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Drawing from evidence-based practice and the latest research, this book explains the multitude of benefits of big body play for young children's social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Also learn how to organize the physical environment, set rules and policies, and supervise the play.

Most children engage in rough play, and research demonstrates its physical, social, emotional, and cognitive value. Early childhood education settings have the responsibility to provide children with what best serves their developmental needs. One of the best ways teachers can support rough play is by modeling it for children. When adults model high levels of vigorous activity, the children in their care are more likely to play this way. Children also play more vigorously and more productively when their teachers have formal education or training in the importance of this type of play. Besides modeling, teachers can do three specific things to provide for and support rough play while minimizing the potential for injury: (1) prepare both the indoor and outdoor environment; (2) develop and implement policies and rules for rough play; and (3) supervise rough play so they can intervene when appropriate. When children successfully participate in big body play, it is \"a measure of the children's social well-being and is marked by the ability of children to cooperate, to lead, and to follow.\" These abilities don't just support big body play; these skills are necessary for lifelong success in relationships.

When children see positive images of men and are cared for and taught by fathers father figures, and male early childhood educators, they learn that nurturing behavior, caregiving, and teaching are attitudes and activities typical of men as well as women (Davidson & Nelson 2011; Weaver-Hightower 2011). Apply the \"Rooney Rule\" Named for Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the National Football League Committee on Workplace Diversity, this approach to recruitment increased the number of qualified minorities in senior coaching and football operations positions in the National Football League.

Touch matters. Humans need nurturing touch for optimum emotional, physical, and cognitive development and health--especially in infancy. Positive touch lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain. Drawing on research and anecdotal evidence to support the importance of touch to children's well-being, the author makes a case for appropriate touching in early childhood programs. She discusses teaching children about types of touch and body ownership and advises teachers to take into consideration the child's personal preferences, culture, past experience and individual comfort level with touching, and sensory functioning when using positive touch with children. Several ways to add positive touch to the early childhood classroom are listed in this article.

For the last 25 years, the shortage of men teachers in early childhood and elementary education hasn't changed much nor have the reasons why men don't teach. Although the number of men teaching in the field of early childhood education is decreasing, the number of organizations, programs, schools, and universities welcoming men as teachers is now increasing. In this article, the authors provide a list of resources about men in education that are helpful to educators in their effort to recruit and retain male teachers.

[...]they develop social skills through turn taking, playing dominant and subordinate roles, negotiating, and developing and maintaining friendships (Smith, Smees, & Pellegrini 2004; Tannock 2008). Establish policies and rules for rough play Include the following information for teachers, children, and families: * A definition of rough play. * Rules for rough play. * How teachers will provide supervision. * A schedule for rough play. * Strategies for including all children - especially those with developmental disabilities and who are socially rejected. Some general rules for big body play might be * Gentle touching only - no hitting or pinching * Keep hands below the neck and above the waist * Stop as soon as the other person says or signals to stop * Rough play while kneeling only - not while standing * Rough play is always optional - stop and leave when you want (adapted from A Place of Our Own, n.d.) Write the rules on white poster board, and mount them near the designated rough play area.

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), but questions remain regarding neuropsychological decrements sometimes associated with this treatment, including rates of statistically and clinically meaningful change, and whether there are differences in outcome related to surgical target. Methods Neuropsychological functioning was assessed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) at baseline and after 6 months in a prospective, randomised, controlled study comparing best medical therapy (BMT, n=116) and bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS, n=164) at either the subthalamic nucleus (STN, n=84) or globus pallidus interna (GPi, n=80), using standardised neuropsychological tests. Measures of functional outcomes were also administered. Results Comparison of the two DBS targets revealed few significant group differences. STN DBS was associated with greater mean reductions on some measures of processing speed, only one of which was statistically significant in comparison with stimulation of GPi. GPi DBS was associated with lower mean performance on one measure of learning and memory that requires mental control and cognitive flexibility. Compared to the group receiving BMT, the combined DBS group had significantly greater mean reductions at 6-month follow-up in performance on multiple measures of processing speed and working memory. After calculating thresholds for statistically reliable change from data obtained from the BMT group, the combined DBS group also displayed higher rates of decline in neuropsychological test performance. Among study completers, 18 (11%) study participants receiving DBS displayed reliable decline by multiple indicators in two or more cognitive domains, a significantly higher rate than in the BMT group (3%). This multi-domain cognitive decline was associated with less beneficial change in subjective ratings of everyday functioning and quality of life (QOL). The multi-domain cognitive decline group continued to function at a lower level at 24-month follow-up. Conclusions In those with PD, the likelihood of significant decline in neuropsychological functioning increases with DBS, affecting a small minority of patients who also appear to respond less optimally to DBS by other indicators of QOL. Trial registration number NCT00056563 and NCT01076452.

Background The risk of suicide behaviours post–deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains controversial. We assessed if suicide ideation and behaviours are more common in PD patients (1) randomised to DBS surgery versus best medical therapy (BMT); and (2) randomised to subthalamic nucleus (STN) versus globus pallidus interna (GPi) DBS surgery. Methods In Phase 1 of the Veterans Affairs CSP 468 study, 255 PD patients were randomised to DBS surgery (n=121) or 6 months of BMT (n=134). For Phase 2, a total of 299 patients were randomised to STN (n=147) or GPi (n=152) DBS surgery. Patients were assessed serially with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part I depression item, which queries for suicide ideation; additionally, both suicide behaviour adverse event data and proxy symptoms of increased suicide risk from the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were collected. Results In Phase 1, no suicide behaviours were reported, and new-onset suicide ideation was rare (1.9% for DBS vs 0.9% for BMT; Fisher's exact p=0.61). Proxy symptoms of relevance to suicide ideation were similar in the two groups. Rates of suicide ideation at 6 months were similar for patients randomised to STN versus GPi DBS (1.5% vs 0.7%; Fisher's exact p=0.61), but several proxy symptoms were worse in the STN group. Conclusions Results from the randomised, controlled phase of a DBS surgery study in PD patients do not support a direct association between DBS surgery and an increased risk for suicide ideation and behaviours.