can acknowledge the range of young children's emotions. In addition to books, blocks, paints, and manipulatives, dramatic play materials can allow children to dress up and take roles, create their own dramas, and design mini-environments.
Dolls can reflect cultural diversity, and accessories can symbolize familiar aspects of family life.
Emotionally Responsive classrooms have an area that is soft and relaxing, perhaps including puppets and soft animals, and some well supervised enclosed spaces. They are clean and well cared for. Children can expect to find desired items in a stable location. Toys and other learning materials are well maintained and removed or fixed if they break. Teacher-Child Interaction Teachers engaged in Emotionally Responsive Practice acknowledge that they have an important role in the lives of the young children in their care.