This book moves beyond the traditional constructivist and social-constructivist view of learning and development in science. It draws upon cultural-historical theory in order to theorise early childhood science education in relation to our currently globalised education contexts. The book argues that concept development in science for young children can be better theorised by using Vygotsky's concept of Imagination and creativity, Vygotsky's theory of play, and his work on higher mental functions, particularly the concept of inter and intrapsychological functioning. Key concepts are extracted from the theoretical section of the book and used as categories for analysis in presenting evidence and new ideas in the second section of the book. In this second part of the book, the authors examine how science knowledge has been constructed within particular countries around the globe, where empirical research in early childhood science education has occurred. The third part of the book examines the nature of the encounter between the teacher and the child during science learning and teaching. In the final part of the book the authors look closely at the range of models and approaches to the teaching of early childhood science that have been made available to early childhood teachers to guide their planning and teaching. They conclude the book with a theoretical discussion of the cultural-historical foundation for early childhood science education, followed by a model of teaching scientific concepts to young children in play-based settings, including homes and community contexts.

This book represents the outcome of the joint activities of a group of scholars who were concerned about the lack of international research in play for children from birth to 3 years. The authors are members of the Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Prescholaire (OMEP). For further information, see http: //www.om- ong.net/. The idea of carrying out a research project internationally was born at the OMEP's World Congress in Melbourne, Australia 2004. All member countries were invited and 10 countries decided to participate, of which three have withdrawn d- ing the process. The reason for this might be that in these countries only one person was working with the project, while other seven countries have been working in a team of two or more persons. The countries that have carried out research and contributed to this book with a chapter each are Australia, Chile, China, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and USA (Wisconsin). For more information about the p- ticipating countries and their corresponding addresses, see Appendix I. This book project started in Melbourne with a discussion about what is general in early childhood education globally, and what is culturally speci c. The discussion was inspired by one of the keynote speakers, Nazhat Shameem (2004), judge in the supreme court in Fiji, when she said: "If we all think we are so different and speci c in each culture, the role of human rights has no value anymore." We formulated three questions: "

This book makes an original contribution to researching child-community development so that those with specific interests in early childhood education have new theoretical tools to guide their research practices. The book explicitly theorises the use of digital visual tools from a cultural-historical perspective. It also draws upon a range of post-structuralist concepts for moving research and scholarship forward. Examples of visual technologies from research in different cultural communities are foregrounded.

In particular this book introduces contemporary methodologies for researching child and community development with a focus on visual methodology so the dynamics of development can be captured over time and analysed historically, culturally, socially, ecologically and psychologically through a range of iterative techniques. Visual technology was not freely available in Vygotsky s time for example, and therefore potentially represents an extension of his genetic experimental approach to researching child development.

The book presents a range of methodological arguments about research into child and community development through which new conceptions for research centred on young children have been created. The authors of the chapters also discuss why a more holistic, dynamic and ethical view of research is needed for generating new knowledge about child development in a range of cultural contexts. "

This book draws upon Vygotsky's idea of perezhivanie, emotions and imagination, and introduces the concepts of subjective sense and subjective configuration. These concepts are crucial for explaining and understanding children's development from a cultural-historical perspective. A book which theorises the relations between the social and the individual through a study of a child's perezhivanie, which analyses emotions more holistically, and advances the concepts of subjective sense and subjective configuration, is much needed. This book examines the complexity of human development through a comprehensive elaboration of these concepts, allowing for new insights to be put forward. It doesn't always follow the chronological order of Vygotsky's publications, as many of his works remained in the family archives until the 1980s, when his Selected Works were first published in Russian. There has long been a need for a contemporary book on the scholarly treatment of perezhevanie, emotions, and subjectivity, and as such this book revisits dominant representations of these concepts and then puts forward new ways of conceptualising and using them in empirical research. The chapters cover a broad range of case studies where the concepts of perezhivanie, emotions and imagination and subjective sense and subjective configuration are used to give new empirical and theoretical insights into the study of human development.

Young children face daily challenges that require them to cope with stressful situations. Some of these challenges may seem trivial to adults, but to young children unable to regulate their own emotions, they can be problematic. The Building Conceptual PlayWorlds for Wellbeing set, comprising of a story book and companion guide is for use with children aged between 4 and 8 and is a conversation point for educators and parents to open discussions with young children about managing their emotions and coping with problems. In the vibrant and accessible The Lonely Little Cactus storybook, children are introduced to a cactus that feels lonely living in the desert. Through a series of colourful interactions with desert dwellers, the little cactus learns strategies to cope with feelings of loneliness. Both entertaining and educational, the story showcases an array of coping strategies and encourages the reader to try various approaches to managing difficult situations and find strategies that best work for them. The accompanying guidebook uses the evidence-driven Conceptual PlayWorlds model of intentional teaching developed by Professor Marilyn Fleer to provide supporting classroom- or home-based activities to help children aged between 4 and 8 solve challenges and learn wellbeing concepts through play. Offering imagery-rich scenarios including 20 unique activities, children have an opportunity to experientially grasp wellbeing concepts that can be otherwise difficult to explain. This resource book guides educators through a range of wellbeing activities including: Identifying feelings Coping (social support, problem solving, and self-regulation) Friendships (relationship building, working together, time with friends, social skills) Positive emotions (happiness, joy, doing something you love, enjoyment, fun) Relaxation strategies Belonging and inclusion (working together, collaboration, joining in play, including others) Offering a unique opportunity for children to learn about psychological strategies while being engaged in a beautiful narrative and visually captivating illustrations, this set is the ideal resource for educators, support staff, practitioners and parents looking to help children understand and manage their feelings.

This book uses the concept of exploration as a way of understanding transitions in children between the ages of 5 to 18 years old. Written by an international group of scholars from Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, India, Norway and the UK, the chapters offer a diverse set of case studies. The topics and themes covered include transitions in outdoor playtime, the transition to daycare, compassion in kindergarten, learning with fathers, transitions of Chinese traditional culture and disability. The chapters are organised into two parts, the first part covering macro transitions and the second covering micro-genetic transitions. The contributors show how both macro and micro-genetic transitions influence children's everyday lives, and how these different transitions open up new possibilities for play, learning and development. The contributors draw on Vygotsky's cultural historical theory and the understanding that children's cultural formation takes form in a dialectic relation between children's interests and motives and the institutional settings they participate in.

This collection of papers examines key ideas in cultural-historical approaches to children's learning and development and the cultural and institutional conditions in which they occur. The collection is given coherence by a focus on the intellectual contributions made by Professor Mariane Hedegaard to understandings of children's learning through the prism of the interplay of society, institution and person. She has significantly shaped the field through her scholarly consideration of foundational concepts and her creative attention to the fields of activity she studies. The book brings together examples of how these concepts have been employed and developed in a study of learning and development. The collection allows the contributing scholars to reveal their reactions to Hedegaard's contributions in discussions of their own work in the field of children's learning and the conditions in which it occurs.

Play is crucial to the learning and development of children in the early years. The third edition of Play in the Early Years is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of play for children from birth to 8 years old. Drawing on classical and contemporary theories, this text examines social, cultural and institutional approaches to play, and explores a range of strategies for successfully integrating play into early years settings and primary classrooms. This edition features a new chapter on conceptual playworlds, which demonstrates what conceptual playworlds look like to infants and toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children transitioning into school. The text features classroom vignettes and photographs designed to help students connect theory to practice, and reflection questions and research activities encourage in-depth reflection and extend learning. Highly regarded by early childhood researchers and practitioners alike, Play in the Early Years remains an essential resource for pre-service students.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009 volume: Childhood Studies and the Impact of Globalization examines the concept of 'childhood' and 'childhood development and learning' from educational, sociological and psychological perspectives. This contributed volume seeks to explicitly provide a series of windows into the construction of childhood around the world, as a means to conceptualizing and more sharply defining the emerging field of global and local childhood studies. At the global level there has been an increasing discontent with how children have been reified and measured. Prevailing Eurocentric and North-American notions of 'childhood' and 'development' across the North-South boundaries show vast differences in how 'childhood' is constructed and how 'development' is theorized.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009: Childhood Studies and the Impact of Globalization: Policies and Practices at Global and Local Levels examines the concept of childhood and childhood development and learning from educational, sociological, and psychological perspectives. This contributed volume seeks to explicitly provide a series of windows into the construction of childhood around the world, as a means to conceptualizing and more sharply defining the emerging field of global and local childhood studies. At the global level there has been increasing discontent with how children have been reified and measured. Prevailing Eurocentric and North-American notions of childhood and development across the North-South boundaries show vast differences in how childhood is constructed and how development is theorized.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009 volume provides comprehensive research from Asia-Pacific, the Americas, the African region and European communities and is presented with a special focus on education. It examines childhood from birth to twelve years of age, across institutional contexts and within both poor majority and rich minority countries. Cultural-historical theory has been used as the framework for investigating and providing insights into how childhood is theorized, politicized, enacted, and lived across these communities. A range of theoretical orientations informs this book, including cultural-historical theory, ecological theory, and cross-cultural research.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009 volume is organized into 3 sections:

Section 1: Examines the global construction of childhood development and learning

Section 2: Discusses the local conditions and global imperatives that arise from a broadly based analysis of the studies presented within this section

Section 3: Draws upon cultural-historical theory and ecological theory and brings together the themes explored throughout the preceding two sections.

The World Yearbook of Education 2009 volume seeks to make visible the cultural-historical construction of childhood and development across the north-south regions and scrutinizes the policy imperatives that have maintained the global colonization of families.

- This set teaches children the skills the need to cope with worries and stress, particularly in relation to feelings of loneliness and belonging - The storybook and guidebook can be used together in classroom settings or one to one and there’s plenty of activities to help children talk about their issues. - The book uses a friendly and engaging narrative to tackle big global social issues and improve wellbeing in children.

This book draws upon Vygotsky's idea of perezhivanie, emotions and imagination, and introduces the concepts of subjective sense and subjective configuration. These concepts are crucial for explaining and understanding children's development from a cultural-historical perspective. A book which theorises the relations between the social and the individual through a study of a child's perezhivanie, which analyses emotions more holistically, and advances the concepts of subjective sense and subjective configuration, is much needed. This book examines the complexity of human development through a comprehensive elaboration of these concepts, allowing for new insights to be put forward. It doesn't always follow the chronological order of Vygotsky's publications, as many of his works remained in the family archives until the 1980s, when his Selected Works were first published in Russian. There has long been a need for a contemporary book on the scholarly treatment of perezhevanie, emotions, and subjectivity, and as such this book revisits dominant representations of these concepts and then puts forward new ways of conceptualising and using them in empirical research. The chapters cover a broad range of case studies where the concepts of perezhivanie, emotions and imagination and subjective sense and subjective configuration are used to give new empirical and theoretical insights into the study of human development.

This book moves beyond the traditional constructivist and social-constructivist view of learning and development in science. It draws upon cultural-historical theory in order to theorise early childhood science education in relation to our currently globalised education contexts. The book argues that concept development in science for young children can be better theorised by using Vygotsky’s concept of Imagination and creativity, Vygotsky’s theory of play, and his work on higher mental functions, particularly the concept of inter and intrapsychological functioning. Key concepts are extracted from the theoretical section of the book and used as categories for analysis in presenting evidence and new ideas in the second section of the book. In this second part of the book, the authors examine how science knowledge has been constructed within particular countries around the globe, where empirical research in early childhood science education has occurred. The third part of the book examines the nature of the encounter between the teacher and the child during science learning and teaching. In the final part of the book the authors look closely at the range of models and approaches to the teaching of early childhood science that have been made available to early childhood teachers to guide their planning and teaching. They conclude the book with a theoretical discussion of the cultural-historical foundation for early childhood science education, followed by a model of teaching scientific concepts to young children in play-based settings, including homes and community contexts.

This book makes an original contribution to researching child-community development so that those with specific interests in early childhood education have new theoretical tools to guide their research practices. The book explicitly theorises the use of digital visual tools from a cultural-historical perspective. It also draws upon a range of post-structuralist concepts for moving research and scholarship forward. Examples of visual technologies from research in different cultural communities are foregrounded. In particular this book introduces contemporary methodologies for researching child and community development with a focus on visual methodology so the dynamics of development can be captured over time and analysed historically, culturally, socially, ecologically and psychologically through a range of iterative techniques. Visual technology was not freely available in Vygotsky's time for example, and therefore potentially represents an extension of his genetic experimental approach to researching child development. The book presents a range of methodological arguments about research into child and community development through which new conceptions for research centred on young children have been created. The authors of the chapters also discuss why a more holistic, dynamic and ethical view of research is needed for generating new knowledge about child development in a range of cultural contexts.

The contributors to this collection employ the analytic resources of cultural-historical theory to examine the relationship between childhood and children's development under different societal conditions. In particular they attend to relationships between development, emotions, motives and identities, and the social practices in which children and young people may be learners. These practices are knowledge-laden, imbued with cultural values and emotionally freighted by those who already act in them. The book first discusses the organising principles that underpin a cultural-historical understanding of motives, development and learning. The second section foregrounds children's lives to exemplify the implications of these ideas as they are played out - examining how children are positioned as learners in pre-school, primary school and play environments. The final section uses the core ideas to look at the implementation of policy aimed at enhancing children's engagement with opportunities for learning, by discussing motives in the organisations that shape children's development.

This book represents the outcome of the joint activities of a group of scholars who were concerned about the lack of international research in play for children from birth to 3 years. The authors are members of the Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Prescholaire (OMEP). For further information, see http: //www.om- ong.net/. The idea of carrying out a research project internationally was born at the OMEP's World Congress in Melbourne, Australia 2004. All member countries were invited and 10 countries decided to participate, of which three have withdrawn d- ing the process. The reason for this might be that in these countries only one person was working with the project, while other seven countries have been working in a team of two or more persons. The countries that have carried out research and contributed to this book with a chapter each are Australia, Chile, China, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and USA (Wisconsin). For more information about the p- ticipating countries and their corresponding addresses, see Appendix I. This book project started in Melbourne with a discussion about what is general in early childhood education globally, and what is culturally speci c. The discussion was inspired by one of the keynote speakers, Nazhat Shameem (2004), judge in the supreme court in Fiji, when she said: "If we all think we are so different and speci c in each culture, the role of human rights has no value anymore." We formulated three questions: "

Science for Children introduces readers to the pedagogy of primary and early childhood science education. The book pays special attention to the three strands of science, in accordance with the Australian Curriculum. It also uses the practice principles and learning outcomes of the national Early Years Learning Framework to present content for babies through to the transition into the Foundation year at school. Science for Children explores various approaches to teaching and learning in science. It covers inquiry approaches in detail; makes explicit links to the 5Es; critiques longstanding approaches, such as discovery approaches and a transmission approach; and explores Indigenous perspectives and a Vygotskian framework. This allows the reader to make informed choices about when to use a particular approach in primary classrooms and early childhood settings. Designed to prepare future educators for practice, Science for Children challenges students and offers practical classroom-based strategies for their science teaching careers.

Written by a team of international contributors and featuring case studies from a range of educational settings in Australia, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, and the USA, this edited book is the first in the field of early childhood and youth studies to draw on Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory to give insights into transitions in childhood, what they are and how they are differently experienced. Transitions are explored holistically so the chapters not only focus on the person transitioning but also the institutions in which the person is transitioning from and to, with a focus on schools and daycare. The contributors look at how societal values and policies impact these transitions and comparison are drawn between international settings. The book includes chapters on expatriate families, immigrant children, home-school transitions, the role of play and communities. Through interviews, case studies and the analysis of empirical material from fieldwork, Children's Transitions in Everyday Life and Institutions reflects on the best ways to engage children so that they may emerge as competent actors in their new settings and transition well.

This book explores the dynamics in children's everyday lives as they move between school and the family, with particular consideration of how children's motives change in response to new challenges. Professors Mariane Hedegaard and Marilyn Fleer follow four children, two from Australia and two from Denmark, over a twelve-month period. Using these case studies, they show how children's everyday activities, play, and the demands of both family and educational contexts influence their learning and development. The authors contribute to a sociocultural theory formulation that includes the child's perspective in cultural historical contexts. Their approach yields insights that transcend specific nationalities, cultures, and socioeconomic situations. The analysis shows not just how children's family life shapes their experiences in school, but how schools influence and shape their lives at home.

Early Learning and Development provides a unique synthesis of cultural-historical theory from Vygotsky, Elkonin and Leontiev in the twentieth century to the ground-breaking research of scholars such as Siraj-Blatchford, Kratsova and Hedegaard today. It demonstrates how development and learning are culturally embedded and institutionally defined, and it reflects specifically upon the implications for the early childhood profession. Divided into parts, with succinct chapters that build upon knowledge progressively, the everyday lives of children at home, in the community, at pre-school and at school are discussed in the context of child development and pedagogy. The book explicitly problematises the foundations of early childhood education, inviting postgraduates, researchers and academics to drill down into specific areas of international discourse, and extending upper-level undergraduates beyond the fundamental underpinnings of their learning. Ultimately Early Learning and Development offers new models of 'conceptual play' practice and theory within a globally resonant, cultural-historical framework.

This book explores the dynamics in children's everyday lives as they move between school and the family, with particular consideration of how children's motives change in response to new challenges. Professors Mariane Hedegaard and Marilyn Fleer follow four children, two from Australia and two from Denmark, over a twelve-month period. Using these case studies, they show how children's everyday activities, play, and the demands of both family and educational contexts influence their learning and development. The authors contribute to a sociocultural theory formulation that includes the child's perspective in cultural historical contexts. Their approach yields insights that transcend specific nationalities, cultures, and socioeconomic situations. The analysis shows not just how children's family life shapes their experiences in school, but how schools influence and shape their lives at home.

The contributors to this collection employ the analytic resources of cultural-historical theory to examine the relationship between childhood and children's development under different societal conditions. In particular they attend to relationships between development, emotions, motives and identities, and the social practices in which children and young people may be learners. These practices are knowledge-laden, imbued with cultural values and emotionally freighted by those who already act in them. The book first discusses the organising principles that underpin a cultural-historical understanding of motives, development and learning. The second section foregrounds children's lives to exemplify the implications of these ideas as they are played out - examining how children are positioned as learners in pre-school, primary school and play environments. The final section uses the core ideas to look at the implementation of policy aimed at enhancing children's engagement with opportunities for learning, by discussing motives in the organisations that shape children's development.

The third edition of Early Childhood Curriculum provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to curriculum theories and approaches in early childhood and early primary settings. Drawing on a cultural-historical framework for education, the text explores a variety of approaches to learning and teaching and equips readers with the tools to effectively plan, design and implement curriculum strategies. Thoroughly revised and updated, this edition features up-to-date coverage of national curriculum documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework and Te Whariki, and expanded content on play-based curriculum, assessment and documentation. Key domain areas of the curriculum are explored in depth and have been revised to include updated discussions of environmental factors, digital knowledge and multiliteracies. Each chapter is enriched with learning intentions, definitions of key terms, reflection points, links to current curriculum documents and illustrative case studies to help readers connect theory to practice.

Technologies for Children is a comprehensive guide to teaching design and digital technologies to children from birth to 12 years. Aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum: Technologies, this book provides practical ideas for teaching infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and primary-aged children. The third edition includes expanded content on teaching digital technologies, with a new chapter on computational thinking. Key topics covered include food and fibre production, engineering principles and systems, and computational thinking. The content goes beyond discussing the curriculum to consider technology pedagogies, planning, assessment and evaluation. Case studies drawn from Australian primary classrooms and early childhood centres demonstrate the transition from theory to practice. Each chapter is supported by pedagogical reflections, research activities and spotlights, as well as extensive online student resources. Written by Marilyn Fleer, this book presents innovative, engaging and student-centred approaches to integrating technologies in the classroom.

'The authors who have contributed to this book bring a wealth of expertise and a wide range of research findings. This gives the reader the opportunity to link theory with practice in a helpful and illuminating way' - Early Years Update Praise for the first edition: `...represents an enormously rich body of research and expertise focused on the objective of taking into account the social, historical and cultural dimensions of everyday activities in order to better understand children. ...will undoubtedly be of interest and value to anyone with a similar concern' - Early Years Journal `...an international state-of-the-art early childhood education publication that sets out research-based evidence and critically links this with theory and practice. It is pitched at the graduate level and beyond. Readers will gain more from the book if they have a thorough base understanding of relevant learning and social-cultural theories and an open-mind to appreciate the perspectives presented in this book' - Childforum, New Zealand This fully revised and up-to-date edition examines sociocultural and historical approaches to current theories of learning in early childhood education. It sets out research-based evidence linking theory and practice in early childhood settings. Written by leading figures in the field, the book extends a strong and traditional theme - the importance of the child's perspective and respect for each child's individual background. Within the context of early years settings, the book is structured around four overall themes: - the dynamics of learning and teaching - the nature of knowledge - assessment - evaluation and quality. This book is essential reading for undergraduate and advanced courses in early childhood studies.