Theories of Childhood


Book Description

A supplemental text for an Issues in Early Childhood Education or Introduction to Early Childhood Education course in Early Childhood Education departments or in Child and Family Studies departments. Covers five leading theorists whose perspectives are studied and applied widely in early childhood education. The book distills each theorist's work and explains how it relates to early care and education. Brief, inexpensive; a perfect complement to foundational courses.




Learning Theories in Childhood


Book Description

By focusing on the early philosophies of learning and the key behavioral, cognitive, and social theorists, this book provides a comprehensive overview of children's learning. The authors discuss the key learning theories, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and encourage reflection on how different approaches impact on the learning environment. The discussion finishes with an exploration of the new sociology of childhood. Examples are drawn from practice to highlight key concepts, and to make vital links between theory and practice.




Child Development


Book Description

Child Development: Theories and Critical Perspectives provides an engaging and perceptive overview of both well-established and recent theories in child and adolescent psychology. This unique summary of traditional scientific perspectives alongside critical post-modern thinking will provide readers with a sense of the historical development of different schools of thought. The authors also place theories of child development in philosophical and cultural contexts, explore links between them, and consider the implications of theory for practice in the light of the latest thinking and developments in implementation and translational science. Early chapters cover mainstream theories such as those of Piaget, Skinner, Freud, Maccoby and Vygotsky, whilst later chapters present interesting lesser-known theorists such as Sergei Rubinstein, and more recent influential theorists such as Esther Thelen. The book also addresses lifespan perspectives and systems theory, and describes the latest thinking in areas ranging from evolutionary theory and epigenetics, to feminism, the voice of the child and Indigenous theories. The new edition of Child Development has been extensively revised to include considerable recent advances in the field. As with the previous edition, the book has been written with the student in mind, and includes a number of useful pedagogical features including further reading, discussion questions, activities, and websites of interest. Child Development: Theories and Critical Perspectives will be essential reading for students on advanced courses in developmental psychology, education, social work and social policy, and the lucid style will also make it accessible to readers with little or no background in psychology.




Theories of Early Childhood Education


Book Description

Theories of Early Childhood Education provides a comprehensive introduction to the various theoretical perspectives influential in early childhood education, from developmental psychology to critical studies, Piaget to Freire. Expert chapter authors examine assumptions underpinning the use of theory in the early years and concisely explore the implications of these questions for policy and practice. Every chapter includes applications to practice that will assist students and professionals in seeing the relevance of the theoretical perspective for their teaching.




How Children Learn (New Edition)


Book Description

An ideal introduction to the pioneers of educational theory for anyone studying childcare, child development or education – whether at further or higher education level. The first edition of this book has been a best-seller for almost a decade, identified as one of the top ten books for students of child development or early childhood care and education. In this new edition, there is an increased emphasis on both what practice based on particular theories of learning looks like and on criticisms of each theory. A glossary is included in sections highlighting words and concepts particular to the theorist in question. Full-colour photographs are used to illustrate some aspects of each theory or approach. How Children Learn looks at a wide range of theorists and practitioners who have influenced current understandings of how children learn and what this means for work with young children. The book summarises the findings and ideas of famous giants such as Montessori and Piaget as well as the more recent ideas of writers and thinkers such as Howard Gardner and Margaret Donaldson. It begins by looking at the work and life of Comenius who is widely described as the father of modern education and looks at the theory behind different approaches to early childhood care and education such as Steiner Waldorf education, HighScope and Te Whariki. You will find this book invaluable in giving you a clearer picture of how ideas about children's learning have developed over the past four centuries.




Comparing Theories of Child Development


Book Description

Explaining the nature of theories in the field of child development (including why theories are useful and why there are multiple theories), Thomas' highly respected book covers the widest range of theories of any text currently available. Using the following criteria: "Has the theory been popular?," "Has the theory been influential?," and "Is the theory representative of a class or family of theories?," Thomas identifies the goals and describes the findings of more than two dozen theorists and inspects a s




The Routledge International Handbook of Philosophies and Theories of Early Childhood Education and Care


Book Description

The Routledge Handbook of Philosophies and Theories of Early Childhood Education and Care brings together leading writers in the field to provide a much-needed, authoritative guide to the major philosophies and theories which have shaped approaches to Early Childhood Education and Care. Providing a detailed overview of key concepts, debates and practical challenges, the handbook combines theoretical acumen with specific examples to show how philosophies and theories have evolved over the centuries and their impact on policy and society. It examines the ways in which societies define and make sense of childhood and the factors that influence the development of philosophies about young children and their learning. The collection offers an insight into the key theorists and considers how the economics and politics of their time and personal ideology influenced their ideas about childhood. It looks at curricula and provision which have proved inspirational and how these have impacted on policy and practice in different parts of the world. The handbook also explores alternative and perhaps less familiar philosophies and ideas about babies and young children, their place in society and the ways in which it might be appropriate to educate them Bringing together specially commissioned pieces by a range of international authors, this handbook will enable academics, research students, practitioners and policy-makers to reflect on their own understandings and approaches, as well as the assumptions made in their own and other societies.




Child Perspectives and Children’s Perspectives in Theory and Practice


Book Description

Recent decades have seen a growing emphasis, in a number of professional contexts, on acknowledging and acting on the views of children. This trend was given added weight by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified in 1990. Today, seeking the perspective of the child has become an essential process in all sorts of tasks, from framing new legislation to regulating professions. This book answers the fundamental question of what it is that constitutes a ‘child perspective’, and how this might differ from the perspectives of children themselves. The answers to such questions have important implications for building progressive and developmental adult-child relationships. However, theoretical and empirical treatments of child perspectives and children’s perspectives are very diverse and idiosyncratic, and the standard reference work has yet to be written. Thus, this work is an attempt to fill the gap in the literature by searching for and defining key formulations of potential child perspectives within parts of the so-called ‘new child paradigm’. This has been derived from childhood sociology, contextual-relational developmental psychology, interpretative humanistic psychology and developmental pedagogy. The highly experienced authors develop a comprehensive professional child perspective paradigm that integrates recent theory and empirical child research. With its clear presentation of underlying theories and suggested applications, this book illustrates a child-oriented understanding of specific relevance to both child-care and preschool educational practice.




Early Learning Theories Made Visible


Book Description

Classroom stories and photographs provide a dynamic way for early childhood professionals to understand child development theories




Child Development


Book Description

Understanding child development is essential to ensuring a full and rounded psychological grounding, but given the complex nature of the topic it can be a real challenge. Child Development: Concepts and Theories takes a step back to focus just on the key concepts of child development that all students must learn. With this book, their first encounters with theories and their applications will mean that they can move on with a firm foundation in child development. Central to this, is understanding how these theories or concepts are applied in the real world and how psychologists engage with them in research. This book gives clear and detailed examples to bring the subject to life. Each chapter features case studies that run throughout the chapter and develop as the students′ own understanding does. Written for undergraduates, the book will become essential to any student wanting a key to unlock the world of child development. Jean Mercer is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stockton University, New Jersey, and writes a blog, "Childmyths".