Open up the huge fold-out pages of this vividly illustrated book to discover the remarkable ways the human body works. Explore a giant skeleton, learn how your heart pumps blood, find out what's inside your head and see what happens to the food you eat. A fun and engaging introduction to a UK National Curriculum subject.

This timely collection provides an accessible discussion and analysis of some of the most urgent policy issues facing early childhood care and education in the United States: fragmented policy systems; broad disregard for early years professionals exemplified by low pay; standards that fail to increase equity; and overlooking the role community contexts plays in producing or ameliorating social inequalities among children. Contributors draw upon their deep personal experiences with these issues as educators, scholars, and advocates to advance practice-based recommendations for how the nation's inequitable systems can be transformed. Their call to collective action is supported by an accessible and powerful advocacy toolkit that will grow with readers over time and with practice. The text centers the perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, with a clear focus on the effects of systemic racism, ageism, sexism, classism, and associated oppressions on early years policies and programs in the U.S. Book Features: Concise essays that acknowledge the demands on contemporary readers' time. Authors that represent a cross section of educators, advocates, researchers, and leaders who are in dialogue with each other. Personal stories that illustrate how policies and systems affect people, making an urgent case for transforming early care and education policies. A call for action that includes tools for linking personal reflection to collective action.

This Handbook explores the multidisciplinary field of childhood studies through a uniquely global lens. It focuses on enquiries and investigations into the everyday lives of young children in the age range of birth to 8 years of age, giving space to their voices and involving interrogations about the various aspect of their lives. This Handbook engages with the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies, education, cultural studies, ethnography, and philosophy, with contributions from scholars from across the globe who have focused their work on the complexities of childhoods in contemporary times. By considering a range of epistemologies, ontologies and perspectives to present the contemporary & systematic research on the topic from a wide range of academics and authors in the field, this Handbook provides a significant contribution to the international dialogue of Global Childhoods. Part 1: Global Childhoods Part 2: Researching Global Childhoods Part 3: Contemporary Childhoods Part 4: Pedagogies and Practice Part 5: Creating Communities for Global Children

This is a comprehensive, detailed account of the complex state of Universal Preschool (UPK) in the United States. As discussions regarding access, equity, and the societal value of early childhood education enter into the public forum, this book offers critical perspectives for next steps. The authors join the synergy of wonder to the practicality of wisdom to navigate complicated systems of power, relationships, and discourse. Cross-sector efforts to address planning and implementation of UPK are examined while acknowledging the current inequitable nature of the field. The book is a cautionary tale that includes historical and current vignettes showing that some issues in UPK collaboratives are constant across time. To bring the discussion alive, a variety of stakeholder perspectives offer insights into the "why" behind policy decisions. Reshaping Universal Preschool will help stakeholders explore, reflect, and apply lessons learned to existing or potential UPK collaborative efforts. Book Features: Honors and illustrates perspectives from the participants-families, teachers, support staff, administrators, researchers, and policymakers. Considers the complicated nature of perceived power among stakeholders. Offers pragmatic suggestions to consider while engaging in policy changes that affect early childhood practice. Provides insight on collaborative practices building up from early education to the larger educational context. Contains reflective questions to help readers apply the research and concepts to their own practice, situation, and communities.

This timely collection provides an accessible discussion and analysis of some of the most urgent policy issues facing early childhood care and education in the United States: fragmented policy systems; broad disregard for early years professionals exemplified by low pay; standards that fail to increase equity; and overlooking the role community contexts plays in producing or ameliorating social inequalities among children. Contributors draw upon their deep personal experiences with these issues as educators, scholars, and advocates to advance practice-based recommendations for how the nation's inequitable systems can be transformed. Their call to collective action is supported by an accessible and powerful advocacy toolkit that will grow with readers over time and with practice. The text centers the perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, with a clear focus on the effects of systemic racism, ageism, sexism, classism, and associated oppressions on early years policies and programs in the U.S. Book Features: Concise essays that acknowledge the demands on contemporary readers' time. Authors that represent a cross section of educators, advocates, researchers, and leaders who are in dialogue with each other. Personal stories that illustrate how policies and systems affect people, making an urgent case for transforming early care and education policies. A call for action that includes tools for linking personal reflection to collective action.