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Guest Biography

Karen Stephens began working in early childhood programs as a preschool teacher in 1975. After obtaining her master’s degree in 1980, she became director of the Illinois State University (ISU) Child Care Center as well as an instructor in child development for the ISU Family and Consumer Sciences Department.

Since 1980, she has served as instructor, trainer, and presenter for early childhood professionals and parents in community college, hospital outreach, and conference settings. From 1990 to 1992, she was president of the Midwest Association for the Education of Young Children.

Karen is coauthor of The Child and Adult Care Professional (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publishing) and author of Block Adventures (First Teacher Press). She is a long-time contributor to Exchange—The Early Childhood Leaders’ Magazine. She also writes quarterly for parents and early childhood teachers in the magazine The Space for Everything Early Childhood, published by the Childspace Early Childhood Institute of Wellington, New Zealand.

Karen’s parenting advice columns for parents and early childhood programs is published on a CD titled “The Complete Parenting Exchange Library.” The CD includes 200 resource columns that can be shared electronically or through hard copy with parents and those helping parents nurture children. The CD addresses a wide array of topics, such as building children’s self-esteem, nurturing brain development, coping with children’s fears, connecting children with nature, and guiding behavior positively. Her columns are located at https://secure.ccie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5300197&cPath=11.