Bringing different cultural perspectives on creativity with them, teachers and children in two early childhood education sites in Aotearoa New Zealand were using museum visits as jumping off places to hone their creative capacity building. As a contribution to Tim Ingold's discussion of anthropology and/as education, and also finding John Dewey's writing valuable (specifically his framing of 'enduring attitudes'), the authors employ a navigation metaphor throughout the discussion. They describe a coming together of four Cultural Anchors (thinking from materials) with four Coordinates (creative capacity builders) to describe ways in which the children were making creative sense of the museum exhibits, while at the same time gathering information about them. They take these travel metaphors from a star cluster in the southern hemisphere night sky, Matariki, which provided early sea-going Maori with guidance as they navigated wide stretches of ocean in their sea-going canoes to reach Aotearoa New Zealand. A Maori immersion early childhood centre and school, and a New Zealand kindergarten provided lively examples of children's and teachers' responses to the treasured artefacts (taonga) in their local museums. The book describes an ecosocial framing, from 'little to big', and illustrates the different cultural perspectives on creativity. The Mana Tamariki kaiako (teachers) gifted us a title-He taonga, he rerenga arorangi (Where there are treasured objects, the spirit is nurtured and creativity will be inspired).

Margaret Carr's seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and call on the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes learning stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy.

Chapters explore how Learning Stories:

"help make connections with families;

"support the inclusion of children and family voices;

"tell us stories about babies;

"allow children to dictate their own stories;

"can be used to revisit children's learning journeys;

"can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom.

This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories, and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed, and shows through research evidence why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions.

Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

What should be the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education? What can they learn from one another and by working together? The rapid expansion of early childhood education and care means that most children in affluent countries now have several years at pre-school before compulsory education. This raises an important question about the relationship between the two. Whilst it's widely assumed that the former should prepare children for the latter, there are alternatives. This book contests the 'readying for school' relationship as neither self-evident nor unproblematic; and explores some alternative relationships, including a strong and equal partnership and the vision of a meeting place. In this ground-breaking book, Professor Peter Moss discusses the issue with leading early childhood figures - from Belgium, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States -who bring very different perspectives to this contentious relationship. The book starts with an extended essay by Peter Moss, to which the other contributors are invited to respond critically, as well as offering their own thinking about the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education, both their current understandings and suggestions on future directions. Students, researchers and academics in the field of early childhood education will find this an insightful and timely text. But so too will their peers in compulsory education, since the book time and again raises searching questions about pedagogical purpose and practice in this sector.

What should be the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education? What can they learn from one another and by working together?

The rapid expansion of early childhood education and care means that most children in affluent countries now have several years at pre-school before compulsory education. This raises an important question about the relationship between the two. Whilst it's widely assumed that the former should prepare children for the latter, there are alternatives. This book contests the 'readying for school' relationship as neither self-evident nor unproblematic; and explores some alternative relationships, including a strong and equal partnership and the vision of a meeting place.

In this ground-breaking book, Professor Peter Moss discusses the issue with leading early childhood figures - from Belgium, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States -who bring very different perspectives to this contentious relationship. The book starts with an extended essay by Peter Moss, to which the other contributors are invited to respond critically, as well as offering their own thinking about the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education, both their current understandings and suggestions on future directions.

Students, researchers and academics in the field of early childhood education will find this an insightful and timely text. But so too will their peers in compulsory education, since the book time and again raises searching questions about pedagogical purpose and practice in this sector.

Understanding the Te Wh riki Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Te Wh riki approach, introducing the reader to an innovative bicultural curriculum developed for early childhood services in New Zealand. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of this approach to early childhood and its relationship to quality early years practice.

Providing students and practitioners with the relevant information about a key pedagogical influence on high quality early years practice in the United Kingdom, the book explores all areas of the curriculum, emphasising:

• strong curriculum connections to families and the wider community;
• a view of teaching and learning that focuses on responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things;
• a view of curriculum content as cross-disciplinary and multi-modal;
• the aspirations for children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society;
• a bicultural framework in which indigenous voices have a central place.

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.

Understanding the Te Wh riki Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Te Wh riki approach, introducing the reader to an innovative bicultural curriculum developed for early childhood services in New Zealand. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of this approach to early childhood and its relationship to quality early years practice.

Providing students and practitioners with the relevant information about a key pedagogical influence on high quality early years practice in the United Kingdom, the book explores all areas of the curriculum, emphasising:

• strong curriculum connections to families and the wider community;
• a view of teaching and learning that focuses on responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things;
• a view of curriculum content as cross-disciplinary and multi-modal;
• the aspirations for children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society;
• a bicultural framework in which indigenous voices have a central place.

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.

`I found Margaret Carr's book fascinating? the ideas and arguments put forward are well worth mulling over' - Early Years Educator

`I found Margaret Carr's book fascinating? the ideas and arguments put forward are well worth mulling over' - Early Years Educator

Margaret Carr's seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and call on the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes learning stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy.

Chapters explore how Learning Stories:

"help make connections with families;

"support the inclusion of children and family voices;

"tell us stories about babies;

"allow children to dictate their own stories;

"can be used to revisit children's learning journeys;

"can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom.

This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories, and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed, and shows through research evidence why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions.

Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee have often been asked for a follow-on practical companion to their seminal 2012 book Learning Stories; a complimentary book that provides practical advice for teachers who are embarking on a 'narrative assessments-for-learning' journey. After much anticipation that book is here at last! Packed with a wide range of full-colour examples of real life learning stories from all over the world this practical guide is influenced by their ongoing work with teachers across many countries and the thoughtful comments and questions that teachers have asked during conversations at conferences, lectures and professional development programmes. They have turned these conversations with teachers and students into key ideas, and a practical framework on how to initiate and create good learning stories and why they are valuable. They show you how to write stories that capture the magic and excitement of each young child's journey through the early years and how to develop a deep professional understanding of the learning that takes place during this special and influential time in their lives.

Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee have often been asked for a follow-on practical companion to their seminal 2012 book Learning Stories; a complimentary book that provides practical advice for teachers who are embarking on a 'narrative assessments-for-learning' journey. After much anticipation that book is here at last! Packed with a wide range of full-colour examples of real life learning stories from all over the world this practical guide is influenced by their ongoing work with teachers across many countries and the thoughtful comments and questions that teachers have asked during conversations at conferences, lectures and professional development programmes. They have turned these conversations with teachers and students into key ideas, and a practical framework on how to initiate and create good learning stories and why they are valuable. They show you how to write stories that capture the magic and excitement of each young child's journey through the early years and how to develop a deep professional understanding of the learning that takes place during this special and influential time in their lives.