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.
Chapter 1 Introduction: challenging ideas Tricia David and Sacha Powell
Section I: Philosophers and their philosophies of Early Childhood Education and Care
Chapter 2 Constructions of nature and the emerging ideas on children's education and care Yordanka Valkanova
Chapter 3 Friedrich Frobel Tina Bruce
Chapter 4 Maria Montessori Patricia Giardiello
Chapter 5 Rachel and Margaret McMillan: practice and politics Cathy Nutbrown and Peter Clough
Chapter 6 John Dewey Joop Berding
Section II: Theorists and their theories
Chapter 7 The long view: evolutionary theories of early childhood education and care Adam Boyette
Chapter 8 Psychoanalytic theory, emotion and early years practice Peter Elfer
Chapter 9 The legacy of John Bowlby's Attachment Theory Jools Page
Chapter 10 Exploring children's minds Tricia David
Chapter 11 Theories of language development Kathy Goouch
Chapter 12 Theories about young children's peer relationships Elly Singer
Chapter 13 Theories of morality in early childhood Hsing-Chung Lin
Chapter 14 From theories of play to playing with theory Sue Rogers
Chapter 15 Theory of mind Stephen Tyler
Chapter 16 Using post-colonial theory to critically re-frame the child development narrative Amita Gupta
Chapter 17 Postmodernist theorizing in ECEC: making the familiar strange in pursuit of social justice Jayne Osgood
Chapter 18 Dialogic space theory Andrew Lambirth
Section III: Influences of philosophies and theories on research, policy and practice
Chapter 19 Human rights and children's rights Diana Strauss and Sacha Powell
Chapter 20 Positivist scientific exploration - can universal truths and grand narratives be discovered in research about human beings? Sarah Christie
Chapter 21 The rise of neuroscientific discourse in Early Childhood Kathy Hall and Alicia Curtin
Chapter 22 The legacy of Vygotsky's cultural-historical methodology and its impact on early childhood research Marilyn Fleer
Chapter 23 Narrative Inquiry in Early Childhood Education: pursuing the promise Travis S. Wright and Elizabeth E.Blair
Chapter 24 Bronfenbrenner and the ecology of human development Nancy Darling
Chapter 25 Reflection on one's practice: research about theories espoused by practitioners - the grand and the personal. Andrea Nolan and Bridie Raban
Section IV: Inspirations: philosophies and theories in action.
Chapter 26 Pedagogy of care for wellbeing Mary McMullen, Cary Buzzelli and Na Ra Yun
Chapter 27 Inclusion: perspectives from South America Malva Villalón Bravo and María Jesus Viviani
Chapter 28 Towards a creativity-rich curriculum for the wellbeing of children three to seven years old Jonathan Barnes
Chapter 29 Philosophy with young children Christopher Gilmore
Chapter 30 The long history and continuing development of ECEC provision in Sweden and Norway Peder Haug
Chapter 31 Reggio Emilia Rosaleen Murphy,.Anna Ridgway, Maura Cuneen and Mary Horgan
Chapter 32 Te Whariki. A uniquely woven curriculum shaping policy, pedagogy and practice in Aoteoroa New Zealand Helen May and Margaret Carr
Epilogue Kathy Goouch and Sacha Powell
