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.

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.

The 50 Fantastic Ideas series is packed full of fun, original, skills-based activities for Early Years practitioners to use with children aged 0-5. Each activity features step-by-step guidance, a list of resources, and a detailed explanation of the skills children will learn. Creative, simple, and highly effective, this series is a must-have for every Early Years setting. Supporting young children's language development has always been an important part of high-quality Early Years practice. Competency in language (written and spoken) is essential in ensuring children can access learning across the whole curriculum and simultaneously supports personal, social and emotional development. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that many children need additional support to meet age-related expectations in this area. 50 Fantastic Ideas for Early Language Development presents a range of flexible and adaptable ideas to help practitioners develop their practice in the area of speaking, listening and communication. The author, Dr Mary Scanlan, is a expert in Early Years education. She puts theory into practice in this dip-in book by introducing accessible activities that are underpinned by research and an understanding of best practice. This book covers all areas of the EYFS, including the needs of children with EAL or SEND.

The conceptualisation and practice of play is considered core to early childhood pedagogy. In this essential text, contributors from a range of countries and cultures explore how play might be defined, encouraged and interpreted in early childhood settings and practice. Rethinking Play as Pedagogy provides a fresh perspective of play as a purposeful pedagogy offering multi-layered opportunities for learning and development. Written to provoke group discussion and extend thinking, opportunities for international comparison, points for reflection and editorial provocations, this volume will help students engage critically with a variety of understandings of play, and diverse approaches to harnessing children's natural propensity to play. Considering the role of the learning environment, the practitioner, the wider community, and policy, chapters are divided into four key sections which reflect major influences on practice and pedagogy: Being alongside children Those who educate Embedding families and communities Working with systems Offering in-depth discussion of diverse perceptions, potentials and practicalities of early childhood play, this text will enhance understanding, support self-directed learning, and provoke and transform thinking at both graduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in the field of early childhood education and care, for students, educators, integrated service providers and policy makers.

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.

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.

This book highlights contemporary questions around Early Childhood Education in Finland. It explores a range of issues relating to policies and practices in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). The book features many aspects of the so-called Nordic model that is evident in different practices and policies of the Finnish ECEC system. Among others topics, it discusses playful learning, storycrafting, scientific literacy, pedagogical leadership, family-related variables, and Sami language learning. The findings provide important insights into the Finnish ECEC model and illustrate relevant issues facing Finland. All of the 14 chapters present unique research and give the reader the opportunity to understand how the ECEC services during children's early years are defined and implemented. Each chapter includes a discussion of the educational outcome and highlights critical perspectives. In Finland ECEC is seen as an investment in the future. The Finnish ECEC system is one of the most equal in the world. The high-quality education is available to both private and public sectors. National curriculum and laws for early education have gone through a significant reform during the last decade, with the quality, practices and teachers' competences being defined in order to support children's future learning skills. ECEC in Finland is a unique combination of international influences and local intentions to put each child and family at the centre of the services. The systematic and goal-oriented ECEC system consists of upbringing, education and care with an emphasis on pedagogy in order to produce excellence for the future. Its overall planning, guidance and monitoring system is one of a kind.

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.

Connecting Children focuses on children's understandings of care and their views of different family lives. It portrays the lives of children aged 11-12 and shows how families connect children in different ways both in the household but also in their wider kinship networks. The children studied reflect upon family life and especially upon situations where their own family lives change dramatically, such as when parents divorce or are unable to care for them.
This book will be of interest to those working in education, social work, child care, counselling, social policy and childhood studies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This volume focuses on very young children's (aged 0-8) rights in a digital world. It gathers current research from around the globe that focuses on young children's rights as agental citizens to the provision of and participation in digital devices and content-as well as their right to protection from harm. The UN Digital Rights Framework of 2014 addresses children's needs, agency and vulnerability to harm in today's digital world and implies roles and responsibilities for a variety of social actors including the state, families, schools, commercial entities, researchers and children themselves. This volume presents a broad range of research, including chapters on parental supervision and control, the changing forms of play, early childhood education, media and cultural studies, law, design, health, special-needs education, and engineering. Implicit within this book is the acknowledgement that children of various ages, abilities, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds should have equal access to, and positive / non-harmful experiences with, new digital technologies and content-as well as adult support and expertise that enhances these experiences. This passionate book celebrates the diversity of young children's activities in the digital world. It interrogates these through four intersecting lenses: their rights, play experiences, contextualised design, and best practice. Balancing children's eager engagement with digital content alongside adult responsibilities for education, privacy and protection, the volume provides a fitting showcase for work of global relevance. Professor Lelia Green Professor of Communications Edith Cowan University Perth, Western Australia This compelling text provides a critical resource to inform our understanding of the intersection of the digital world and children's rights. Ilene R. Berson, Ph.D. Professor of Early Childhood Education Affiliate Faculty, Learning Design & Technology Area Coordinator, Early Childhood Coordinator, Early Childhood Ph.D. Program University of South Florida College of Education A truly international collection that investigates young children's engagement with digital technologies. Identifying issues of public interest around digital practices, this highly readable book is a valuable resource for researchers, parents and policy makers. Professor Susan Danby Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and, Faculty of Education School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education QUT Kelvin Grove, Queensland

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.

The Inclusive Classroom: Creating a Cherished Experience through Montessori brings together experts in Montessori Education and Special Education for the 3- to 6-year-old child in Montessori school. This book will be used by Montessori professionals in teacher training programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, by Montessori teachers in classrooms including public, private, sectarian, and nonsectarian schools for classrooms ages 3 to 6, and by Montessori administrators in all types of schools. The Montessori chapters (Introduction, Practical Life, Sensorial, Math/Geometry, Language, and Conclusion) describe and include examples of how to modify or re-present Montessori lessons for children with learning challenges. These lessons are supported by the principles of Universal Design for Learning AND specific standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The educational provision for early years is growing and changing across many parts of the world, not least in the UK. While this book leans heavily on the mounting literature on early child development in its broadest sense - physically, emotionally, linguistically - its central focus lies squarely on the growth of children's scientific thinking and activities. Written by educators, this book is based both on formal educational research and professional practice-in-action. The authors describe children's science concept development; their curiosity-driven exploration; emergent ecological literacy; their learning through science play; the assessment of early learning; the role of parents and practitioners within early education contexts; and some question the very basis of the science being taught. Illustrations and examples of practice are not confined to the UK, though the messages to be derived from each chapter have application way beyond the immediate context. This book was originally published as a special issue of Early Child Development and Care.

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.

This book compiles cases of teaching and learning that were written by practitioners from a variety of backgrounds in education-elementary school, middle school, high school, and adult instruction-in public, charter, and private institutions, face-to-face and online. Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is intended primarily for use in education courses that have students from different specializations, but it also can be an important resource for instructors and students in any education courses who want to develop a broad focus on learning (for example, thinking about middle school students as former elementary and future high school, college, and adult learners). A historical and developmental approach to learning is a founding principle of this book: all cases are written as stories of never-ending multi-faceted development, making them distinct from video cases that are gaining popularity. These cases capture memorable experiences related to teaching and learning that problematized existing practices and thus presented ample opportunities for critical thinking and creative performances. Each case in Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is paired with analysis written by its author that relied on the theories and research summarized in the first part of the book. The selection of the theories was based on their presence in current research literature, mainly serving as foundations for empirical research, and relevance to various standards for teacher education and leadership. The analyses embedded these theories and allowed for their in-depth understanding and exploration. They can serve as springboards for various written and oral assignments, collaborative and individual.

This book compiles cases of teaching and learning that were written by practitioners from a variety of backgrounds in education-elementary school, middle school, high school, and adult instruction-in public, charter, and private institutions, face-to-face and online. Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is intended primarily for use in education courses that have students from different specializations, but it also can be an important resource for instructors and students in any education courses who want to develop a broad focus on learning (for example, thinking about middle school students as former elementary and future high school, college, and adult learners). A historical and developmental approach to learning is a founding principle of this book: all cases are written as stories of never-ending multi-faceted development, making them distinct from video cases that are gaining popularity. These cases capture memorable experiences related to teaching and learning that problematized existing practices and thus presented ample opportunities for critical thinking and creative performances. Each case in Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is paired with analysis written by its author that relied on the theories and research summarized in the first part of the book. The selection of the theories was based on their presence in current research literature, mainly serving as foundations for empirical research, and relevance to various standards for teacher education and leadership. The analyses embedded these theories and allowed for their in-depth understanding and exploration. They can serve as springboards for various written and oral assignments, collaborative and individual.

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.

In this book, Silin maps the common ground between early childhood and the period sociologists call "young-old age." Emphasizing the continuities that bind children and adults rather than the differences that traditional developmental psychology claims separate us, he focuses on the themes we all manage across a lifetime. Building on memoir and narrative, Silin argues that when we recognize how the concerns of childhood continue to thread their way through our experience, we look anew at the shape of our lives. This book highlights the powerful generative acts through which people of all ages find new meanings and relationships to compensate for the individual and social losses that mark our lives.

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.

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 Tidy Tim - a traditional narrative story exploring thoughts, feelings and sensations experienced by many children with OCD. 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 Tidy Tim are available separately, and as part of the Get to Know Me: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) set.

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.