Play has always been vital to the field of early childhood education, for teacher educators and early years teachers, as a pedagogy and way of organizing learning. With diverse perspectives from scholars around the world, Teacher Education and Play Pedagogy is a unique text focusing on teacher education for play pedagogy and uniquely blends research and praxis on authentically implementing play practices. This book is divided into two main sections: part 1 unfolds the different ways in which teacher educators have been preparing early years teachers to support children's play and consider professional preparation for a play pedagogy; part 2 provides information on how teachers take on different roles, act in diverse ways to effectively support children to develop play skills, to learn and develop. With contributions from across the early childhood spectrum, researchers present their empirical work through multiple forms of data with deep reflections and critical stances towards the play pedagogy implementation. Teacher Education and Play Pedagogy is a valuable text for early childhood education undergraduate and graduate courses, for early childhood education researchers, as well as an essential reference for professional development programs and seminars.

Play has always been vital to the field of early childhood education, for teacher educators and early years teachers, as a pedagogy and way of organizing learning. With diverse perspectives from scholars around the world, Teacher Education and Play Pedagogy is a unique text focusing on teacher education for play pedagogy and uniquely blends research and praxis on authentically implementing play practices. This book is divided into two main sections: part 1 unfolds the different ways in which teacher educators have been preparing early years teachers to support children's play and consider professional preparation for a play pedagogy; part 2 provides information on how teachers take on different roles, act in diverse ways to effectively support children to develop play skills, to learn and develop. With contributions from across the early childhood spectrum, researchers present their empirical work through multiple forms of data with deep reflections and critical stances towards the play pedagogy implementation. Teacher Education and Play Pedagogy is a valuable text for early childhood education undergraduate and graduate courses, for early childhood education researchers, as well as an essential reference for professional development programs and seminars.

Early Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective, 6/e addresses both typical and atypical child development from birth through age eight. This text highlights the diversity of child development, preparing professionals to meet the unique needs of children from a wide variety of backgrounds. From reviews of Early Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective: "I believe that overall the textbook is unique in its multicultural approach. It is also very reader friendly and contains the information that is essential to understanding the development of children...[T]his text is one of the few that truly does focus on the early development years. Additionally, it is one of the only [texts] that has the multicultural emphasis." -Keri Maxwell, West Virginia University "I use the text because it is the only one that I have found with a true multicultural focus throughout, not just a "multicultural" chapter at the end of the book...[The W]riting is excellent, especially helpful are the examples and vignettes...[The book] gives multiple examples of how content is applied; gives a review of important points; and gives application ideas at the end of each chapter. [A] strength [of Chapter 18] is looking at family issues (poverty, oppression, etc.) and going through the different age ranges covered in this book. That helped to integrate that knowledge about families and apply it across ages." -Sandra Newcomb, University of Maryland, College Park "Excellent text...[T]he author has done an outstanding job of presenting key concepts in a readable, understandable, and relational way. Excellent Research into Practice [feature]." -Marilee Cosgrove, California State University, Fullerton

Young Children's Play: Development, Disabilities, and Diversity is an accessible, comprehensive introduction to play and development from birth to age 8 years that introduces readers to various play types and strategies and helps them determine when intervention might be needed. Skillfully addressing both typically developing children and those with special needs in a single volume, this book covers dramatic play, blocks, games, motor play, artistic play, and non-traditional play forms, such as humor, rough and tumble play, and more. Designed to support contemporary classrooms, this text deliberately interweaves practical strategies for understanding and supporting the play of children with specific disabilities (e.g. autism, Down syndrome, or physically challenging conditions) and those of diverse cultural backgrounds into every chapter. In sections divided by age group, Trawick-Smith explores strategies for engaging children with specific special needs, multicultural backgrounds, and incorporating adult-child play and play intervention. Emphasizing diversity in play behaviors, each chapter includes vignettes featuring children's play and teacher interactions in classrooms to illustrate core concepts in action. Filled with research-based applications for professional practice, this text is an essential resource for students of early childhood and special education, as well as teachers and coaches supporting early grades or inclusive classrooms.

Young Children's Play: Development, Disabilities, and Diversity is an accessible, comprehensive introduction to play and development from birth to age 8 years that introduces readers to various play types and strategies and helps them determine when intervention might be needed. Skillfully addressing both typically developing children and those with special needs in a single volume, this book covers dramatic play, blocks, games, motor play, artistic play, and non-traditional play forms, such as humor, rough and tumble play, and more. Designed to support contemporary classrooms, this text deliberately interweaves practical strategies for understanding and supporting the play of children with specific disabilities (e.g. autism, Down syndrome, or physically challenging conditions) and those of diverse cultural backgrounds into every chapter. In sections divided by age group, Trawick-Smith explores strategies for engaging children with specific special needs, multicultural backgrounds, and incorporating adult-child play and play intervention. Emphasizing diversity in play behaviors, each chapter includes vignettes featuring children's play and teacher interactions in classrooms to illustrate core concepts in action. Filled with research-based applications for professional practice, this text is an essential resource for students of early childhood and special education, as well as teachers and coaches supporting early grades or inclusive classrooms.