In the past several years, models of multi-tiered service delivery have emerged as a framework for supporting the needs of school-aged children in schools across the country and have received much attention in scholarly publications of education and related fields. Despite the needs of young children and the promise of early intervention, however, models of multi-tiered service delivery are only in the beginning stages of development in early childhood education settings such as preschools. This text provides early-childhood professionals with an introduction to tiered service delivery and practical considerations in the implementation of a multi-tier system of supports with particular emphasis on early childhood law and ethics, assessment and intervention, developmental disabilities, and family engagement.

In the past several years, models of multi-tiered service delivery have emerged as a framework for supporting the needs of school-aged children in schools across the country and have received much attention in scholarly publications of education and related fields. Despite the needs of young children and the promise of early intervention, however, models of multi-tiered service delivery are only in the beginning stages of development in early childhood education settings such as preschools. This text provides early-childhood professionals with an introduction to tiered service delivery and practical considerations in the implementation of a multi-tier system of supports with particular emphasis on early childhood law and ethics, assessment and intervention, developmental disabilities, and family engagement.

Mention the state of Vermont and images of maple syrup, scenic mountains, and progressive politics come to mind. But in addition to skiing, farming, and fall foliage, there is also a startling history of racial and religious intolerance and bigotry. Burlington is known as the birthplace of John Dewey, whose enlightened views about education reached far beyond the Green Mountains to impact schools. Yet there exist many unsavory examples of equitable education deferred for a small but growing population. Black males, especially, have not been treated fairly - suffering in silence as a disproportional number are shunted away from opportunities such as college-prep courses and instead, into special education, the principal's office, and out the door due to suspension. This book seeks to answer the question: What is truly going on for Black males in Vermont public schools? Only those who were students in public schools across the state can really answer that question, and their perspectives help shed light on the condition of Black males in predominantly white rural spheres experiencing similar shifts in racial demographics across the nation.

A unique companion to professional play practice

All play professionals are united in their belief that play is important for children s development and there are inherent characteristics of play that underpin professional play practice across contexts. Providing an overarching concept of play, drawing together the evidence base across disciplines and linking theory to practice, "The Essence of" "Play "is the ideal handbook for all those working with children.

Play acts as a natural resource for children to meet physical, intellectual and emotional challenges and this book, unusually, considers play from the perspectives of children rather than adults. It provides a baseline of shared knowledge for all play professionals, exploring the fundamental value of play rather than a how to approach to practice. It considers:

• the therapeutic potential inherent in play;
• how play reflects and promotes physical, emotional, intellectual, linguistic and social abilities;
• the emergence of different types of play skills and why these are important;
• cross-cultural patterns in play, gender, atypicality and adversity, highlighting the relevance of these issues to professional play practice;
• the benefits of utilising play for assessment and other professional practice issues such as ethical play practice, balancing risk with health and safety and the creation and management of boundaries.

This text is designed for students and practitioners working with children across the helping professions, including early years education, play therapy, playwork, childcare, social care, nursing and allied health. Each chapter provides directed reading and small reflective tasks to encourage readers to digest key issues.

Understanding the Te Wh riki Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Te Wh riki approach, introducing the reader to an innovative bicultural curriculum developed for early childhood services in New Zealand. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of this approach to early childhood and its relationship to quality early years practice.

Providing students and practitioners with the relevant information about a key pedagogical influence on high quality early years practice in the United Kingdom, the book explores all areas of the curriculum, emphasising:

• strong curriculum connections to families and the wider community;
• a view of teaching and learning that focuses on responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things;
• a view of curriculum content as cross-disciplinary and multi-modal;
• the aspirations for children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society;
• a bicultural framework in which indigenous voices have a central place.

Written to support the work of all those in the field of early years education and childcare, this is a vital text for students, early years and childcare practitioners, teachers, early years professionals, children s centre professionals, lecturers, advisory teachers, head teachers and setting managers.

This practical and accessible guide tackles the challenges that busy childcare educators face with their mental health in what is a wonderful, rewarding, but often exhausting role. Drawing from "day-in-the-life" experiences and case studies, this book sets out high-quality staff wellbeing practices that can revolutionise the way childcare practitioners approach their job and their own health. Chapters guide the reader through a process of reflection and development, encouraging and empowering them to create a workplace culture that positively contributes to their personal wellbeing. This book: * Focuses on the realities of Early Years education, combining the author's lived experience with examples of real-life practice. * Encourages educators to think and feel positively about themselves; to identify the individual skills, strengths and talents they bring to their work. * Can be used individually or collaboratively by team members, with guidance on creating a positive workplace culture with a shared vision, core values and beliefs. Essential reading for anybody who finds that the job they love can sometimes leave them feeling worn out, stressed and depleted, this book has been written to enrich the lives of all training and practising Early Years Educators.

Innocence, Knowledge and the Construction of Childhood provides a critical examination of the way we regulate children s access to certain knowledge and explores how this regulation contributes to the construction of childhood, to children s vulnerability and to the constitution of the good future citizen in developed countries.

Through this controversial analysis, Kerry H. Robinson critically engages with the relationships between childhood, sexuality, innocence, moral panic, censorship and notions of citizenship. This book highlights how the strict regulation of children s knowledge, often in the name of protection or in the child s best interest, can ironically, increase children s prejudice around difference, increase their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse, and undermine their abilities to become competent adolescents and adults. Within her work Robinson draws upon empirical research to:

• provide an overview of the regulation and governance of children s access to difficult knowledge, particularly knowledge of sexuality
• explore and develop Foucault s work on the relationship between childhood and sexuality
• identify the impact of these discourses on adults understanding of childhood, and the tension that exists between their own perceptions of sexual knowledge, and the perceptions of children
• reconceptualise children s education around sexuality.

Innocence, Knowledge and the Construction of Childhood" is essential reading for both undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking courses in education, particularly with a focus on early childhood or primary teaching, as well as in other disciplines such as sociology, gender and sexuality studies, and cultural studies.

International Perspectives on Digital Media and Early Literacy evaluates the use and impact of digital devices for social interaction, language acquisition, and early literacy. It explores the role of interactive mediation as a tool for using digital media and provides empirical examples of best practice for digital media targeting language teaching and learning. The book brings together a range of international contributions and discusses the increasing trend of digitalization as an additional resource in early childhood literacy. It provides a broad insight into current research on the potential of digital media in inclusive settings by integrating multiple perspectives from different scientific fields: (psycho)linguistics, cognitive science, language didactics, developmental psychology, technology development, and human-machine interaction. Drawing on a large body of research, it shows that crucial early experiences in communication and social learning are the basis for later academic skills. The book is structured to display children's first developmental steps in learning in interaction with digital media and highlight various domains of early digital media use in family, kindergarten, and primary schools. This book will appeal to practitioners, academics, researchers, and students with an interest in early education, literacy education, digital education, the sociology of digital culture and social interaction, school reform, and teacher education.

Speech and Language in the Early Years is an accessible resource, packed full of practical ideas and techniques to support speech and language development in young children. Learning to communicate is a dynamic process. A child needs a reason to communicate, the motivation to communicate, and, significantly, a responsive communication partner. This book will help you to develop language-rich interactions to facilitate language development in your everyday work and will encourage reflective practice in your setting. Key features include: Activities and strategies designed for busy educators to dip in and out of as part of everyday practice, promoting speech and language development as well as supporting those with speech, language, and communication needs Templates and techniques for reflective practice, supporting the creation of language-rich environments and encouraging mindful communication Chapters spanning from birth to the transition to school, each exploring different areas of the learning environment Offering readers the opportunity to extend their skills and confidence in their practice, this book is an essential resource for early years practitioners looking to facilitate quality interactions with the children in their care.

What should be the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education? What can they learn from one another and by working together? The rapid expansion of early childhood education and care means that most children in affluent countries now have several years at pre-school before compulsory education. This raises an important question about the relationship between the two. Whilst it's widely assumed that the former should prepare children for the latter, there are alternatives. This book contests the 'readying for school' relationship as neither self-evident nor unproblematic; and explores some alternative relationships, including a strong and equal partnership and the vision of a meeting place. In this ground-breaking book, Professor Peter Moss discusses the issue with leading early childhood figures - from Belgium, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States -who bring very different perspectives to this contentious relationship. The book starts with an extended essay by Peter Moss, to which the other contributors are invited to respond critically, as well as offering their own thinking about the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education, both their current understandings and suggestions on future directions. Students, researchers and academics in the field of early childhood education will find this an insightful and timely text. But so too will their peers in compulsory education, since the book time and again raises searching questions about pedagogical purpose and practice in this sector.

Loris Malaguzzi is recognised as the founder of the extraordinary programmes of preschool education that developed after the war in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Deeply embedded in the cultures and communities they serve, these unique preschools have justifiably become famous throughout the world.

In this accessible and engaging text, Sandra Smidt examines how Malaguzzi's philosophy developed out of his personal experiences of growing up in post-fascist Italy. His ideas are explored and illustrated throughout by examples relating to everyday early years practice. The key themes explored include:

• relationships - the importance of relationships, culture and contexts to learning within any setting and beyond;
• transparency - the importance of listening and documentation to understanding and sharing learning;
• questioning - inviting children to not only answer questions but raise them, allowing them to be equal partners in all learning situations;
• creativity - finding ways of enabling children to use all the expressive languages they can find to express and share their ideas;
• equity and fairness - involving the community in all decision-making and discussions, to ensure that early childhood education is accessible and relevant to all children.

This book will be of benefit to all those working with young children and essential reading for students on early childhood education programmes.

Assessment of Young Children with Special Needs, Second Edition helps prepare teachers for the task of evaluating the skills of infants, toddlers, and preschool children with developmental delays and those considered at risk to experience developmental delays or difficulties. A child's environment is a critical consideration when focusing on assessment, and authors Susan Benner and Joan Grim explore the important issues of family resources, health, multidimensional environmental influences, economic deprivation, and domestic violence on infant and child development. This textbook conveys a sense of respect for parents, the powerful influence assessment results can and do have in the lives of young children with special needs, and an understanding of the complexity of child development, progression, and measurement. This book sets the tone for important values and beliefs to honor throughout one's professional life. This fully revised edition addresses recent legislation, updated versions of assessment, and the newest assessment tools that teachers will come across. The popular full-length case studies of the first edition have been updated, and vignettes of other cases are fully integrated across chapters, bringing the text alive with meaning. Assessment of Young Children with Special Needs, Second Edition now includes expanded discussion on progress monitoring and response to intervention, functional behavioral analysis, pros and cons of norm-referenced testing, web-based gathering tools, ELL students, and screening for autism.

This new and updated edition of Characteristics of Effective Early Learning focuses on how children learn which is just as important as what they learn. The book helps practitioners understand their key role in supporting children's self-regulation skills and learning power through playing and exploring, active learning and thinking creatively and critically. It includes new chapters on affirmative parenting practices and the crucial role of adult communication partners in supporting children's learning. The book: * Explains how emotional and cognitive self-regulation in the early years underpins lifelong learning * Investigates how children engage in learning through playing and exploring and are motivated through active learning * Explores how children become creative and critical thinkers, excited by their own learning power and able to review their own learning and thinking * Outlines how to approach observation, assessment and planning appropriately * Suggests how to continue the characteristics of effective learning into work with older children and staff teams Written by leaders in the field, based on research and rich in practical examples and case studies, this is an essential read for early years students and practitioners. The book will support those who want to find out more about how to encourage children in becoming self-regulated, playful, active learners who think deeply and creatively about their own learning and the world around them. "Whatever kind of early years setting you work in, this book is sure to inform, inspire and enthuse you and your staff." Sue Cowley, Early Years Teacher, Author, Presenter and Trainer "The publication provides academic evidence, practical guidance and support for undergraduates and the general reader." Michael Freeston, Director of Quality Improvement, Early Years Alliance "Such a wonderful range of chapter contributors ensures that this book remains essential reading for students and professionals at all levels." Dr Karen Boardman, Head of Early Years Education, Edge Hill University, UK Helen Moylett is an independent early years consultant and writer. She has been an early years teacher, a local authority adviser and a university lecturer as well as head of a nursery school and children's centre. Helen was centrally involved in developing the Early Years Foundation Stage and has received a Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ethno-national conflict is one of the central issues of modern politics. Despite the emergence of approaches to managing it, from nation-building to territorial autonomy, in recent years, the application of these approaches has been uneven. Old conflicts persist and new ones continually emerge. The authors of this book contend that what is needed to drive forward the theory and practice of ethno-national conflict management is a more nuanced understanding of ethnicity and nationalism. The book addresses this issue by linking theories of ethnicity and nationalism to theories of conflict management. Its contributors share a common goal of demonstrating that a nuanced understanding of ethnicity and nationalism can beneficially inform conflict management in theory and practice. To do so, they analyse both hot and cold conflict zones, as well as cases that have been important in the development of the most widely-used conflict management models. The book is aimed at those interested in the theory and practice of ethno-national conflict management as well as the study of ethnicity and nationalism. It is well-suited for undergraduate and advanced research students, experts and policy-makers. This book was originally published as a special issue of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics.

Examines the disconnect between public policy and classroom practice - and what educators need to change in order to teach children well. Early childhood educators need to be cognizant of the disconnect between public policy and classroom practice - the success of children they teach depends on it. This book analyzes how ineffective practices are driven by unexamined public policies and why educators need to challenge their thinking in order to make a difference in children's lives. A very complex story about public policy and the importance of teaching is told while entertaining and engaging the reader throughout.

Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Child Development presents cutting-edge thinking and research on linkages among socioeconomic status, parenting, and child development. The contributors represent an array of different disciplines, and approach the issues from a variety of perspectives. Accordingly, their "take" on how SES matters in the lives of children varies. This volume is divided into two parts. Part I concerns the constructs and measurement of SES and Part II discusses the functions and effects of SES. Each part presents four substantive chapters on the topic followed by an interpretive and constructively critical commentary. The chapters--considered as a whole--attest to the value of systematically examining the components of SES and how each flows through an array of specific parenting practices and resources both within and outside the home environment to help shape the course of child development. The result is a more fully delineated picture of how SES impacts the lives of children in the 21st century--a picture that contains a road map for the next generation of studies of SES and its role in the rapidly evolving ecology of family life.

The landscape of early childhood education and care is changing. Governments world-wide are assuming increasing authority in relation to child-rearing in the years before school entry, beyond the traditional role in assisting parents to do the best they can by their children. As part of a social agenda aimed at forming citizens well prepared to play an active part in a globalised knowledge economy, the idea of 'early learning' expresses the necessity of engaging caregivers right from the start of children's lives. Nichols, Rowsell, Rainbird, and Nixon investigate this trend over three years, in two countries, and three contrasting regions, by setting themselves the task of tracing every service and agent offering resources under the banner of early learning. Far from a dry catalogue, the study involves in-depth ethnographic research in fascinating spaces such as a church-run centre for African refugee women and children, a state-of-the-art community library and an Australian country town. Included is an unprecedented inventory of an entire suburban mall. Richly visually documented, the study employs emerging methods such as Google-mapping to trace the travels of actual parents as they search for particular resources. Each chapter features a context investigated in this large, international study: the library, the mall, the clinic, and the church. The author team unravels new spaces and new networks at work in early childhood literacy and development.

Children's curiosity about their lives and worlds motivates many interests. Yet, adults often have fixed ideas about what children's interests are and have been criticised for trivialising children's interests. This book offers a critical and accessible engagement with research on children's interests that challenges us to move beyond surface-level understandings. Children's Interests, Inquiries and Identities argues that the powerful relationship between interests and informal learning has been under-recognised and undervalued. The book proposes new principles for understanding children's learning. It provides evidence that we need to look beyond the activities or topics children may currently be selecting to find out who and what has stimulated their interests, how we might identify and interpret interests more analytically and deeply, and how we might respond and engage with these in ways that take children's interests seriously. Moving beyond play-based activities, Helen Hedges explains and illustrates a number of ways by which children's interests can be interpreted and understood, to get to the heart of what really matters to, and for, children. The book draws on examples from research with children aged under 5 years, and young adults aged 18-25. It also includes a chapter on teachers' interests. It presents new and original models for interests-based curriculum and sociocultural curriculum and pedagogy for future examination in research and practice. This book demonstrates that leaving behind long-standing, taken-for-granted practices that have influenced understandings of curriculum, pedagogy, learning, and outcomes allows a new perspective of children's interests to emerge. It will be of interest to researchers, postgraduate students, and practitioners in the early years, parents, and other professionals who work with young children.

- Explores hard to see practices that support inclusion in early childhood education. - Provides insight into the nature of inclusive learning interactions for a range of marginalised groups. - Explains ways in which children feel themselves to be included. - Offers guidance on effective inclusive practices in early childhood education. - Outlines developments in inclusion and early childhood education with a focus on the Welsh context.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009 volume: Childhood Studies and the Impact of Globalization examines the concept of 'childhood' and 'childhood development and learning' from educational, sociological and psychological perspectives. This contributed volume seeks to explicitly provide a series of windows into the construction of childhood around the world, as a means to conceptualizing and more sharply defining the emerging field of global and local childhood studies. At the global level there has been an increasing discontent with how children have been reified and measured. Prevailing Eurocentric and North-American notions of 'childhood' and 'development' across the North-South boundaries show vast differences in how 'childhood' is constructed and how 'development' is theorized.

China has become an enthusiastic supporter of and contributor to UN peacekeeping. Is China's participation in peacekeeping likely to strengthen the current international peacekeeping regime by China's adopting of the international norms of peacekeeping? Or, on the contrary, is it likely to alter the peacekeeping norms in a way that aligns with its own worldview? And, as China's international confidence grows, will it begin to consider peacekeeping a smaller and lesser part of its international security activity, and thus not care so much about it? This book aims to address these questions by examining how the PRC has developed its peacekeeping policy and practices in relation to its international status. It does so by bringing in both historical and conceptual analyses and specific case-oriented discussions of China's peacekeeping over the past twenty years. The book identifies the various challenges that China has faced at political, conceptual and operational levels and the ways in which the country has dealt with those challenges, and considers the implication of such challenges with regards to the future of international peacekeeping. This book was originally published as a special issue of International Peacekeeping.

Improving Your Reflective Practice through Stories of Practitioner Research shows how research has informed and created effective and valuable reflective practice in early years education, and offers depth to the arguments for a research-orientated stance to this vital field of study. This thought-provoking text explores and documents a variety of small-scale practitioner research projects from the home and early years settings. The stories are centred around real life for children, families and workers and offer practical ideas and support for early years students around the world. They engage in some of the most current debates in early childhood education today, such as: how to support children as individuals how young children learn and how parents support their learning how to lead and facilitate change in a way that does not take power away from children, parents or workers how to support children in taking risks how to support parents in returning to learning. Throughout this book, the 'Pen Green' attitude to practitioner research is actively encouraged. This involves fostering curiosity, being open to the views of others, questioning the 'taken for granted', making the implicit explicit and reflecting on one's daily work. Any practitioner research in early years education and care will draw inspiration from this accessible and supportive text.

Improving Your Reflective Practice through Stories of Practitioner Research shows how research has informed and created effective and valuable reflective practice in early years education, and offers depth to the arguments for a research-orientated stance to this vital field of study. This thought-provoking text explores and documents a variety of small-scale practitioner research projects from the home and early years settings. The stories are centred around real life for children, families and workers and offer practical ideas and support for early years students around the world. They engage in some of the most current debates in early childhood education today, such as: how to support children as individuals how young children learn and how parents support their learning how to lead and facilitate change in a way that does not take power away from children, parents or workers how to support children in taking risks how to support parents in returning to learning. Throughout this book, the 'Pen Green' attitude to practitioner research is actively encouraged. This involves fostering curiosity, being open to the views of others, questioning the 'taken for granted', making the implicit explicit and reflecting on one's daily work. Any practitioner research in early years education and care will draw inspiration from this accessible and supportive text.

The most effective way to understand what a child knows about the reading process is to take a running record. In Running Records, Mary Shea demonstrates how teachers can use this powerful tool to design lessons that decrease reading difficulties, build on strengths, and stimulate motivation, ensuring that children develop self-sustaining learning strategies.

Special Features include:

• a step-by-step outline for taking efficient running records
• guidance in running record analysis: readers will learn how to use running record data to determine a child's level of decoding skill, comprehension, fluency, and overall reading confidence
• a Companion Website offering videos of the running record process, sample running records for analysis, and numerous other resources

In order to meet the multi-faceted needs of children in today's classrooms, teachers must be knowledgeable about literacy concepts. Running Records provides that invaluable knowledge, making it an ideal text for literacy courses for pre-service teachers and a key professional reference for in-service teachers.

The most effective way to understand what a child knows about the reading process is to take a running record. In Running Records, Mary Shea demonstrates how teachers can use this powerful tool to design lessons that decrease reading difficulties, build on strengths, and stimulate motivation, ensuring that children develop self-sustaining learning strategies. Special Features include: a step-by-step outline for taking efficient running records guidance in running record analysis: readers will learn how to use running record data to determine a child's level of decoding skill, comprehension, fluency, and overall reading confidence a Companion Website offering videos of the running record process, sample running records for analysis, and numerous other resources In order to meet the multi-faceted needs of children in today's classrooms, teachers must be knowledgeable about literacy concepts. Running Records provides that invaluable knowledge, making it an ideal text for literacy courses for pre-service teachers and a key professional reference for in-service teachers.