Developmentalism in Early Childhood and Middle Grades Education

Developmentalism in Early Childhood and Middle Grades Education
Author: K. Lee
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2010-06-21
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0230107850

In this book, the contributors challenge dominant discourses and practices in the fields of early childhood and middle grades education that are based on the last century's grand developmental theories.

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.

Equity & Cultural Responsiveness in the Middle Grades

Equity & Cultural Responsiveness in the Middle Grades
Author: Kathleen M. Brinegar
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2019-04-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1641136758

While developmental responsiveness is a deservingly key emphasis of middle grades education, this emphasis has often been to the detriment of focusing on the cultural needs of young adolescents. This Handbook volume explores research relating to equity and culturally responsive practices when working with young adolescents. Middle school philosophy largely centers on young adolescents as a collective group. This lack of focus has great implications for young adolescents of marginalized identities including but not limited to those with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ youth, and those living in poverty. If middle level educators claim to advocate for young adolescents, we need to mainstream conversations about supporting all young adolescents of marginalized identities. It empowers researchers, educators, and even young adolescents to critically examine and understand the intersectionality of identities that historically influenced (and continue to affect) young adolescents and why educators might perceive marginalized youth in certain ways. It is for these reasons that researchers, teachers, and other key constituents involved in the education of young adolescents must devote themselves to the critical examination and understanding of the historical and current socio-cultural factors affecting all young adolescents. The chapters in this volume serve as a means to open an intentional and explicit space for providing a critical lens on early adolescence–a lens that understands that both developmental and cultural needs of young adolescents need to be emphasized to create a learning environment that supports every young adolescent learner.

Development During Middle Childhood

Development During Middle Childhood
Author: Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 448
Release: 1984-01-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309034787

For the first time, a report focuses specifically on middle childhoodâ€"a discrete, pivotal period of development. In this review of research, experts examine the physical health and cognitive development of 6- to 12-year-old children as well as their surroundings: school and home environment, ecocultural setting, and family and peer relationships.

Middle Grades Curriculum

Middle Grades Curriculum
Author: Kathleen Roney
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2013-05-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1623962293

High stakes testing, standards, and accountability politics is taking us away from the importance of the affective domain in curriculum development. This critical learning domain is often an unrecognized and infrequently considered topic in the literature. Through this book we extend the current knowledge base by addressing a curriculum model developed in the 1980s. We add a 2012 knowledge base as we delineate the role of self-perceptions in school-related learning, how middle level curriculum affects self-perceptions, and the type of curriculum planning which enhances self-perceptions and improves learning in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The combination of sound psychological principles and practical teaching and curriculum suggestions with an empirical basis makes the book attractive to both higher education and local school professional libraries. In the former it will serve as the primary text in graduate and advanced undergraduate middle level education programs and practices courses. It might also be a primary text in courses or workshops in affective education or other experiences which emphasize affective, values, and self-concept. It also has potential as a supplementary text in undergraduate educational psychology courses. At the in-service level this book could be used as a workshop resource or as a professional reference for middle level teachers, administrators, curriculum workers, and supervisors. Our interest in young adolescents and their school setting coincides with the fourth edition of This We Believe (NMSA, 2010). The self-enhancing school is characterized by “from-to” statements; for example, “from” avoiding parents “to” working with parents. Using theory and research we discuss the costs of staying in the “from” position and the benefits derived from moving to the “to” position. By combining educational psychology and curriculum development we make a unique contribution to middle grades curriculum developers.

This We Believe

This We Believe
Author: National Middle School Association
Publisher: National Middle School Assn
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9781560902324

Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience

Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience
Author: Sohyun "Soh" Meacham
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2024-10-07
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1040146783

This essential and urgent book presents research-based understandings about Asian American early childhood, bringing to light the battle Asian Americans face against American nativism from their early years’ experiences. The first of its kind in academic literature, the book addresses the well-known issue of underrepresentation of Asian Americans in early childhood education research and practice, and in American society in general. Using the intersectionality and multiple identities perspectives, the authors explore a myriad of inaccurate cultural perceptions and misrepresentations, centering within-group differences among Asian American children and giving particular attention to disempowered groups among them. Issues related to socioeconomic status, gender, dis/abilities, linguistic backgrounds, and minority groups among Asian American populations are addressed, with implications for researchers and educators as well as context for examining the policies that cause inequities among Asian American children. This book is key reading for early childhood education researchers, professors, and graduate students to become more productively engaged in discussions and practices toward racial justice.

Discussions on Sensitive Issues

Discussions on Sensitive Issues
Author: John Sutterby
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2015-10-07
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1785602926

This volume contains chapters that invite conversations about sensitive issues to help educators, children and families use real-life experiences to construct knowledge about their world and other people.

The Encyclopedia of Middle Grades Education

The Encyclopedia of Middle Grades Education
Author: Steven B. Mertens
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2005-10-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1607524910

The Encyclopedia of Middle Grades Education provides a comprehensive overview of the field. This publication includes seven anchor essays (5000 words) that cover the following topics: the history of the middle school movement; academically excellent curriculum, instruction, and assessment; developmental responsiveness in relation to young adolescents; social equity in middle grades schools; leadership in middle level schools; teacher and administrator preparation and professional development; and future directions in relation to the movement, practices, and policy. Leading scholars in the field of middle grades education were invited to author these essays. In addition to the seven anchor essays, the encyclopedia contains alphabetically organized entries (short entries approximately 500 words; long entries approximately 2000 words) that address important concepts, ideas, terms, people, organizations, and seminal publications related to middle grades education. Contributors to the encyclopedia have provided sufficient information so that the reader can place the idea, concept, person, etc. into its proper context in the history of the middle school movement. Entries are meant to be introductory; after an overview of the essentials of the topic the reader is guided to more extensive sources for further investigation. Where appropriate, the reader is also directed to electronic sources such as websites where additional information can be retrieved.

Contemporary Perspectives on Socialization and Social Development in Early Childhood Education

Contemporary Perspectives on Socialization and Social Development in Early Childhood Education
Author: Olivia Saracho
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2007-05-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1607525933

The purpose of this volume is to present a selection of chapters that reflect current issues relating to children’s socialization processes that help them become successful members of their society. From birth children are unique in their rates of growth and development, including the development of their social awareness and their ability to interact socially. They interpret social events based on their developing life style and environmental experiences. The children’s socialization is influenced by several important social forces including the family and its organization, their peer group, and the significant others in their lives. In “Theories of Socialization and Social Development,” Olivia Saracho and Bernard Spodek describe the children’s socialization forces and the different developmental theories that have influenced our understanding of the socialization process. These include maturationist theory (developed by Arnold Gesell), constructivist theories (developed by such theorists as Jean Piaget, Lev S. Vygotsky, and Jerome Bruner), psychodynamic theories (developed by such theorists as Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Alfred Adler), and ecological theory (developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner). Each theory provides interpretations of the meaning of the children’s social development and describes the different characteristics for each age group in the developmental sequences.