Approaches to Early Childhood Education

This uniquely compiled volume addresses the current trends and issues in the field of early childhood education, reflecting the evolving nature of the field and teacher training in the United States and worldwide, preparing readers with the skill set necessary to meet the new needs and challenges that face the teaching profession today. Comprehensive and authoritative, this edited text includes 15 chapters written by over 32 experts in the field, covering a variety of approaches to teaching young children, the historical foundations, as well as the philosophy and theory behind the applications described. The text addresses current tensions within early childhood education, covering new developments in curricula, methods, and assessment strategies. By clarifying and addressing current tensions, definitions, identities, functions, and boundaries, it helps readers stay on the cutting edge of the field. An important resource and guide for pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as those professionals who currently guide or work with children in early childhood settings, Approaches to Early Childhood Education, Sixth Edition,is the best preparation tool on the market for preparing future early childhood educators–tomorrow’s leaders in the field–with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of teaching in today’s world.

Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, co-editor on this edition, is Jack Reilly Professor of Child and Family Studies and Director of the Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education at Syracuse University. He was trained as a child development specialist and has conducted research on families and children in several countries around the world. A Fulbright Scholar to the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, an Indo-US Submission Scholar at the University of Delhi, he is the author or co-author of several books, chapters, and journal articles on parent-child relationships and early childhood education across cultures.

James E. Johnson, co-editor on this edition, is Professor-in-Charge of Early Childhood Education at The Pennsylvania State University-University Park. Trained as a Life-Span Development Psychologist, as a postdoctoral fellow with Irving Sigel at Educational Testing Service in Princeton he worked on developing Sigel’s Educating the Young Thinker model of Early Childhood Education curriculum and teaching. He is author or co-author of several books and many chapters and articles on the role of play in early development and education. A former Fulbright senior research scholar, and past-president of The Association for the Study of Play, he currently serves as a series editor for Play & Culture Studies and is co-editor in chief of a forthcoming two-volume Handbook of The Study of Play.