3-System Theory of the Cognitive Brain: A Post-Piagetian Approach to Cognitive Development puts forward Olivier Houde's 3-System theory of the cognitive brain, based on numerous post-Piagetian psychological and brain imaging data acquired from children and adults. This ground-breaking theory simultaneously anchors itself in a deep understanding of the history of psychology and fuels current debates on thinking, reasoning and cognitive development. Spanning the long-term history of psychology, from Plato and Aristotle to more current experimental psychology, this pioneering work goes beyond the approaches of Kahneman (i.e. System 1 theory) and Piaget (i.e. System 2 theory) to put forward a theory in which the inhibitory-control system (i.e. System 3) takes precedence. Houde argues that the brain contains a third control system located in the prefrontal cortex which is dedicated to inhibiting Kahneman's intuitive heuristics system and activating Piaget's logical algorithms system anywhere in the brain on a case-by-case basis, depending on the goal and context of the task. 3-System Theory of the Cognitive Brain simultaneously explains the early logical abilities discovered in babies, the dynamic, strategic and non-linear process of cognitive development in children, and the fast heuristics and biases observed in adults. Houde considers the exciting implications of this theory on neuro-education using examples from the classroom. This book is essential reading for students and researchers in cognitive development and education, child psychology, reasoning and neurosciences.

Originally published in 1931, this title looks at the education received by children working in industry in England between 1833 and 1876. The industrial revolution created more demand for child labour than ever before, but there were few laws to protect the children involved. School was not compulsory for children until the 1880s, but there were new laws brought in and enforced to reduce the numbers of hours they were allowed to work in industry in 1833 and subsequently in 1844. This title deals with the education of children during that time and the implications of the laws introduced.

Originally published in 1989, this book differed from others on the topic of microcomputers and education at the time, in that it focuses on the influence that microcomputer technology has on children in their early years, specially pre-school and elementary ages. Microcomputers have the capacity to do great harm as well as good and a full explanation of the technical and philosophical issues involved will be of interest to a number of disciplines. Other topics explored are - the potential uses of microcomputer-technology in early childhood education and current research and theory building on microcomputers and early education. This book should be read by teachers, sociologists, psychologists and researchers in education.

Young Children's Civic Mindedness provides a well-grounded understanding of children's civic thought and action by inviting readers to look and listen carefully to the voices of young children themselves. Grounded in research on children's evolving civic identities and drawn from extended case studies and rich narrative vignettes, this book shows the many ways even the youngest children can be civic-minded and political. The book engages readers in thinking about the many ways children reason about and approach civic problems; how children's experience in various local and larger contexts shapes their thinking and action; and the environmental factors that delimit what children see as possible in civic spaces. Written for early childhood, elementary and civic educators, this book encourages readers to go beyond mere rhetoric on the importance of civic education, to develop improved ways of teaching for children's civic development.

Border-crossing in Education comprises a series of case studies covering a variety of cultural areas, in order to reveal the density of connections and exchanges that inform educational practices, policies, and systems. It attaches particular importance to individual and collective actors that govern these flows - initiating, promoting, or reconfiguring transfers of policy models. The contributors explore various aspects of the circulatory mechanisms that have been deployed in the field of education during the modern and contemporary period. Varying the observation scales, from local to international, they demonstrate the multilateral character of the circulatory dynamics observed. The implementation of rich and varied approaches to these complex processes offers a perspective that complements and renews our knowledge of the genesis and evolution of educational policies and systems, most notably highlighting their foreign inspirations. However, these studies do not merely evoke borrowings and hybridization, as if national borders proved porous or non-existent. Instead they show that the phenomena of resistance, reinterpretation, and rejection are also an integral part of transnational mechanisms of exchanges. The book thus demonstrates the relevance of a historical approach in addressing these transnational mechanisms in the field of education and childhood policy. This book was originally published as a special issue of Paedagogica Historica.

Fast Childcare in Public Preschools presents an ethnographic examination of the implementation of fast-policy management models and the efforts of teachers to use these to improve their work organization, and the frictions this brings. Using examples from Swedish public preschools, the book focuses on essential areas of the Lean management model in particular, bringing to life concepts relating to the care and education of children. The book draws on international childcare policy and public reforms, exploring the assignments that preschools are set and argues that separating the pedagogical and the organizational as suggested by proponents of management models is not possible. This book considers Jamie Peck and Nik Theodore's work on 'fast policy' and 'model power' and analyzes the tensions between the easy-to-use and difficult-to-use in management models. The model form of Lean's management model rendered it difficult to align with existing childcare policy, pedagogical models, and the organization of a preschool. The book explores the utopian dimension of a modern project in pursuit of efficiency and speed in relation to the Lean model and the preschool teachers' work, by asking, 'what are the wider societal implications of the Lean project in preschools?' Fast Childcare in Public Preschools will be of great interest to cultural anthropologists, qualitative sociologists and political scientists, and organizational researchers interested in the anthropology of policy.

Play is of critical importance to the well-being of children across the globe, a fact reflected in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet existing literature on the subject is largely confined to discussing play from a developmental, educational or psychological perspective. Researching Play from a Playwork Perspective offers a new and exciting angle from which to view play, drawing on the authors' own experience of conducting research into various aspects of this all-important and pervasive phenomenon. This innovative work will act as a compass for those looking to undertake research into different aspects of play and child welfare. Each chapter explores how the author has combined established and new research methodologies with their individual playwork approaches to arrive at emergent understandings of playwork research. The overall conclusion discusses directions for future research and develops a new model of playwork research from the four common themes that emerge from the contributions of individual authors: children's rights, process, critical reflection, and playfulness. Examples from the United Kingdom, Nicaragua, and Sweden give this unique work international relevance. Researching Play from a Playwork Perspective will appeal to researchers and students around the world working in the fields of playwork, childcare, early years, education, psychology and children's rights. It should also be of interest to practitioners in a wide variety of professional contexts, including childcare and therapy.

Many Early Years settings are taking in children for longer periods and at a younger age. However, their day-to-day practice has not necessarily changed and instead leads to the 'management' of behaviour, rather than investigating why the behaviour is taking place. Through a combination of practice, theory and reflection, leading Early Years education consultant Penny Tassoni explores children's behaviour from a child-centred point of view. In doing so, she shows how, over time, children learn to be with others and the strategies that adults can use to positively support this development. Understanding Children's Behaviour is a practical handbook that is accessible and adaptable for Early Years practitioners looking to support children's behaviour by focusing on their personal and social skills. It includes a useful A-Z problem-solving section about dealing with unwanted behaviours for analysis and to guide practice.

The Literacy of Play and Innovation provides a portrait of what innovative education looks like from a literacy perspective. Through an in-depth case study of a "maker" school's innovative design-in particular, of four early childhood educator's classrooms-this book demonstrates that children's inspiration, curiosity, and creativity is a direct result of the school environment. Presenting a unique, data-driven model of literacy, play, and innovation taking the maker movement beyond STEM education, this book helps readers understand literacy learning through making and the creative approaches embedded in early literacy classroom practices.

Understanding the HighScope Approach is a much-needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of this innovative education programme. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of the HighScope approach to early childhood and its relationship to high-quality early years practice. This second edition contains all the original content, which covers all areas of the curriculum including learning environment, plan-do-review, adult-child interaction and assessment, but has been updated to be fully in line with the latest changes to research, policy and practice. New topics and features include: outdoor play and learning using the HighScope approach with children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language managing the approach with bigger class sizes the implementation of technology with children in HighScope settings a selection of new photographs 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.

There are so many ways practitioners can get children ready for writing and Alistair explores these in this step by step practical guide. Starting with the theory this book takes practitioners through the developmental stages, looks at gender differences in mark making and then provides some innovative ideas for intervention such as Dough Gym and writing like a Jedi! Alistair is convinced that once practitioners understand the developmental stages of becoming a mark maker (from palm gripping to shoulder pivot) and are given the tried and tested activities to use, they will see a significant difference in progress.

Bringing together valuable insights from research and practice undertaken at the world-famous Pen Green Centre, Democratising Leadership in the Early Years illustrates how settings and practitioners can develop and maintain forms of leadership which foster collaborative practices across and within settings and services. Effective leadership is key to establishing socially inclusive and democratic practices and as such, it has become a key concern for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. Drawing on authors' first-hand experiences, on systems theory, psychological theory and neuroscience, chapters in this book illustrate the role of highly effective leadership in ensuring that services are accessible, inclusive and innovative. Practical advice will support professionals in overcoming destructive systemic and psychological dynamics to flatten hierarchies, improve relationships, learning and educational outcomes, and to encourage staff, parents, and children to contribute creatively to collaborative enterprises. Accessible and insightful, Democratising Leadership in the Early Years will improve understanding of approaches to leadership and support early years practitioners, students and managers as they develop their leadership skills and build capacity within settings and the wider community.

First published in 1981, this work is based on the author's research in the playgrounds of two Oxford schools. It describes the order amongst the apparent chaos by relating the playtime activities - the games, rhymes and taunts of five-to-ten-year-olds in first and middle schools - to children's goals, problems and solutions. It shows how children learn and display in the playground a remarkably complex set of social skills and the study clearly demonstrates the importance of playtime for preparing a child to cope in the adult world.

Research Informed teaching is big news! Indeed one might argue that there has been a bottom up revolution encouraging teachers' use of research (e.g. ResearchED). But at the same time there is a gap between what teachers do and what research suggests might provide effective ways to support young children's learning. It's not that a wealth of educational research doesn't exist (just look at the What Works Clearinghouse, the Best Evidence Encyclopaedia or Hattie's Visible Learning), but the Early Years sector is often under-represented. This book is an attempt to address this disparity and provide Early Years leaders and practitioners with an understanding of how to embed this research within their everyday practice offering top tips of how others in the field have done this and considering topics such as outdoor learning, early writing skills and parental engagement. Drawing on the wisdom of those at the top of their game, this book intends to provide just that: a practical handbook for EYs practitioner and leaders that can help make the research use revolution a reality.

Inspired by the first-hand experiences of those studying early childhood education and care, this book supports students as they gain advanced knowledge and skills, and embark on the journey from inexperienced student to graduate professional. Bringing together advanced theory, links to research, and illustrative case studies, Advanced Work-based Practice in the Early Years enables students to consolidate learning by applying theory to practice and identifying the skills, knowledge and personal traits which will help them succeed as a graduate practitioner. Chapters address a wealth of topical issues relating to both the development of the child and the student's own professional development. Areas of focus include ethical practice, safeguarding and child protection, the voice of the child, the role of the mentor, observation, assessment and the social and cultural factors which may impact on a child's development. Including reflective activities, practical tips, and examples of student experience throughout, this is an essential text for all early years students as they make the transition from academic study to professional practice.

Grit, Resilience, and Motivation in Early Childhood moves past current media buzz about grit, resilience, and motivation as proverbial silver bullets and provides early childhood educators with a much-needed focus on developmentally appropriate activities and expectations related to those terms. Illustrated with classroom case studies, caregiver and community resources, and teacher behaviors, this powerful guide presents practical applications for educators to more deeply understand the research that will strengthen and support young children.

First published in 1956, The Education of Young Children is focused on presenting the psychological needs of children within education, following several talks given by the author at conferences for teachers of young children. The book highlights the importance of meeting all aspects of a child's needs. It demonstrates that physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs are all intrinsically connected and fundamental to education and development. It also puts forward the significance of Nursery Schools and the training given to Nursery School teachers, as well as the influence of Nursery Schools on Infant Schools. The Education of Young Children will appeal to those with an interest in the history and psychology of education.

Posthuman research playspaces: Climate child imaginaries addresses the need for new forms of climate change education that are responsive to the rapidly changing material conditions of children's socioecological worlds. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of how posthumanist concepts and methods can be creatively developed and deployed in collaboration with children and young people. It connects climate change education with posthumanist studies of childhood in the social sciences and environmental humanities. It also offers opportunities for readers to encounter new theoretical and methodological approaches for collaborative art, inquiry, and learning with children. Drawing on three years of participatory research undertaken with 135 children in the Climate Change and Me (CC+Me) project, it takes children's creative and affective responses to climate change as the starting point for the co-production of knowledge, community engagement, and the transformation of pedagogy and curriculum in schools. Thinking through process philosophy, and in particular, the works of Whitehead and Deleuze, the book develops new concepts and methods of creative inquiry which situate children's learning, aesthetic production, and theory-building within a more-than-human ecology of experience. The book presents a series of generative openings and propositions for future research in the field of climate change education, while also offering wide-ranging applications for graduate students and researchers in childhood and youth studies, the environmental arts and humanities, cultural studies of science and technology, educational philosophy, and environmental education.

Challenging dominant discourses in the field of early childhood education, this book provides an accessible introduction to some of the alternative narratives and diverse perspectives that are increasingly to be heard in this field, as well as discussing the importance of paradigm, politics and ethics. Peter Moss draws on material published in the groundbreaking Contesting Early Childhood series to introduce readers to thinking that questions the mainstream approach to early childhood education and to offer rich examples to illustrate how this thinking is being put to work in practice. Key topics addressed include: dominant discourses in today's early childhood education - and what is meant by 'dominant discourse' why politics and ethics are the starting points for early childhood education Reggio Emilia as an example of an alternative narrative the relevance to early childhood education of thinkers such as Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze and of theoretical positions such as posthumanism. An enlightening read for students and practitioners, as well as policymakers, academics and parents, this book is intended for anyone who wants to think more about early childhood education and delve deeper into new perspectives and debates in this field.

The 'Get to Know Me' resources aim to support children, with those around them, who may have additional/special educational needs. They are designed to empower the professionals and adults who support those with identified needs. Developed by child psychologist Dr Louise Lightfoot, the series includes activities specific to anxiety, depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In supporting the social and emotional health of students, it equips them with the ability to thrive, personally and academically. This book has been created for key adults (teachers, therapists and parents) as a complement to the picture book and draw along versions of Silver Matilda - a traditional narrative story exploring thoughts, feelings and sensations experienced by many children with depression. The activities in this book offer practical tools and strategies to support the child and those around them in addition to the information specific to the condition to improve understanding of a child's needs to promote empathy and acceptance. Picture book and draw along versions of Silver Matilda are available separately, and as part of the Get to Know Me: Depression set.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Early Childhood Education and Care explores early childhood education and care in Australia from a variety of perspectives, highlighting the complexity of working within the field and the need for a truly interdisciplinary approach. It argues that only a holistic understanding of each perspective will allow a clear future for early childhood education within Australia, and that all government parties should provide better outcomes around policy and provision to ensure the support and development of the sector. Chapters offer insights into how children and families are positioned in educational reform by examining current government policy, as well as individual and collective initiatives. Key paradigms considered include positivist, behavioural, developmental, economic, sociocultural, and postmodern models. Garvis and Manning identify challenges to the field and propose improvements needed to develop an interdisciplinary approach to help close the disadvantage gap on educational outcomes. With recommendations aimed at stakeholders within different disciplines, it is hoped that this book will encourage significant improvements to early childhood education and care within Australia. Providing important insights into the landscape of early childhood education and care, this book will promote new ways of thinking of policy and provision development for the future. As such, it will be of interest to researchers, academics, and postgraduate students in the fields of early years education, education policy and politics, and sociology of education, as well as those studying childcare alongside economics, criminology and sociology.

This is the first ever introduction to Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Framework written specifically for undergraduate students. The author provides a carefully structured, guided introduction to Bronfenbrenner's concepts, their interpretation, and their potential applications. Bronfenbrenner's scientific analysis of the role the environment plays in human development earned him a premier place alongside Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, and Erik Erikson as a contributor to our understanding of developmental processes. His ideas are essential for analysing how development happens, how it goes astray, how to right it when it does, and how to create environments that will promote healthy development. The Bronfenbrenner Primer walks students through each component of the framework in a logical order, helping students build a solid, systematic understanding. It describes the background and context that led Bronfenbrenner to develop his framework, illustrates a wide array of potential applications, and provides activities students can do to practice applying the framework to their own experience. Honed over 25 years of teaching Bronfenbrenner's ideas, this text will be essential reading for students across the behavioral and social sciences.

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.

In this study, originally published in 1986, Professor Charles Read examines the ways in which pre-school and primary children create spellings - or misspellings, as they appear to be. He focuses on the hidden phonetic bases for some frequent patterns in young children's spelling, both in and out of school. Professor Read examines children's spelling in other languages (Dutch, French, Spanish) as well as in various dialects of English, in order to see the influence of other sets of speech sounds and other standard spelling systems. Overall, the evidence suggests that children are very much affected by phonetic characteristics, as they tend to spell alike certain classes of speech sound which are indeed phonetically similar. In devising spellings, children can be remarkably independent and inventive in an activity which for adults is anything but creative, and Professor Read suggests ways in which educators can build upon this creativity.