Approaches to Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Approaches to Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Author: Francis Wardle
Publisher:
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2009
Genre: Education
ISBN:

This book covers a vast range of different philosophical and practical approaches to early education, from Free/Open schools and Waldorf education, to the Core Curriculum and the learning standards approach of the U.S. federal No Child Left Behind Act. By the early years it is meant the ages from infancy through the end of elementary school. While some of the approaches, such as Montessori and Reggio Emilia, are best known for the pre-school years, and the standards approach is best know for American K-12 education, there is more and more overlap and merging across early childhood and elementary education approaches, world-wide. All the approaches covered in this text can be seen in programs from infancy through the end of elementary school, even if each may focus on a certain age within this time frame. We are seeing major changes in infant, pre-kindergarten and elementary school education approaches, world-wide. These changes are the result of several major factors, including the extensive and powerful new brain research; globalisation of markets, ideas, and the Internet; rapid demographic shifts in many developed countries, and a move to more universal education in developing countries and more universal pre-school programs in developed countries. Thus, the focus of this book in describing a variety of current education approaches, with a detailed description of their historical and philosophical foundations and their current practice is very timely.

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 587
Release: 2015-07-23
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309324882

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.

Approaches to Early Childhood Education

Approaches to Early Childhood Education
Author: Jaipaul L. Roopnarine
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2000
Genre: Asili nido
ISBN: 9780130852540

May be used for upper level undergraduates and graduate students in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, and Human Development. This up-to-date comprehensive book, with contributions by major experts in the field, focuses on models, approaches, and issues that deal with prominent and tested practices in early childhood education today. It provides coverage of many more models and topics than other books in the field. The books major strengths are its pluralistic approach and the expertise of the authors.* NEW-Includes a new Chapter on Reggio Emilia by Rebecca New. * Reggio Emilia is an internationally renowned program gaining prominence in the United States. * NEW-Bank Street, Montessori and Head Start Chapters have been completely rewritten. * Extended treatment of three key topics in Early Childhood Education. * NEW-Provides coverage of Inclusion and Multicultural Education issues-That affect Early Childhood Education and Parent-School relations. * These are issues that are at the forefront of the Early Childhood Education movement. * Provides chapters that are written by leading experts in the field of early childhood education. * Current knowledge on practices and rese

Eager to Learn

Eager to Learn
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2001-01-22
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0309068363

Clearly babies come into the world remarkably receptive to its wonders. Their alertness to sights, sounds, and even abstract concepts makes them inquisitive explorersâ€"and learnersâ€"every waking minute. Well before formal schooling begins, children's early experiences lay the foundations for their later social behavior, emotional regulation, and literacy. Yet, for a variety of reasons, far too little attention is given to the quality of these crucial years. Outmoded theories, outdated facts, and undersized budgets all play a part in the uneven quality of early childhood programs throughout our country. What will it take to provide better early education and care for our children between the ages of two and five? Eager to Learn explores this crucial question, synthesizing the newest research findings on how young children learn and the impact of early learning. Key discoveries in how young children learn are reviewed in language accessible to parents as well as educators: findings about the interplay of biology and environment, variations in learning among individuals and children from different social and economic groups, and the importance of health, safety, nutrition and interpersonal warmth to early learning. Perhaps most significant, the book documents how very early in life learning really begins. Valuable conclusions and recommendations are presented in the areas of the teacher-child relationship, the organization and content of curriculum, meeting the needs of those children most at risk of school failure, teacher preparation, assessment of teaching and learning, and more. The book discusses: Evidence for competing theories, models, and approaches in the field and a hard look at some day-to-day practices and activities generally used in preschool. The role of the teacher, the importance of peer interactions, and other relationships in the child's life. Learning needs of minority children, children with disabilities, and other special groups. Approaches to assessing young children's learning for the purposes of policy decisions, diagnosis of educational difficulties, and instructional planning. Preparation and continuing development of teachers. Eager to Learn presents a comprehensive, coherent picture of early childhood learning, along with a clear path toward improving this important stage of life for all children.

Visible Learning in Early Childhood

Visible Learning in Early Childhood
Author: Kateri Thunder
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2021-09-13
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1071825704

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!

Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years

Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years
Author: Linda Miller
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2010-12-29
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1849205787

By focusing on key figures in early years education and care, this book considers the influential thinkers and ground-breaking approaches that have revolutionized practice. With contributions from the leading authorities and researchers in the field, chapters provide an explanation of the approach, an analysis of the theoretical background, case studies from practice and questions and discussion points to facilitate critical thinking. Written in an accessible style and relevant to all levels of early years courses, from undergraduate to graduate degrees, the book asks the reader to engage with debates and to develop their own views and opinions.

Funds of Knowledge

Funds of Knowledge
Author: Norma Gonzalez
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2006-04-21
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1135614059

The concept of "funds of knowledge" is based on a simple premise: people are competent and have knowledge, and their life experiences have given them that knowledge. The claim in this book is that first-hand research experiences with families allow one to document this competence and knowledge, and that such engagement provides many possibilities for positive pedagogical actions. Drawing from both Vygotskian and neo-sociocultural perspectives in designing a methodology that views the everyday practices of language and action as constructing knowledge, the funds of knowledge approach facilitates a systematic and powerful way to represent communities in terms of the resources they possess and how to harness them for classroom teaching. This book accomplishes three objectives: It gives readers the basic methodology and techniques followed in the contributors' funds of knowledge research; it extends the boundaries of what these researchers have done; and it explores the applications to classroom practice that can result from teachers knowing the communities in which they work. In a time when national educational discourses focus on system reform and wholesale replicability across school sites, this book offers a counter-perspective stating that instruction must be linked to students' lives, and that details of effective pedagogy should be linked to local histories and community contexts. This approach should not be confused with parent participation programs, although that is often a fortuitous consequence of the work described. It is also not an attempt to teach parents "how to do school" although that could certainly be an outcome if the parents so desired. Instead, the funds of knowledge approach attempts to accomplish something that may be even more challenging: to alter the perceptions of working-class or poor communities by viewing their households primarily in terms of their strengths and resources, their defining pedagogical characteristics. Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms is a critically important volume for all teachers and teachers-to-be, and for researchers and graduate students of language, culture, and education.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Introduction to Early Childhood Education
Author: Francis Wardle
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Total Pages: 568
Release: 2003
Genre: Education
ISBN:

Provides students with a comprehensive insight into multiple facets of the early childhood field, from history and philosophy, to technology, diversity, play, and the role of teachers and caregivers. Recognized as a national expert in CDA, multicultural education, outdoor environments, developmentally appropriate practice, and child development, Francis Wardle brings us this comprehensive introduction to the field of early childhood care and education, infants to age 8. This text addresses a wide variety of programs, including global early childhood education, setting up and maintaining indoor and outdoor environments, and strategies teaching literacy, math, and science. Included throughout the text are discussions of brain research, diversity checklists, an emphasis on parent involvement and inclusion, how young children learn, and looking at teachers and caregivers as professionals.