This book argues that developmental approaches to observation in childhood pedagogy are limiting, restrictive, and present social justice dilemmas. This book unsettles, dismantles, and reimagines observation, proposing new postdevelopmental theories and modes of inquiry for educators. Written by leading scholars based in Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, the chapters consider observation as it is enacted in the home, nursery or classroom. Drawing on a range of theories including feminist new materialism, social semiotics, and sociocultural and multimodal approaches to early childhood, the chapters cover a range of areas, from early childhood art and observational literacy tools to intergenerational research, and using photography and video in observations.

Creativity and Making in Early Childhood brings together practice and research insights on creativity, to offer new perspectives on what creativity is, how it manifests in early childhood education and what can be done to support it. Each chapter includes practitioners' own experiences and looks within these observations and reflections to highlight key questions and challenges. Insights and perspectives are drawn from research in order to engage deeply with these challenges and to develop future practice in early childhood education. Particular focus is on creativity as physical 'making' processes. Topics covered include: - children's developing identities - sharing and social interactions - how time, choice and physical environments influence young children's creativity - instructions, resourcing and expectations of creativity in the early childhood setting Practical learning features guiding students through the book include: research spotlight sections introducing readers to key pieces of research, questions to aid reflection on experiences in relation to relevant theory, summaries and tasks for the reader designed to deepen thinking. This text is an excellent resource for undergraduate students in early childhood and education, as well as postgraduate students and practitioners who have returned to study.

"Bravo! This book brilliantly meets the moment." - Julie Nicholson, Mills College and Co-Director, Center for Equity in Early Childhood, USA "A lovely insightful exploration of leadership through a social justice lens." - Lord Victor Adebowale, UK Across the world, organisations in early childhood education (ECE) face major organisational challenges, including staff recruitment, retention and wellbeing, in the context of sectoral fragmentation and under-investment. These issues impact negatively on the experience of children, staff, parents and the wider community. Social leadership is a new model of leadership that aims to address these challenges by refocusing leadership through a much stronger social justice lens and a community. It highlights the significance of warm and inclusive modes of leadership as a means of driving positive change. Based on in-depth interviews with renowned global leaders in ECE, this book provides an introduction to the six-element model of social leadership and shows how it can be developed and implemented by organisations, training bodies and educational institutions. Written in accessible language and illustrated with original international case studies the book begins a much-needed dialogue about how we can work from within ECE to overcome the workforce and sectoral hurdles we face.

In childhood research, children's art-making has typically been viewed and understood through a lens of developmental psychology and the notion that children's art-making progresses through a linear series of stages continues to dominate how we design and implement art-making experiences for young children. Postdevelopmental Approaches to Childhood Art brings together the work of theorists from around the world who have presented postdevelopmental approaches to childhood art, thereby playing a vital part in unsettling the dominance of the developmental paradigm and offering worked examples of alternative models. Drawing on sociocultural theory, Deleuzian philosophy, posthumanism and postmodernism each chapter offers a theoretical basis that challenges developmentalism, as well as an application of that theoretical basis. The contributors also consider what this shift in our perspective means for the design and implementation of art-making experiences for young children.

Pedagogical leadership views leadership as something separate from formal authority or qualifications, seeing educators’ understanding, interpretation and passion as the key lever for continuous improvement in early childhood education (ECE). This book shows how effective pedagogical leadership can create the right conditions for quality ECE provision, to increase motivation and engagement among staff, and impact positively on staff recruitment and retention. Written by a team of international experts based in Australia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA, this book explores pedagogical leadership in ECE in-depth and through an international lens. The chapters address questions including: what is pedagogic leadership?; what does it look like?; what impact can pedagogic leadership have on the everyday work of nurseries and other ECE providers? The contributors cover a range of topics including trauma-responsive pedagogy, child-initiated pedagogies, conflict management, change management theory and social leadership theory.

Critically examining the fears that commonly surround young children's play involving digital technologies, this book seeks to address each of the negatives and present the positive possibilities of technology when it comes to early childhood. Using observations of children in play and cutting-edge research, this book will empower students and build their confidence so that they are able to challenge perceptions and think creatively about how they can use technology. Each chapter includes case studies, research spotlights, activities and annotated further reading to help students develop their critical thinking, deepen their research and connect theory with practice.

"Bravo! This book brilliantly meets the moment." - Julie Nicholson, Mills College and Co-Director, Center for Equity in Early Childhood, USA "A lovely insightful exploration of leadership through a social justice lens." - Lord Victor Adebowale, UK Across the world, organisations in early childhood education (ECE) face major organisational challenges, including staff recruitment, retention and wellbeing, in the context of sectoral fragmentation and under-investment. These issues impact negatively on the experience of children, staff, parents and the wider community. Social leadership is a new model of leadership that aims to address these challenges by refocusing leadership through a much stronger social justice lens and a community. It highlights the significance of warm and inclusive modes of leadership as a means of driving positive change. Based on in-depth interviews with renowned global leaders in ECE, this book provides an introduction to the six-element model of social leadership and shows how it can be developed and implemented by organisations, training bodies and educational institutions. Written in accessible language and illustrated with original international case studies the book begins a much-needed dialogue about how we can work from within ECE to overcome the workforce and sectoral hurdles we face.

Pedagogical leadership views leadership as something separate from formal authority or qualifications, seeing educators’ understanding, interpretation and passion as the key lever for continuous improvement in early childhood education (ECE). This book shows how effective pedagogical leadership can create the right conditions for quality ECE provision, to increase motivation and engagement among staff, and impact positively on staff recruitment and retention. Written by a team of international experts based in Australia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA, this book explores pedagogical leadership in ECE in-depth and through an international lens. The chapters address questions including: what is pedagogic leadership?; what does it look like?; what impact can pedagogic leadership have on the everyday work of nurseries and other ECE providers? The contributors cover a range of topics including trauma-responsive pedagogy, child-initiated pedagogies, conflict management, change management theory and social leadership theory.

In childhood research, children's art-making has typically been viewed and understood through a lens of developmental psychology and the notion that children's art-making progresses through a linear series of stages continues to dominate how we design and implement art-making experiences for young children. Postdevelopmental Approaches to Childhood Art brings together the work of theorists from around the world who have presented postdevelopmental approaches to childhood art, thereby playing a vital part in unsettling the dominance of the developmental paradigm and offering worked examples of alternative models. Drawing on sociocultural theory, Deleuzian philosophy, posthumanism and postmodernism each chapter offers a theoretical basis that challenges developmentalism, as well as an application of that theoretical basis. The contributors also consider what this shift in our perspective means for the design and implementation of art-making experiences for young children.

Critically examining the fears that commonly surround young children's play involving digital technologies, this book seeks to address each of the negatives and present the positive possibilities of technology when it comes to early childhood. Using observations of children in play and cutting-edge research, this book will empower students and build their confidence so that they are able to challenge perceptions and think creatively about how they can use technology. Each chapter includes case studies, research spotlights, activities and annotated further reading to help students develop their critical thinking, deepen their research and connect theory with practice.

Creativity and Making in Early Childhood brings together practice and research insights on creativity, to offer new perspectives on what creativity is, how it manifests in early childhood education and what can be done to support it. Each chapter includes practitioners' own experiences and looks within these observations and reflections to highlight key questions and challenges. Insights and perspectives are drawn from research in order to engage deeply with these challenges and to develop future practice in early childhood education. Particular focus is on creativity as physical 'making' processes. Topics covered include: - children's developing identities - sharing and social interactions - how time, choice and physical environments influence young children's creativity - instructions, resourcing and expectations of creativity in the early childhood setting Practical learning features guiding students through the book include: research spotlight sections introducing readers to key pieces of research, questions to aid reflection on experiences in relation to relevant theory, summaries and tasks for the reader designed to deepen thinking. This text is an excellent resource for undergraduate students in early childhood and education, as well as postgraduate students and practitioners who have returned to study.

Through art children make sense of their experiences and the world around them. Drawing, painting, collage and modelling are open-ended and playful processes through which children engage in physical exploration, aesthetic decision-making, identity construction and social understanding. As digital technologies become increasingly prevalent in the lives of young children, there is a pressing need to understand how digital technologies shape important experiences in early childhood, including early childhood art. Mona Sakr shows the need to consider how particular dimensions of the art-making process are changed by the use of digital technologies and what can be done by parents, practitioners and designers to enable children to adopt playful and creative practices in their interactions with digital technologies. Incorporating different theoretical perspectives, including social semiotics and posthumanism, and drawing on various research studies, this book highlights how children engage with different facets of art-making with digital technologies including: remix and mash-up; distributed ownership; imagined audiences and changed sensory and social interactions.

Through art children make sense of their experiences and the world around them. Drawing, painting, collage and modelling are open-ended and playful processes through which children engage in physical exploration, aesthetic decision-making, identity construction and social understanding. As digital technologies become increasingly prevalent in the lives of young children, there is a pressing need to understand how digital technologies shape important experiences in early childhood, including early childhood art. Mona Sakr shows the need to consider how particular dimensions of the art-making process are changed by the use of digital technologies and what can be done by parents, practitioners and designers to enable children to adopt playful and creative practices in their interactions with digital technologies. Incorporating different theoretical perspectives, including social semiotics and posthumanism, and drawing on various research studies, this book highlights how children engage with different facets of art-making with digital technologies including: remix and mash-up; distributed ownership; imagined audiences and changed sensory and social interactions.