Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U.S. Experts say this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children. For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication. It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.

        “In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes (模式化形象) of gender roles,” said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of a recent study. “It’s important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.”

        Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members, many of the male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.

       Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations to increase male representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early childhood field. Over 70% of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way elementary school teachers are paid.

        Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program leaders.

        The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood educators “do not address the gender gap in the field.” They recommend providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting groups of men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.

解析：B。根据题干中的the gender gap in early childhood education可定位至原文最后一段。该段指出，传统的幼儿教育工作者招聘方法“无法解决该领域的性别差距（the gender gap in the field）”。他们建议通过培训和志愿者项目为年轻男性提供与孩子一起工作的机会，目标人群是那些考虑跳槽的男性群体，比如父亲。B项与此内容相符，其中的 Taking measures是对最后一段最后一句中providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs的概括总结，prospective male teachers对应该句中的men who are considering a career change，故B项为正确答案。

错项排除：A项中的 a passion for educating young children在原文中无依据，故排除。C项利用最后一句中的considering a career change和fathers进行干扰，但原文是说目标人群是那些考虑跳槽的比如父亲之类的男性群体，并不是说服准爸爸跳槽，C项曲解文意，故排除。D项利用最后一段中的opportunities进行干扰，但原文说的是为年轻男性提供与孩子一起工作的机会，并非晋升机会，故D项排除。