This open access book develops a theoretical concept of teaching that is relevant to early childhood education, and based on children's learning and development through play. It discusses theoretical premises and research on playing and learning, and proposes the development of play-responsive didaktik. It examines the processes and products of learning and development, teaching and its phylogenetic and ontogenetic development, as well as the 'what' of learning and didaktik. Next, it explores the actions, objects and meaning of play and provides insight into the diversity of beliefs about the practices of play. The book presents ideas on how combined research and development projects can be carried out, providing incentive and a model for practice development and research. The second part of the book consists of empirical studies on teacher's playing skills and examples of play with very young as well as older children.

This book makes a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary argument for investing in effective early childhood education programs, especially those that develop in children their proven natural capacity to construct knowledge by building meaningful relationships. Recent insights in the fields of law, policy, economics, pedagogy, and neuroscience demonstrate that these particular programs produce robust educational, social, and economic benefits for children and for the country. The book also provides legal and political strategies for achieving these proven benefits as well as pedagogical strategies for developing the most effective early childhood education programs. The book concludes by making visible the wonderful learning that can take place in an early education environment where teachers are afforded the professional judgment to encourage children to construct their own knowledge through indispensable learning relationships.

The first book in the series Policy and Pedagogy with Under-three year olds: Cross Disciplinary insights and innovations establishes a path for the much-needed examination of the experiences of infants and toddlers in contemporary educational settings across the globe. Bringing together internationally renowned scholars in the field, it starts a series of discussions about the positioning of under-three year olds in contemporary practice and policy contexts. It takes an in-depth look at what this means for our understanding of under-three year olds and those who share their worlds. Featuring some of the most important contemporary topics in this pedagogical domain, such as care, well-being, belonging, professionalism and status, the contributors offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives for contemplating the new normality of very young children living their lives in group-based early childhood settings, and what gives rise to their current realities. It also explores some important policy directions and trends.

This edited collection provides an in-depth exploration of different aspects of contemporary early childhood literacy research and the implications for educational practice. Each chapter details how the research was conducted and any issues that researchers encountered in collecting data with very young children, as well as what the research findings mean for educational practice. It includes photographs of effective literacy practice, detailed explanations of research methods so the studies can be replicated or expanded upon, and key features for promoting effective literacy practice in early childhood settings. This book is an essential read for everyone who is interested in exploring the complexities and challenges of researching literacy acquisition in the youngest children.

This edited book presents the most recent theory, research and practice on information and technology literacy as it relates to the education of young children. Because computers have made it so easy to disseminate information, the amount of available information has grown at an exponential rate, making it impossible for educators to prepare students for the future without teaching them how to be effective information managers and technology users. Although much has been written about information literacy and technology literacy in secondary education, there is very little published research about these literacies in early childhood education. Recently, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children s Media at Saint Vincent College published a position statement on using technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs. This statement recommends more research to better understand how young children use and learn with technology and interactive media and also to better understand any short- and long-term effects. Many assume that today s young children are digital natives with a great understanding of technology. However, children may know how to operate digital technology but be unaware of its dangers or its value to extend their abilities. This book argues that information and technology literacy include more than just familiarity with the digital environment. They include using technology safely and ethically to demonstrate creativity and innovation; to communicate and collaborate; to conduct research and use information and to think critically, solve problems and make decisions."

Emergent Science is essential reading for anyone involved in supporting scientific learning and development with young children aged between birth and 8. Drawing on theory, the book helps to develop the essential skills needed to understand and support science in this age range. The book is organised into three parts: development, contexts and pedagogy, exploring the underpinning theory alongside practical ideas to help trainees, teachers and childcare practitioners to create high-quality science experiences for the children they teach. The text includes guidance on developing professional, study and research skills to graduate and postgraduate level, as well as all the information needed to develop scientific skills, attitudes, understanding and language through concrete, social experiences for young children. Features include: Reflective tasks-at three levels of professional development;- early career/student, developing career/teacher and later career/leader. Case studies that exemplify good practice and practical ideas. Tools for learning - explain how science professionals can develop their professional, study skills and research skills to Masters level

This book contains a collection of the author's previously published articles on early childhood care and education. Each chapter was written in response and reaction to particular events or contexts that were provocative. Many of the issues explored were stimulated by experiences with teachers and caregivers of young children, many of whom were also the author's students, as well as with other professional colleagues. These background experiences and events are described briefly in the introduction to each article.

Spontaneous Activity in Education details the principles of Maria Montessori's educational philosophy, allowing the reader to grasp her unique and innovative style of teaching. Published in the early 20th century and translated to English in 1917, this manual of education contains a step-by-step account of the approach Montessori took in teaching youngsters. Although a doctor by trade, Montessori held a profound interest in the development of young people's minds, and how best to ensure they fulfill their academic potential. To this end, she devised a system of education which aims to give every child the best chance of success, irrespective of their individual capacity for learning. In this book, the Montessori system is explained in terms useful for parents and teachers alike. Explaining the nature of a child's life, Montessori discusses her personal contributions to experiments in education, and how when these were applied correctly the achievement and advancement of children was improved.

The thought of a looming Ofsted inspection can send even the most positive practitioner into a panic. Julian Grenier leads you through the new updated Ofsted framework, and shows you how to navigate the process. He focuses on doing what is best for children and families to build long-lasting and effective provision that can be maintained before, during and after inspection. This new edition includes: * More downloadable templates and resources * Detailed coverage of the curriculum, and the new 'Quality of education' judgement * Guidance on working with parents and carers to ensure their voices are part of the Ofsted inspection process This book is ideal for Headteachers, EYFS co-ordinators, Nursery Managers and Early Years practitioners.

Many teachers use traditional counting and shape books in math class. But what would happen if we approached any story with a math lens? How might mathematizing children's literature give learners space to ask their own questions and make connections between stories, their lives, and the world around them? These are the questions Allison Hintz and Antony T. Smith set out to explore in this book as they invite us to consider fresh ways of using interactive read-alouds to nurture students as both readers and mathematicians. Inside Mathematizing Children's Literature, you'll learn how to do the following: Select picture books according to the goals of the read aloud experience. Plan and facilitate three kinds of read aloud discussions-Open Notice and Wonder, Math Lens and Story Explore. Utilize Idea Investigations-experiences that invite students to pursue literacy and math-focused ideas beyond the pages of the-read aloud. Connect with students' families and communities through stories. Along the way, Allison and Antony offer a wide range of picture book suggestions and appendices that include ready-to-use planning templates, a note-taking form, and a bookmark of guiding questions. Mathematizing Children's Literature is a practical resource you'll find yourself referring to frequently.

This Encyclopedia is a reference work about young children in the USA, designed for use by policy makers, community planners, parents of young children, teacher and early childhood educators, programme and school administrators, among others. The field of early childhood education has been affected by changes taking place in the nation's economy, demographics, schools, communities and families that influence political and professional decisions. These diverse historical, political economic, socio-cultural, intellectual and educational influences on early childhood education have hindered the development of a clear definition of the field. The Encyclopedia provides an opportunity to define the field against the background of these influences and relates the field of early childhood education to its diverse contexts and to the cultural and technological resources currently affecting it.

This book takes a radically new approach to the well-worn topic of children's relationship with the media, avoiding the "risks and benefits" paradigm while examining very young children's interactions with film and television. Bazalgette proposes a refocus on the learning processes that children must go through in order to understand what they are watching on televisions, phones, or iPads. To demonstrate this, she offers unique insight from research done with her twin grandchildren starting from just before they were two years old, with analysis drawn from the field of embodied cognition to help identify minute behaviours and expressions as signals of emotions and thought processes. The book makes the case that all inquiry into early childhood movie-viewing should be based on the premise that learning-usually self-driven-is taking place throughout.

Interpreting the voices of under three year olds is central to early childhood education. Yet entering into their life-worlds is fraught with challenges and unrealised possibilities. This ground-breaking book generates a dialogue about the multiple ways researchers have exploited a range of methods for approaching, accessing, understanding and interpreting infant voice. Each chapter explores the kinds of ethical considerations and dilemmas that may arise in this process. The book itself represents a chorus of international voices (researchers, children, teachers and parents), all adding to a discussion about various circumstances, dilemmas and possibilities involved in doing research with our youngest. This book is an essential read for researchers and teachers alike who seek to 'listen' and 'see' very young children with fresh ears and eyes.

In Intentional from the Start: Guiding Emergent Readers in Small Groups, Carolyn Helmers and Susan Vincent take a concentrated look at the often-underestimated reading and writing work that occurs during the emergent reading stages of literacy development (PreA-D) and the seemingly simplistic books we use to teach them in small-group guided reading. Though both may appear unsophisticated, these earliest readers and the texts we use to meet their needs are each unique and full of nuances that generally go overlooked. The authors explore how emergent readers learn best and position text levels appropriately in the service of students. They also turn their attention to a comprehensive exploration of the particular needs of emergent readers and how the work they do at text levels PreA-D lays a critical foundation necessary for them to continue growing successfully into text levels E and beyond. As they examine the needs of learners working at each emergent text level individually, Carolyn and Susan: Detail the specific demands the books in that text level require and how to best coach young readers working through them. Highlight instructional procedures for reading, writing, and word study that can be put to use immediately at your small group table. Suggest optimal schedules, techniques, and formats for efficient instruction at that level. Unpack the book characteristics specific to that level and demonstrate ways to capitalize on them to intentionally support emergent readers and writers. With plenty of useful classroom examples, as well as additional online resources with literacy center ideas that correlate directly with the work students are doing at particular levels, this book is a resource your emergent reading teacher heart will reach for again and again.

Mandates to implement practices that are antithetical to what we embrace as supportive of young children's literacy learning are pervasive. Teachers of young children are asked to teach-to-the test in ways that take away opportunities for holistic, thoughtful, play-oriented practices that allow children to construct knowledge through contextualized and purposeful experiences. In 2009 the Early Childhood Assembly was formed by a group of early childhood educators to provide a home at the National Council for Teacher of English for all who work with young children. Perspectives and Provocations in Early Childhood Education is a publication of the ECEA. The publication is intended to support teachers of young children and those interested in studying about early literacy by putting on offer texts with a strong emphasis on promoting thoughtful practices that enhance the teaching and learning of young children within and across diverse communities. All royalties from the book go to the ECEA to help the organization advance its goals of providing scholarships for early childhood teachers to participate in conferences and professional development events.

Recently, a new understanding of creative thought and creative performance has surfaced. In addition, an interest has emerged in professional organizations especially those in early childhood education. In addition, current creativity researchers have initiated a far more sophisticated understanding of young children's creative thinking, ways to assess creativity, strategies to promote creativity, and research methodologies. The purpose of this volume is to present a wide range of different theories and areas in the study of creativity to help researchers and theorists work toward the development of different perspectives on creativity with young children. It focuses on critical analyses and reviews of the literature on topics related to creativity research, development, theories, and practices. It will serve as a reference for early childhood education researchers, scholars, academics, general educators, teacher educators, teachers, graduate students, and scientists to stimulate further "dialogue" on ways to enhance creativity. The chapters are of high quality and provide scholarly analyses of research studies that capture the full range of approaches to the study of creativity --- behavioral, clinical, cognitive, cross-cultural, developmental, educational, genetic, organizational, psychoanalytic, psychometric, and social. Interdisciplinary research is also included, as is research within specific domains such as art and science, as well as on critical issues (e.g., aesthetics, genius, imagery, imagination, insight, intuition, metaphor, play, problem finding and solving). Thus, it offers critical analyses on reviews of research in a form that are useful to early childhood researchers, scholars, educators, and graduate students. It also places the current research in its historical context. The volume is also of interest to the general readers who are interested in the young children's creativity. The chapters are authored by established scholars in the field of young children's creativity.

This book provides new theoretical insights to our understanding of play as a cultural activity. All chapters address play and playful activities from a cultural-historical theoretical approach by re-addressing central claims and concepts in the theory and providing new models and understandings of the phenomenon of play within the framework of cultural historical theory. Empirical studies cover a wide range of institutional settings: preschool, school, home, leisure time, and in various social relations (with peers, professionals and parents) in different parts of the world (Europe, Australia, SouthAmericaand NorthAmerica). Common to all chapters is a goal of throwing new light on the phenomenon of playing within a theoretical framework of cultural-historical theory. Play as a cultural, collective, social, personal, pedagogical and contextual activity is addressed with reference to central concepts in relation to development and learning. Concepts and phenomena related to ZPD, the imaginary situation, rules, language play, collective imagining, spheres of realities of play, virtual realities, social identity and pedagogical environments are presented and discussed in order to bring the cultural-historical theoretical approach into play with contemporary historical issues. Essential as a must read to any scholar and student engaged with understanding play in relation to human development, cultural historical theory and early childhood education.

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