Teachers, specialists, and parents are often the first to recognize that some young children need additional supports to learn academic skills in language, literacy, and math, but many lack specific guidance about the best way to respond to these children. This article describes an emerging early childhood practice called recognition & response (R&R), which is designed to help early educators address each of these issues. We first present the origins of R&R, then identify its major components, and finally, describe several steps to help early educators begin applying the principles of R&R in practice settings. (author abstract)