Translated from the German by Roland Everett and edited by Rhona Everett.

Key lectures on children and education have been thoughtfully chosen from the vast amount of material by Steiner and presented in a context that makes them approachable and accessible. In his many discussions and lectures, Steiner shared his vision of an education that considers the spirit, soul, and physiology in children as they grow.

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.

A social basis for education; The spirit of the Waldorf school; Educational methods based on anthroposophy; The child at play; Teaching from a foundation of spiritual insight and education in the light of spiritual science; The adolescent after the fourteenth year; Science, art, religion and morality; The spiritual grounds of education; The role of caring in education; The roots of education and the kingdom of childhood; Address at a parents' evening; Education in the wider social context.

This expanded new edition continues to demonstrate and provide theoretical, analytical, and practical knowledge for first responders. Face-to-face interaction with the client/victim is part of the comprehensive approach advocated by the book, which requires interveners to assess the nature of a crisis and the condition of the victim in order to determine the appropriate course of action. The comprehensive balance of theory and practice presented in this book should enable the intervener in coupling his/her general knowledge of human psychology and emotional crisis with the specific and novel characteristics of various crisis situations. The text represents the work of national scholars who have expertise in criminal justice and social service issues. Their chapters focus on a Historical and Theoretical Overview, Ethics in Crisis Intervention Practice, Intimate Partner Violence, Police Response to Domestic Violence, Children in Crisis, Elder Mistreatment, Suicide, Crisis of Rape and Survivor Intervention, Death Notification and the Theory and Practice of Delivering Bad News, Terrorism and Crisis Intervention, and Mass Casualty Crisis Response and Communication. Helpful appendices in each chapter provide additional internet resources, as well as a complete Model Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and Social Work Code of Ethics. This new edition retains important information while providing current case studies such as the “Miracle on the Hudson River” crash, the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona. This exceptional book is designed for firefighters, police officers, community service officers, correctional workers, emergency medical workers, probation/parole officers, protective service workers, psychological counselors, social workers, and victim assistance workers among others.

Most educators are familiar with Lev Vygotsky's concept of the "zone of proximal development," yet the bulk of Vygotsky's pioneering theory of cognitive development largely remains unknown. This unique volume provides a systematic, authoritative overview of Vygotsky's work and its implications for educational research and practice. Major topics include how children develop higher-order thinking; the influences on cognitive development of teacher-student interactions, the family, and culture; and critical and stable periods in development from infancy through adolescence. Key concepts and research methods are explained in detail, and classroom examples and instructional suggestions are provided.