Flourishing in the Early Years ─ Contexts, practices and futures

If young children are to flourish and become happy, confident and motivated learners, they need to develop in an environment that gives them the opportunities and freedom to play and learn, along with the support of parents and practitioners who are flourishing themselves.

This invaluable text looks at the conditions that enable all those engaged in the early years sector to flourish, covering themes such as the outdoor environment, the curriculum, parent partnership, equality and ethical practice. Divided into three sections, each part covers:

• Concepts: A consideration of how flourishing is framed by political, historical and policy frameworks;
• Practices: Exploring the issues that early years practitioners are faced with when engaging with parents and multi-agent professionals within their setting;
• Futures: Examining some of the long-term issues that may need to be revisited on a regular basis to enable continual and flourishing development to occur.

With key points and reflective tasks, this book will be valuable reading to all students and practitioners working in the early childhood education and care sector who want to ensure that the children in their care are given the best possible start in life.

Zenna Kingdon is Principal Lecturer and Head of Early Childhood Education and Care at Newman University, UK.

Jan Gourd is Senior Lecturer and Programme Area Lead for Education at the University of St Mark and St John Plymouth, UK.

Michael Gasper is an independent Early Years Consultant, UK.