Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Great book

Thin pages will rip easy

This introductory text was created for future educators, administrators, and caregivers.If you are a professor seeking a new text for your introductory class (which is frequently the position in which I find myself), I think you will find that this text has many advantages and is well worth examining.In addition to a new co-author, this current addition includes the most current research. It also includes a new focus on S.T.E.M. as well as S.T.E.A.M.The chapters are short and succinct. The space on the page is well broken up with "Learning Objective" boxes, colorful/vibrant photographs, "Stories from The Field" boxes, and bullet-pointed lists. Likewise, information is provide in very brief "bites," introduced with a colorful bold font. All of this reduces reader-fatigue. Since this is a basic undergraduate text, this can help the first-year learner to remain focused and interested.There are summaries provided at the conclusion of each chapter. This is perfect for quizzes, exams, and finals. Likewise, there are key questions and additional resources provided at the end of each chapter.Given the introductory nature of this text, it avoids professional jargon and advanced theory. All new vocabulary is placed in a blue, bolded font so that students can easily see these and investigate further. In general, this text remains within the realm of first or second-year undergraduate studies. Moreover, it is entirely appropriate for community college.This is a strong choice for many professors whose students struggle to remain interested and on-task. Highly recommended.

While I am not professionally involved in education, it is an area of significant interest for me. This text has been a very detailed, but still approachable, overview of early childhood education.It’s a textbook and organized as such, but it remains highly readable even when not used as a text. It’s well organized and has ample pull-outs and exhibits that greatly aid in communicating key points, or provide a more in-depth investigation of specific concepts.The chapters are organized into five main themes: the What, the Who, the Why, the Where and the How of early childhood education. It’s an excellent organizational method that also increases the ability to use it as a review reference.My only quibble is the font size. I’ve grown accustomed to Kindle reading where I can zoom up the font. My old eyes are not compatible with smaller printed fonts.A very useful, approachable reference for early childhood education.

This has always been to go-to text in the field and the eighth edition is the best one yet. The authors provide their usual valuable insights utilizing both NAEYC and DAP standards. Theory is wonderfully elucidated as well as best practices. This text elucidates the who, why, where, what and how of early childhood education. Why are you still reading this review when the purchase button is somewhere up above?

I found this book to be very easy to understand, and very attractively laid out. I personally never found this book to be dry or overwhelming. The authors do a great job of keeping it intersting. It uses full color inset photos, graphic charts, anecdotes and field notes to break the information up to keep it interesting too.The book really does a good job of covering child development and psychology, and linking that to educational methods.Included is a link for an online resource page with flashcards, quizzes, and video content to complement the text. The book has a very nice index, bibliography and glossary.

Having worked as a library liasion to the Early Childhood Education department, I'm familiar with many of the concepts here. This is a standard introductory textbook that provides an overview of what Early Childhood Education involves, an outlining of key concepts and philosophies, a guide for curriculum development, some insights on child behavior according to age and what neuroscience has shown us; and some discussions on the impact of environment on young minds (indoor and outdoor) as well as the impact of family stresses. There are also discussions on developing learning objectives, the importance of assessment and screening tools. Common dilemmas and issues such as ethics, problems posed by teacher shortages, and other issues are covered.The book is broken down into six parts according to "who" "what" "how" and "why." Within these parts there are subheadings dealing with family, environment, philosophical and theoretical approaches to Early Childhood Education, and Curriculum Development. It also includes a glossary and Appendix.Overall this is a rich and comprehensive introduction to the world of Early Childhood Education. The only areas where I felt information was lacking lay in the areas of Autism and developmental disabilities in children. Otherwise this is a good solid introduction to the topic.