Child development knowledge: A slippery base for practice

The changing nature of child development theory and research, the fact that it can only approximate reality, and its reflection of particular sociocultural positions make it a slippery base for practice. Still, formal child development knowledge is necessary to teacher preparation-as is practice. They must, however, be grounded in their ambiguity and supplemented by attention to reflection on practice and self-knowledge. Finally, the process of teacher education itself is a critical element that must model a community of supportive relationships that create meaningful and transformational learning experiences.