This fully updated new edition offers a comprehensive, accessible, yet rigorous introduction to the study of Early Childhood that will will add value to any Early Childhood Studies course at both foundation and degree level. Addressing both care and education in the Early Years, the book considers a range of multi-disciplinary aspects of Early Childhood; including health, social, educational, psychological and sociological perspectives. Early Childhood Studies engages the reader by providing real-world examples that underpin theoretical perspectives and bring examples to life, while encouraging practitioners to engage in reflective practice by considering their own similar experiences. Key features include: Engaging activities and case studies that bring theory to life Cutting-edge research Practical tasks and advice with points for further reading End of chapter summaries, Reflective Tasks and Study Skills boxes in each chapter Full colour illustrations throughout This core introductory textbook is an indispensable resource for Early Years’ students and professionals, whatever their level of expertise or experience.

For students of Early Childhood Studies, questions are as important as answers. What is childhood? Is childhood the same in all cultures? How do children grow and develop? What space do we make for children in our society? How do adults approach risk and what does this mean for children? Can children’s play be planned by adults? Early Childhood Studies tackles these questions and more. It explores the why, how and what of studying and working with young children and their families, considering how a range of theories can help us to identify useful questions. This is a comprehensive, up-to-date, challenging and accessible core text for the Early Childhood Studies course. Throughout, key theories and research findings are highlighted and explored to help link theory and practice. It covers the important themes of child development, communication, wellbeing, observation, working with parents, inclusive practice, leadership and research. This fourth edition has been fully updated throughout and includes new chapters on children and risk, inclusive learning environments, play and adults′ concepts of childhood.

Comprehensive and authoritative, this forward-thinking book reviews the breadth of current knowledge about early education and identifies important priorities for practice and policy. Robert C. Pianta and his associates bring together foremost experts to examine what works in promoting all children's school readiness and social-emotional development in preschool and the primary grades. Exemplary programs, instructional practices, and professional development initiatives?and the systems needed to put them into place?are described. The volume presents cutting-edge findings on the family and social context of early education and explores ways to strengthen collaboration between professionals and parents.

Winner of the 2013 Nursery World Awards! This is a key text for all those studying for degrees and foundation degrees in early childhood, early years and related disciplines and for candidates on EYPS pathways. It takes the reader through a detailed exploration of the nature of play examining the features and the concepts of play. Guidance on the observation of children′s play is included and the text encourages students to appreciate the value of play in development and in socialisation. Children′s rights and the ownership of play are also covered. With interactive activities and case studies throughout, the text helps students to arrive at an understanding of their own practice in relation to play. About the Early Years series This series has been designed to support students of Early Years, Early Childhood Studies and related disciplines in popular modules of their course. Each text takes a focused look at a specific topic and approaches it in an accessible and user-friendly way. Features have been developed to help readers engage with the text and understand the subject from a number of different viewpoints. Activities pose questions to prompt thought and discussion and ′Theory Focus′ boxes examine essential theory close-up for better understanding. This series is also applicable to EYPS candidates on all pathways. Other titles in the series are Early Childhood Studies, Childhood in Society for Early Childhood Studies and Child Observation for the Early Years.

Make learning visible in the early years Early childhood is a uniquely sensitive time, when young learners are rapidly developing across multiple domains, including language and literacy, mathematics, and motor skills. Knowing which teaching strategies work best and when can have a significant impact on a child’s development and future success. Visible Learning in Early Childhood investigates the critical years between ages 3 and 6 and, backed by evidence from the Visible Learning® research, explores seven core strategies for learning success: working together as evaluators, setting high expectations, measuring learning with explicit success criteria, establishing developmentally appropriate levels of learning, viewing mistakes as opportunities, continually seeking feedback, and balancing surface, deep, and transfer learning. The authors unpack the symbiotic relationship between these seven tenets through Authentic examples of diverse learners and settings Voices of master teachers from the US, UK, and Australia Multiple assessment and differentiation strategies Multidisciplinary approaches depicting mathematics, literacy, art and music, social-emotional learning, and more Using the Visible Learning research, teachers partner with children to encourage high expectations, developmentally appropriate practices, the right level of challenge, and a focus on explicit success criteria. Get started today and watch your young learners thrive!

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Caribbean Childhoods: From Research to Action is an annual publication produced by the Children s Issues Coalition at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The series seeks to provide an avenue for the dissemination of research and experiences on children s health, development, behaviour and education, and to provide a forum for the discussion of these issues.

This new edition of this bestselling textbook examines the key themes involved in the study of young children and childhood from a variety of disciplines and international perspectives, making essential links between theory and practice to help you apply your learning in real-life settings. Key additions include: the latest changes in early years policy 2 brand new chapters on Postmodernist theories in Education, and Education for Sustainable Development A renewed emphasis on reflective practice across Part 4, supporting and encouraging your professional development Throughout, case studies, exercises and links to further reading help you engage with key issues and test your learning, making it easier for you to get to grips with all aspects of your course.

Using varied illustrations and case studies of contemporary projects in diverse early childhood contexts, the book addresses specific issues and challenges that you might face when conducting action research in such settings.

This new edition of Cathy Nutbrown′s much loved book explains the key ideas and issues in Early Childhood clearly and concisely, keeping students up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. There are brand new entries on: - Attachment - Babies′ learning and development - Children′s Centres - Citizenship - Digital Technologies - Early Years Foundation Stage - Early Years Professional Status - Neuroscience - Sexualities The rest of the book has also been thoroughly updated and revised, and includes coverage of heuristic play, Early Literacy Development and Parental Involvement. The book offers starting points which provide a clear focus, further reading and discussion of research on thirty-five key topics. It is a must for students following courses in early childhood education and care. Professor Cathy Nutbrown directs and teaches on Masters and Doctoral programmes in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sheffield.