The education and care of children under the age of eight has become one of the major focuses of attention in recent education research and policy-making around the world, and it is now widely recognised that investment in provision at this stage can be both cost effective and beneficial to the social fabric of communities. Approaches to education in nurseries, kindergartens and preschools have traditionally been significantly different from those that inform the teaching of older children but, until recently, these approaches have had little impact on education beyond early years settings.
This wide-ranging collection of papers provides a valuable resource for scholars who need to ground their own study in wider historical and global discourses concerning the education of children under eight. Including both important historical sources and contemporary analysis of current issues, this fascinating set represents a broad variety of countries, cultures and traditions.
Volume 1: Histories and Traditions Part 1: Introduction: Pioneers of Early Childhood Education Part 2: Early Childhood Education in the First Half of the 20th Century Part 3: Explorations in the Mind of the Child Part 4: More Recent Interpretations of Early Childhood Education Volume 2: Curriculum Issues in Early Childhood Education Part 1: Introduction: The Centrality of Play in Early Childhood Education Part 2: Play and Social Development Part 3: Play and Cognitive Development Part 4: Talk, Stories and Early Literacy Part 5: Offering the Curriculum: the Clash of Children’s and Adults’ Cultures Part 6: Approaches to Assessment, Evaluation and Documentation Part 7: Transition from Preschool to School Volume 3: Policy and Practice in Early Education and Care Part 1: Policy and Provision for Early Childhood Education in Different Countries Part 2: Working Together for Children in Early Childhood Education Part 3: Community, Cultures and Quality in Early Childhood Education Part 4: Early Childhood Pedagogy Part 5: Practitioners’ Perspectives Volume 4: Researching Early Education: Challenges and Futures Part 1: Introduction: the Role of Research in Early Childhood Education Part 2: Researching Local Contexts in Early Childhood Education Part 3: Macroanalysis of Issues in Early Childhood Education Part 4: Researching the Influences of Context and Culture in Early Childhood Education Part 5: Confronting Assumptions: Challenging Globalisation in Early Childhood Education Part 6: Beyond Early Childhood Education: Connections with other Areas of Research
