Play for Health Across the Lifespan uses case studies to explore the impact of play and creativity on health and wellbeing throughout the lifecycle. While play at the start of life influences future development, the authors show play also has a role in improving prospects for health and wellbeing in adulthood and later life. A relational approach to health and wellbeing emphasizes the dynamic, mutually influential relationship between individual development and the changing contexts of our lives. Our personal play history is one feature of this dynamic process, and this book explores how the experience of play throughout the life course sculpts and resculpts the shape of our lives: our physical health, our mental wellbeing, and our relationship to the people and the world around us. Storytelling has been used since the beginning of time to communicate important life lessons in an engaging way. Taking inspiration from Shakespeare's 'Seven Ages of Man', the book uses a case-story approach to differentiate the stages of development and to present evidence for how play and playful experiences impact on health and wellbeing from birth to the end of life in the context of temporal and situational change. Each chapter in Play for Health Across the Lifespan introduces relevant evidence-based research on play and health, before presenting several narrative 'case stories', which illustrate the application of play theory and the neuroscience of play as they relate to each life stage. With contributions from specialists in health and education, community organizations and the creative and performing arts, this book will appeal to academics, students, and practitioners who are interested in exploring the role of play in addressing contemporary challenges to our physical, mental, and social health.

Educators require constructive information that details their students' comprehension and can help them to advance the learners' education. Accurate evaluation of students at all educational levels and the implementation of comprehensive assessment strategies are essential for ensuring student equality and academic success. The Handbook of Research on Formative Assessment in Pre-K Through Elementary Classrooms is an essential research publication that addresses gaps in the understanding of formative assessment and offers educators meaningful and comprehensive examples of formative assessment in the Pre-K through elementary grade levels. Covering an array of topics such as literacy, professional development, and educational technologies, this book is relevant for instructors, administrators, education professionals, educational policymakers, pre-service teachers, academicians, researchers, and students.

Neoliberalism, with its worldview of competition, choice and calculation, its economisation of everything, and its will to govern has 'sunk its roots deep' into Early Childhood Education and Care. This book considers its deeply detrimental impacts upon young children, families, settings and the workforce. Through an exploration of possibilities for resistance and refusal, and reflection on the significance of the coronavirus pandemic, Roberts-Holmes and Moss provide hope that neoliberalism's current hegemony can be successfully contested. The book provides a critical introduction to neoliberalism and three closely related and influential concepts - Human Capital theory, Public Choice theory and New Public Management - as well as an overview of the impact of neoliberalism on compulsory education, in particular through the Global Education Reform Movement. With its main focus on Early Childhood Education and Care, this book argues that while neoliberalism is a very powerful force, it is 'deeply problematic, eminently resistible and eventually replaceable' - and that there are indeed alternatives. Neoliberalism and Early Childhood Education is an insightful supplement to the studies of students and researchers in Early Childhood Education and Sociology of Education, and is also highly relevant to policy makers.

This book presents a detailed ethnographic study conducted in an urban slum in India. It explores how a State school, as a social and pedagogic institution, shapes the aspirations and worldviews of children in the urban margins. The volume engages with the children's experience of marginality and exclusion as they negotiate the intersecting axes of caste, class, gender, and citizenship. It further explores how their everyday school experience is mediated by the power asymmetries between the teachers and the community. In this process, it makes-sense of the political dynamics between the State and its margins while highlighting the role of schools and locating childhood in this context. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the book will be of interest to researchers, students, and teachers of education studies, sociology and politics of education, teacher education, childhood and youth studies, and urban studies. It will also be useful for education policymakers, and professionals in the development sector.

Interdisciplinary and intersectional in emphasis, the Routledge Companion to Motherhood brings together essays on current intellectual themes, issues, and debates, while also creating a foundation for future scholarship and study as the field of Motherhood Studies continues to develop globally. This Routledge Companion is the first extensive collection on the wide-ranging topics, themes, issues, and debates that ground the intellectual work being done on motherhood. Global in scope and including a range of disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, literature, communication studies, sociology, women's and gender studies, history, and economics, this volume introduces the foundational topics and ideas in motherhood, delineates the diversity and complexity of mothering, and also stimulates dialogue among scholars and students approaching from divergent backgrounds and intellectual perspectives. This will become a foundational text for academics in Women's and Gender Studies and interdisciplinary researchers interested in this important, complex and rapidly growing topic. Scholars of psychology, sociology or public policy, and activists in both university and workplace settings interested in motherhood and mothering will find it an invaluable guide.

Child care environments have received extensive research attention by those interested in understanding how participating in nonparental child care might influence the children's development and learning. Throughout the United States (US Census Bureau, 2011) and Europe (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2006) a large number of young children are cared for outside of the home by non-parental adults. Young children's nonparental care is commonly referred to as ""child care," and is provided to children whose ages range from birth to 12 years of age. The provision of child care services has become an increasingly important part of early childhood education. In fact, the United Nations Children's Fund (2019) states that a large majority of children worldwide spend at least some of their week in child care, such arrangements include center care, family child care, in-home child care, relative child care, and supplemental child care. Child care researchers have been conducting studies to understand how participating in nonparental child care might influence the children's development and learning outcomes. There are more than enough child care studies to make numerous major inferences. For example, research outcomes show that child care quality seems to be more influential than either the kind of child care or age of admission in determining the children's development and learning. The adults' child care affects the quality in child care. In the environment adults who are caring for the children have the opportunity to effectively assume both nurturing and instructional roles to help young children cultivate their social and cognitive abilities. The teachers' effectiveness is related to their individual characteristics, such as formal education, specialized training, and the classroom environment. However, the majority of the studies show that both family and quality of child care have the most significant effects on the children's development and learning. Therefore, the concept of child care has heavily influenced modern views. Researchers, scholars, and educators are beginning to understand the current foundations based on theoretical frameworks that contribute to the purposes of the child care in the United States and Europe. The contents of the child care volume reflect the major shifts in the views of these early childhood researchers, scholars, and educators in relation to research outcomes on child care, its historical roots, the role of child care in early childhood education, and its relationship to theory, research, and practice.

Child care environments have received extensive research attention by those interested in understanding how participating in nonparental child care might influence the children's development and learning. Throughout the United States (US Census Bureau, 2011) and Europe (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2006) a large number of young children are cared for outside of the home by non-parental adults. Young children's nonparental care is commonly referred to as ""child care," and is provided to children whose ages range from birth to 12 years of age. The provision of child care services has become an increasingly important part of early childhood education. In fact, the United Nations Children's Fund (2019) states that a large majority of children worldwide spend at least some of their week in child care, such arrangements include center care, family child care, in-home child care, relative child care, and supplemental child care. Child care researchers have been conducting studies to understand how participating in nonparental child care might influence the children's development and learning outcomes. There are more than enough child care studies to make numerous major inferences. For example, research outcomes show that child care quality seems to be more influential than either the kind of child care or age of admission in determining the children's development and learning. The adults' child care affects the quality in child care. In the environment adults who are caring for the children have the opportunity to effectively assume both nurturing and instructional roles to help young children cultivate their social and cognitive abilities. The teachers' effectiveness is related to their individual characteristics, such as formal education, specialized training, and the classroom environment. However, the majority of the studies show that both family and quality of child care have the most significant effects on the children's development and learning. Therefore, the concept of child care has heavily influenced modern views. Researchers, scholars, and educators are beginning to understand the current foundations based on theoretical frameworks that contribute to the purposes of the child care in the United States and Europe. The contents of the child care volume reflect the major shifts in the views of these early childhood researchers, scholars, and educators in relation to research outcomes on child care, its historical roots, the role of child care in early childhood education, and its relationship to theory, research, and practice.

Kumon workbooks are based on the "Kumon Method," an educational philosophy that aims at unlocking the full learning potential of each individual child. The Kumon Method introduces learning concepts in an incremental, step-by-step approach, allowing children to master new skills easily and without anxiety or frustration. As a result, children gain confidence in their abilities and are motivated to learn on their own.

This text responds to the growing need for speech-language pathologists in school settings by asking how factors including people, work, pay, opportunities for promotion, and supervision impact the overall job satisfaction of school-based speech-language pathologists. Drawing on data from a quantitative study conducted in schools in the US, the text foregrounds the experiences and perspectives of speech-language pathologists working in the public school sector, and illustrates the critical role of effective and supportive educational leadership and administration in ensuring effective recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction amongst these much needed professionals. The text highlights growing responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in schools and considers recruitment and challenges in the sector can be remedied by greater understanding of how job satisfaction relates to speech-language pathologists' experiences and perspectives on pay, work, opportunities for promotion, and support from a supervisor. This short text is aimed at researchers, scholars, and administrators in meeting the growing needs of children and students with speech and language difficulties in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary education settings . The text will be particularly valuable for school leaders looking to support speech-language pathologists in their setting.

This book is a concise and accessible guide to observation as a tool for supporting learning for children aged 0 - 5. It provides comprehensive coverage of the what, why, and how of observation, brought to life with extensive case studies and contextualised alongside other crucial Early Years' topics, including child development and play. This book encourages readers to consider their own context and practice, with reflective questions at the end of each chapter and specific chapters on linking observations to the curriculum and sharing insights with parents and colleagues. The focus on both learning and self-reflection makes 'Observing Learning in Early Childhood' ideal for students, newly qualified teachers, and current practitioners alike. Dr. Stella Louis is a freelance early years consultant, with 34 years' experience of working with children and families across the UK, South Africa and Australia.

This volume contributes to understanding childhoods in the twentieth and twenty-firstcentury by offering an in-depth overview of children and their engagement with the violent world around them. The chapters deal with different historical, spatial, and cultural contexts, yet converge on the question of how children relate to physiological and psychological violence. The twentieth century has been hailed as the "century of the child" but it has also witnessed an unprecedented escalation of cultural trauma experienced by children during the two World Wars, Holocaust, Partition of the Indian subcontinent, and Vietnam War. The essays in this volume focus on victimized childhood during instances of war, ethnic violence, migration under compulsion, rape, and provide insights into how a child negotiates with abstract notions of nation, ethnicity, belonging, identity, and religion. They use an array of literary and cinematic representations-fiction, paintings, films, and popular culture-to explore the long-term effect of violence and neglect on children. As such, they lend voice to children whose experiences of abuse have been multifaceted, ranging from genocide, conflict and xenophobia to sexual abuse, and also consider ways of healing. With contributions from across the world, this comprehensive book will be useful to scholars and researchers of cultural studies, literature, education, education policy, gender studies, child psychology, sociology, political studies, childhood studies, and those studying trauma, conflict, and resilience.

In this highly practical book, Rona Tutt and Paul Williams explore how schools and other educational settings can provide students with the right environment to support their emotional wellbeing and hence to maximise their learning potential. Encouraging collaboration between education and healthcare professionals, as well as other services, and with families, they show how to develop resilience in young people and provide them with the tools for coping with mental health issues. Based on a range of practical experiences from many different schools and practitioners, How to Maximise Emotional Wellbeing and Improve Mental Health discusses several crucial aspects of wellbeing in educational settings, including: Changing attitudes surrounding wellbeing and mental health Nurturing resilience, and its application Creating a healthy and constructive ethos and environment Providing extensive case studies, and featuring insightful conversations with school leaders and other professionals, this book will be an essential resource for staff in schools, including those leading in mental health, as well as trainee teachers and anyone with a wider societal concern about mental wellbeing in young people.

Finding Quality Early Childcare is a tool for parents to use in selecting quality childcare that best meets the needs of their family. This book reviews foundational elements of childcare, such as health and safety features, while explaining educational strategies, including styles of teaching and daily classroom activities. Finding Quality Early Childcare also covers types of specialized childcare, such as infant care and childcare for children with special needs, reviews Transitional Kindergarten, and discusses when children are ready to transition from preschool to Kindergarten.

This vital volume advances understanding of how parenting from childhood to adolescence changes or remains the same in a variety of sociodemographic, psychological, and cultural contexts, providing a truly global understanding of parenting across cultures. Through the Parenting Across Cultures project, the editors unveil findings from this hugely important comparative longitudinal study of parents and children in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. The volume offers insight into trajectories of parenting, exploring parents' warmth, control, rules setting, and knowledge of children's activities and whereabouts. Each chapter is authored by a contributor native to the country examined, guaranteeing an authentic emic perspective, and together the chapters provide a broader sample that is more generalizable to a wider range of the world's population than is typical in most parenting research. Parenting Across Cultures From Childhood to Adolescence is essential reading for researchers and students of parenting, psychology, human development, family studies, sociology, and cultural anthropology, as well as professionals working with families.

Monsters Under the Bed is an essential text focussing on critical and contemporary issues surrounding writing for early years children. Containing a critically creative and a creatively critical investigation of the cult and culture of the child and childhood in fiction and non-fictional writing, it also contains a wealth of ideas and critical advice.

This text dynamically explores the issue of picture books, literacy and writing for early years children with a wider view on child-centred culture, communication and media. Internationally recognised as an expert in the field, Andrew Melrose encourages academics, researchers and students to examine the fundamental questions in writing for and addressing early years children, through an exploration of text and images. Accessibly written and lively in its approach, this book includes:

• an accessible and critically important challenge to the latest international academic research and debates in the field of children s literature and creative writing
• an extensive investigation of early years writing and reading
• a pathway to developing critical awareness of children s literature, allowing students to develop their own critical ability and writing skills
• constant checkpoints throughout, in which the reader is encouraged to reflect on critically creative and creatively critical development.

Providing a coherent and pedagogical approach, this compelling text will be an indispensable resource for critics, writers and students interested in children's writing, as well as those on Creative Writing, Children's Literature and English BA and MA programmes. It will also be of great interest to those in teacher training, PGCE students and for those studying at Doctoral and Post-Doctoral level.

Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) has gained national momentum. The authors first present a national scene of QRIS and then use Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County as a case study to illustrate a number of things. First, they look at the logic model behind the QRIS. Next, they review the design and implementation of the QRIS in the context of partnership and systems thinking. Finally, they provide an evaluation design and findings. The book is useful for policy makers, administrators of early and education at various levels, researchers, and others who seek to improve early care and education.

In Anti-racist Pedagogy in the Early Childhood Classroom, author Miriam Tager provides detailed descriptions of Anti-Racist lessons and activities in early childhood classrooms. With accounts and examples from educators integrating anti-racist teachings into their classroom, this book explores what Anti-racist Pedagogy can look like and how these early childhood educators effectively utilize Anti-racist Pedagogy to combat racism within schools. The book also includes professional tips and advice for the higher education teacher to use in their teacher education programs to better prepare pre-service teachers for addressing issues on race and racism within their classrooms.

Evaluating Early Learning in Museums presents developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant practices for engaging early learners and their families in informal arts settings. Written by early childhood education researchers and a museum practitioner, the book showcases what high-quality educational programs can offer young children and their families through the case study of a program at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. Providing strategies for building strong community partnerships and audience relationships, the authors also survey evaluation tools for early learning programs and offer strategies to help museums around the world to engage young children. At the center of this narrative is the seminal partnership that developed between researchers and museum educators during the evaluation of a program for toddlers. Illuminating key components of the partnership and the resulting evolution of family offerings at the museum, the book also draws parallels to current work being done at other museums in international contexts. Evaluating Early Learning in Museums illustrates how an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and practitioners can improve museum practices. As such, the book will be of interest to researchers and students engaged in the study of museums and early childhood, as well as to practitioners working in museums around the world.

This second edition of Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education and Care-A Reader: Critical Questions, New Imaginaries & Social Activism is a foundational text that presents contemporary theories, debates and political concerns regarding early education and child care around the globe. Chapter authors are leading contributors in discussions about critical early childhood studies over the past twenty-five years. The volume editors of Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education and Care are long-time scholars in the reconceptualizing early childhood movement. Audiences include students in graduate courses focused on early childhood, early years, and primary education, critical childhood studies, critical curriculum studies and critical theories/perspectives.

Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) has gained national momentum. The authors first present a national scene of QRIS and then use Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County as a case study to illustrate a number of things. First, they look at the logic model behind the QRIS. Next, they review the design and implementation of the QRIS in the context of partnership and systems thinking. Finally, they provide an evaluation design and findings. The book is useful for policy makers, administrators of early and education at various levels, researchers, and others who seek to improve early care and education.

Margaret Carr's seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and call on the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes learning stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy.

Chapters explore how Learning Stories:

"help make connections with families;

"support the inclusion of children and family voices;

"tell us stories about babies;

"allow children to dictate their own stories;

"can be used to revisit children's learning journeys;

"can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom.

This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories, and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed, and shows through research evidence why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions.

Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

Bringing together two key areas within early childhood- play and literacy - this book offers an innovative approach to examining literacies within the context of children's play. This book: Introduces students to contemporary theory and research in the field Explores the debates surrounding young children's play and how language and literacies are created through a range of play activity Helps students to reflect on how this knowledge can be applied in their future professional lives working to support young children Advocating for young children's play and diverse literacies, this book supports students to develop a depth of knowledge about how play can extend children's literacies, and encourages early childhood educators to reflect on and enhance their literacy practices with young children.

It is important that early educators view sensitive topics not as problems, but as subjects that are part of our global society. Early educators need to engage children in conversations in which to consider and share diverse perspectives. Early educators also should examine their own experiences when addressing these serious issues. This volume contains chapters that invite conversations about sensitive issues to help educators, children and families use real-life experiences to construct knowledge about their world and other people.

One of a series of practical references for teachers, this handbook provides general information on the background of the early childhood curriculum in the United States. It also contains current information on publications, standards and special materials for the curriculum, and is designed to be adapted to suit particular schools.