This volume revisits a number of themes that have appeared in earlier "Advances" publications, including "Social Contexts of Early Development" and "Education and Reconceptualizing Play." New social contexts for early education and care often require that we aim our inquiry at social conditions that have not existed in the past, as well as elaborating long-standing concerns. Studies of some of the social contexts of early education point to how many of the needs of the field are unique, depending on where and when we do our work, and with whom we work. "Reconceptualizing Play" points to the multiple perspectives that teachers, researchers, parents, and children bring to our understanding of play. Culture, policy, belief, and values prove to be worthy lenses for enhancing our developmental views of childhood play and practice. Our hope is that others will build on some of these reconceptualizations, to assist teachers and families to improve the lives of children in their programs.

This volume addresses two major areas of inquiry in the field of early childhood education and care. The first section of the book includes scholarly reviews on early childhood education and care and its conceptual bases. Programme curriculum and implementation are explored, including theoretically driven programmes and programme evaluations. Traditional perspectives on early childhood outcomes are detailed, alongside comparative analyses of early childhood practice from an international perspective. Section two presents the first in a series on reconceptualizing play. Traditional views of play, as an abiding element of early childhood practice, are critiqued. Questions about conceptions of play are raised by historical, ethical, cross-cultural, narrative, and theoretical treatments of play practices. These views are designed to stimulate thought about our most basic ideas of play and children.