Buried in the red soil of the Oklahoma prairie is a secret only Charlie McDonagh can fully reveal. Charlie is an ordinary man who is witness to extraordinary events and people. A stone statue of a striking young woman, broken into a hundred pieces is uncovered from the dirt of a remote location-a broken statue representing shattered lives and shattered dreams.

The story of the statues is one of love, greed, betrayal, power, and crushed aspirations. The statue symbolizes what was and what could have been. A tale of a great oil empire betrayed, destroying the lives of the family who built it. An intriguing story based on the real-life legacy of the Marland Mansion and the statue still located within its walls.

Spiritual Renewal: Transforming the Mind offers innovative and fresh insights into developing purpose and meaning to life. These timeless and timely insights into the transformed mind offer unique perspectives about spirituality, success, contentment, ethics, and religion. peace of mind, more energy, and have more satisfaction in life. The ability to be spiritually renewed is within you right now You have the power inside you to transform the mind. The concepts and contents of this book can help show you how. Spiritually centered people are better equipped to adapt and overcome life's challenges. They are more self-assured and more positive. They make better life choices and consistently do the right things. People who know how to rekindle their spirit and inner strength have the energy to tackle problems, overcome disappointments, and handle success. Transforming the mind to think beyond the constraints of the physical world and toward a promise of a more meaningful existence involves the power of belief, the responsibility to choose, and the opportunity to change. The transformed mind is full of optimism, hope, tolerance, and contentment...because thinking positively is a choice.

This book provides an important compilation and synthesis of current work in transition to school research. The book focuses strongly on the theoretical underpinnings of research in transition to school. It outlines key theoretical positions and connects those to the implications for policy and practice, thereby challenging readers to re-conceptualize their understandings, expectations and perceptions of transition to school. The exploration of this range of theoretical perspectives and the application of these to a wide range of research and research contexts makes this book an important and innovative contribution to the scholarship of transition to school research. A substantial part of the book is devoted to detailed examples of transition to school practice. These chapters provide innovative examples of evidence-based practice and contribute in turn, to practice-based evidence. The book is also devoted to considering policy issues and implications related to the transition to school.It records a genuine, collaborative effort to bring together a range of perspectives into a Transition to School Position Statement that will inform ongoing research, practice and policy. The collaborative, research, policy and practice based development of this position statement represents a world-first."

This collection addresses issues related to families and transition, and pays special attention to the transition to school, the effect of this on the family, as well as the effect of the family on that transition. It celebrates the roles of families, locating them as integral partners in time of transition and identifying a variety of ways in which families and educators can work together with children to promote positive transitions. The book draws on a range of theoretical frameworks and research projects to provide multiple perspectives of family involvement in education, family-educator partnerships, the nature of collaboration, issues for families in marginalised or complex circumstances, as well as the multiple intersections of families and transition processes. The research projects reported range from in-depth case studies to the analysis of large-scale data sets and all have multiple messages for practitioners, policy makers and researchers as they seek ways to engage with families as their children start school.

This book brings together an international group of researchers reporting on their work about play and early childhood education across 13 countries - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, Germany, Hong Kong, United States of America, India, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, Singapore, China and Australia. It contributes to growing international conversations about play and the role of play in early childhood education. Each of the chapters in this anthology reflects different directions in research as well as a range of approaches to reconceptualising play. Each researcher questions assumptions underpinning young children's play and early childhood education and explores the implications of these questions for further research, practice and policy. Chapters report a wide range of innovative and transformative research, focusing on areas such as the play of infants and toddlers, the role of values in play, the complexity of connections between play and learning, motivation, the role and understandings of early childhood educators in promoting children's play, risky play and the impact of Westernised approaches to play in different contexts. This book argues for the importance of children's play at a time when there is a great deal of pressure to increase the academic focus of early education and to eliminate play that could be deemed risky. Several authors note moves towards pedagogies of play and explore the potential links between play and learning in early education settings. The research reported in this book is a timely reminder of the value of play, for and of itself, as well as the learning potential of play. It provides a pathway into the debates about the role and value of play in early years' education for students, researchers and policy-makers.

This book presents the latest research on educational transitions from a variety of research traditions and practical contexts set in Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries. It examines, critically questions, and reshapes ideas and notions about children's transitions to school. The book is divided into five parts, the first two of which emphasise diversity and inclusion, with Part II focusing solely on the transition to school for children from Indigenous cultures. Part III explores the notion of continuity, which has been widely debated in terms of its role in the transition to school. Part IV explores the transition to school through the notion of 'crossing borders'. The final section of this book, Part V, includes ideas about future directions for work in the area of educational transitions, and presents the notion of transitions as a tool for change to policy, research and practice. The book concludes with a critical synthesis of the research outlined throughout, including recommendations regarding future research related to educational transitions.

Transition to school represents a time of great change for all involved. Many transition to school programs have been developed to support positive transitions to school. While these programs have involved complex planning and implementation, often they have not been evaluated in rigorous or systematic ways. This book brings together Australian and international perspectives on research and practice to explore approaches to evaluating transition to school programs. For children, school is quite different from anything else they have experienced. For families and educators, there are considerable changes as they interact with new people and take on new roles. Developing effective transition to school programs is a key policy initiative around the world, based on recognition of the importance of a positive start to school and the impact of this for future school engagement and outcomes. Throughout the chapters of this book, authors from Australia, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica share examples of evaluation practice, with the aim of encouraging educators to reflect on their own contexts and adopt evaluation practices that are relevant and appropriate for them. The book brings together the fields of evaluation research and transition to school. A wide range of examples and figures is used to relate research and practice and to illustrate possible applications of evaluation strategies. Evaluating Transition to School Programs highlights the importance of multiple perspectives of the transition to school and offers suggestions about how the perspectives of children, families, educators and community members might be included and analysed in evaluation strategies. Other themes throughout the book include the importance of collaboration, respectful and trusting relationships, practitioner-driven inquiry, strengths-based approaches and developing programs that are responsive to context. This book is written for educators and leaders in early years and primary school settings, and will also be of interest to researchers, students and policy makers in the field.

This book showcases the quality work that Latin American researchers have done on transition to school in Latin American countries by offering the English-speaking world, first-hand access to some Latin American transitions research, practices, and policies. This book shows the work carried out in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico with regards to the way in which the transition to primary school is experienced from different stakeholders' perspectives, and how Latin American educational policies and cultural practices shape such an important process for stakeholders. This book was importantly framed by the COVID-19 pandemic which placed the world in a global health emergency, and it is our hope that this book will trigger future international collaborations between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners interested in transitions which could help produce a wealth of empirical evidence to inform educational policies and transitions practices across the world. Building networks where diverse experiences are valued and respected, as well as analysed, can help provide a platform that supports educators and researchers as they continue their work and branch out in new and challenging directions.

Transition to school represents a time of great change for all involved. Many transition to school programs have been developed to support positive transitions to school. While these programs have involved complex planning and implementation, often they have not been evaluated in rigorous or systematic ways. This book brings together Australian and international perspectives on research and practice to explore approaches to evaluating transition to school programs. For children, school is quite different from anything else they have experienced. For families and educators, there are considerable changes as they interact with new people and take on new roles. Developing effective transition to school programs is a key policy initiative around the world, based on recognition of the importance of a positive start to school and the impact of this for future school engagement and outcomes. Throughout the chapters of this book, authors from Australia, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica share examples of evaluation practice, with the aim of encouraging educators to reflect on their own contexts and adopt evaluation practices that are relevant and appropriate for them. The book brings together the fields of evaluation research and transition to school. A wide range of examples and figures is used to relate research and practice and to illustrate possible applications of evaluation strategies. Evaluating Transition to School Programs highlights the importance of multiple perspectives of the transition to school and offers suggestions about how the perspectives of children, families, educators and community members might be included and analysed in evaluation strategies. Other themes throughout the book include the importance of collaboration, respectful and trusting relationships, practitioner-driven inquiry, strengths-based approaches and developing programs that are responsive to context. This book is written for educators and leaders in early years and primary school settings, and will also be of interest to researchers, students and policy makers in the field.

Structured around Bishop's six fundamental mathematical activities, this book brings together examples of mathematics education from a range of countries to help readers broaden their view on maths and its interrelationship to other aspects of life. Considering different educational traditions and diverse contexts, and illustrating theory through the use of real-life vignettes throughout, this book encourages readers to review, reflect on, and critique their own practice when conducting activities on explaining, counting, measuring, locating, designing, and playing. Aimed at early childhood educators and practitioners looking to improve the mathematics learning experience for all their students, this practical and accessible guide provides the knowledge and tools to help every child.

This book reports initiatives to listen to parents and families, to ascertain what families believe and do as they seek to engage collaboratively with their children's educators, and what educators and educational systems might do to facilitate and/or establish barriers to such engagement. Parental engagement in children's learning and development has many positive benefits. However, in the current environments of accountability and performativity which are pervading early childhood education in many countries, the opportunities for parents and other family members to be part of the development of respectful, collaborative relationships with their children's early childhood educators are becoming more and more restricted. Many educators feel forced to choose between curriculum outcomes and parental engagement, as both involve their time. There is a danger that the voices of parents and families in their children's early learning and development will not always be heard, seen, or fully understood. This volume addresses this important issue. Researchers, educators, and families will all benefit from this book, to the ultimate benefit of the young children who are the future. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Reflecting the importance of drawing on children's perspectives to shape professional practice, this book offers a nuanced approach to understanding the aims, implications and practicalities of accessing and incorporating children's perspectives in pedagogial practices relating to transitions. Listening to Children's Advice about Starting School and School Age Care: emphasises the importance of listening to and respecting children's perspectives at the time of their transitions to school and school age care; shares children's perspectives of the transition to school and school age care in ways that are both authentic and provocative; explores implications for practice as a consequence of children's input; provokes a deep level of critical reflection and practice/policy development that is informed by a dialogue between research and practice. Chapters report research conducted in seven different countries to highlight approaches that acknowledge and respect children's input, and use this as a basis for critical reflection on practice, with a view to improving the children's transition experiences. Using examples of practice and offering practical and theoretical insights, the book illustrates the multiplicity of children's perspectives, and prompts educators to reflect on and critique practice. This book will be invaluable reading for researchers, students, educators and practitioners involved in young children's transitions to school and school-age care.

What ethical dilemmas face researchers who work with young children?

Researching Young Children's Perspectives critically examines the challenges and complexities of rights based, participatory research with children. Rather than approaching these dilemmas as problematic issues, this book positions them as important topics for discussion and reflection.

Drawing from their own rich experiences as research collaborators with young children in internationally diverse settings, the authors consider the ethical, methodological and theoretical frameworks that guide best-practice in research with young children. Each chapter poses points for consideration that will inform and challenge both the novice and experienced researcher, such as:

• How 'participatory' can research be with infants under eighteen months?
• When should listening through observation stand alone?
• What is the distinction between methodologies and methods?
• How can all young children be assured of a voice in research?

The authors also present seven separate case studies which demonstrate exemplary research with young children. Each study is accompanied by insightful commentary from the authors, who highlight the issues or difficulties faced and propose potential solutions.

If you are a student at undergraduate level and above, this book will give you all the confidence you need to conduct your own high quality research with children.

Structured around Bishop's six fundamental mathematical activities, this book brings together examples of mathematics education from a range of countries to help readers broaden their view on maths and its interrelationship to other aspects of life. Considering different educational traditions and diverse contexts, and illustrating theory through the use of real-life vignettes throughout, this book encourages readers to review, reflect on, and critique their own practice when conducting activities on explaining, counting, measuring, locating, designing, and playing. Aimed at early childhood educators and practitioners looking to improve the mathematics learning experience for all their students, this practical and accessible guide provides the knowledge and tools to help every child.

The chapters in this book investigate and reflect on many of the issues and challenges raised by the current trends and tensions in early childhood mathematics education. They emanate from seven countries - Australia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Ever since Froebel invented the kindergarten, mathematics has been a part of early childhood pedagogy. Mathematics is an important part of children's daily life, which helps them to understand the world around them. Nowadays, early childhood mathematics is in the international spotlight. Partly this is the result of myriad studies that seem to show that early childhood mathematics achievement is a strong predictor of success or otherwise in future school mathematics, other school subjects, and life itself. Another influence on early childhood mathematics education is the advent of the political and advocacy juggernaut known as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Early childhood mathematics education is important for children's present and future learning. This book provides a strong collection of current research for the consideration of all in the early childhood education field. It was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

This collection addresses issues related to families and transition, and pays special attention to the transition to school, the effect of this on the family, as well as the effect of the family on that transition. It celebrates the roles of families, locating them as integral partners in time of transition and identifying a variety of ways in which families and educators can work together with children to promote positive transitions. The book draws on a range of theoretical frameworks and research projects to provide multiple perspectives of family involvement in education, family-educator partnerships, the nature of collaboration, issues for families in marginalised or complex circumstances, as well as the multiple intersections of families and transition processes. The research projects reported range from in-depth case studies to the analysis of large-scale data sets and all have multiple messages for practitioners, policy makers and researchers as they seek ways to engage with families as their children start school.

This book presents the latest research on educational transitions from a variety of research traditions and practical contexts set in Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries. It examines, critically questions, and reshapes ideas and notions about children's transitions to school. The book is divided into five parts, the first two of which emphasise diversity and inclusion, with Part II focusing solely on the transition to school for children from Indigenous cultures. Part III explores the notion of continuity, which has been widely debated in terms of its role in the transition to school. Part IV explores the transition to school through the notion of 'crossing borders'. The final section of this book, Part V, includes ideas about future directions for work in the area of educational transitions, and presents the notion of transitions as a tool for change to policy, research and practice. The book concludes with a critical synthesis of the research outlined throughout, including recommendations regarding future research related to educational transitions.

This edited book brings together for the first time an international collection of work focused on  two important aspects of any young child’s life – learning mathematics and starting primary or elementary school. The chapters take a variety of perspectives, and integrate these two components in sometimes explicit and sometimes more subtle ways. The key issues and themes explored in this book are: the mathematical and other strengths that all participants in the transition to school bring to this period of a child’s life; the opportunities provided by transition to school for young children’s mathematics learning; the importance of partnerships among adults, and among adults and children, for effective school transitions and mathematics learning and teaching; the critical impact of expectations on their mathematics learning as children start school; the importance of providing children with meaningful, challenging and relevant mathematical experiences throughout transition to school; the entitlement of children and educators to experience assessment and instructional pedagogies that match the strengths of the learners and the teachers; the importance for the aspirations of children, families, communities, educators and educational organisations to be recognised as legitimate and key determinants of actions, experiences and successes in both transition to school and mathematics learning; and the belief that young children are powerful mathematics learners who can demonstrate this power as they start school. In each chapter, authors reflect on their work in the area of mathematics and transition to school, place that work within the overall context of research in these fields, predict the trajectory of this work in the future, and consider the implications of the work both theoretically and practically.

This book provides an important compilation and synthesis of current work in transition to school research. The book focuses strongly on the theoretical underpinnings of research in transition to school. It outlines key theoretical positions and connects those to the implications for policy and practice, thereby challenging readers to re-conceptualize their understandings, expectations and perceptions of transition to school. The exploration of this range of theoretical perspectives and the application of these to a wide range of research and research contexts makes this book an important and innovative contribution to the scholarship of transition to school research. A substantial part of the book is devoted to detailed examples of transition to school practice. These chapters provide innovative examples of evidence-based practice and contribute in turn, to practice-based evidence. The book is also devoted to considering policy issues and implications related to the transition to school. It records a genuine, collaborative effort to bring together a range of perspectives into a Transition to School Position Statement that will inform ongoing research, practice and policy. The collaborative, research, policy and practice based development of this position statement represents a world-first.

This edited book brings together for the first time an international collection of work focused on two important aspects of any young child's life - learning mathematics and starting primary or elementary school. The chapters take a variety of perspectives, and integrate these two components in sometimes explicit and sometimes more subtle ways. The key issues and themes explored in this book are: the mathematical and other strengths that all participants in the transition to school bring to this period of a child's life; the opportunities provided by transition to school for young children's mathematics learning; the importance of partnerships among adults, and among adults and children, for effective school transitions and mathematics learning and teaching; the critical impact of expectations on their mathematics learning as children start school; the importance of providing children with meaningful, challenging and relevant mathematical experiences throughout transition to school; the entitlement of children and educators to experience assessment and instructional pedagogies that match the strengths of the learners and the teachers; the importance for the aspirations of children, families, communities, educators and educational organisations to be recognised as legitimate and key determinants of actions, experiences and successes in both transition to school and mathematics learning; and the belief that young children are powerful mathematics learners who can demonstrate this power as they start school. In each chapter, authors reflect on their work in the area of mathematics and transition to school, place that work within the overall context of research in these fields, predict the trajectory of this work in the future, and consider the implications of the work both theoretically and practically.

The chapters in this book investigate and reflect on many of the issues and challenges raised by the current trends and tensions in early childhood mathematics education. They emanate from seven countries - Australia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Ever since Froebel invented the kindergarten, mathematics has been a part of early childhood pedagogy. Mathematics is an important part of children's daily life, which helps them to understand the world around them. Nowadays, early childhood mathematics is in the international spotlight. Partly this is the result of myriad studies that seem to show that early childhood mathematics achievement is a strong predictor of success or otherwise in future school mathematics, other school subjects, and life itself. Another influence on early childhood mathematics education is the advent of the political and advocacy juggernaut known as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Early childhood mathematics education is important for children's present and future learning. This book provides a strong collection of current research for the consideration of all in the early childhood education field. It was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

What ethical dilemmas face researchers who work with young children?

Researching Young Children s Perspectives critically examines the challenges and complexities of rights based, participatory research with children. Rather than approaching these dilemmas as problematic issues, this book positions them as important topics for discussion and reflection.

Drawing from their own rich experiences as research collaborators with young children in internationally diverse settings, the authors consider the ethical, methodological and theoretical frameworks that guide best-practice in research with young children. Each chapter poses points for consideration that will inform and challenge both the novice and experienced researcher, such as:

• How participatory can research be with infants under eighteen months?
• When should listening through observation stand alone?
• What is the distinction between methodologies and methods?
• How can all young children be assured of a voice in research?

The authors also present seven separate case studies which demonstrate exemplary research with young children. Each study is accompanied by insightful commentary from the authors, who highlight the issues or difficulties faced and propose potential solutions.

If you are a student at undergraduate level and above, this book will give you all the confidence you need to conduct your own high quality research with children.

Reflecting the importance of drawing on children's perspectives to shape professional practice, this book offers a nuanced approach to understanding the aims, implications and practicalities of accessing and incorporating children's perspectives in pedagogial practices relating to transitions. Listening to Children's Advice about Starting School and School Age Care: emphasises the importance of listening to and respecting children's perspectives at the time of their transitions to school and school age care; shares children's perspectives of the transition to school and school age care in ways that are both authentic and provocative; explores implications for practice as a consequence of children's input; provokes a deep level of critical reflection and practice/policy development that is informed by a dialogue between research and practice. Chapters report research conducted in seven different countries to highlight approaches that acknowledge and respect children's input, and use this as a basis for critical reflection on practice, with a view to improving the children's transition experiences. Using examples of practice and offering practical and theoretical insights, the book illustrates the multiplicity of children's perspectives, and prompts educators to reflect on and critique practice. This book will be invaluable reading for researchers, students, educators and practitioners involved in young children's transitions to school and school-age care.

This book showcases the quality work that Latin American researchers have done on transition to school in Latin American countries by offering the English-speaking world, first-hand access to some Latin American transitions research, practices, and policies. This book shows the work carried out in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico with regards to the way in which the transition to primary school is experienced from different stakeholders' perspectives, and how Latin American educational policies and cultural practices shape such an important process for stakeholders. This book was importantly framed by the COVID-19 pandemic which placed the world in a global health emergency, and it is our hope that this book will trigger future international collaborations between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners interested in transitions which could help produce a wealth of empirical evidence to inform educational policies and transitions practices across the world. Building networks where diverse experiences are valued and respected, as well as analysed, can help provide a platform that supports educators and researchers as they continue their work and branch out in new and challenging directions.

This book reports initiatives to listen to parents and families, to ascertain what families believe and do as they seek to engage collaboratively with their children's educators, and what educators and educational systems might do to facilitate and/or establish barriers to such engagement. Parental engagement in children's learning and development has many positive benefits. However, in the current environments of accountability and performativity which are pervading early childhood education in many countries, the opportunities for parents and other family members to be part of the development of respectful, collaborative relationships with their children's early childhood educators are becoming more and more restricted. Many educators feel forced to choose between curriculum outcomes and parental engagement, as both involve their time. There is a danger that the voices of parents and families in their children's early learning and development will not always be heard, seen, or fully understood. This volume addresses this important issue. Researchers, educators, and families will all benefit from this book, to the ultimate benefit of the young children who are the future. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.