1st Edition
Navigating the Spiritual Dimension of Childhood Theory, Pedagogy and Practice
1. Introduction
2. Young children and spirituality
3. The Reggio Emilia approach and pedagogy
4. Another way to understand young children
5. Discovering spirituality
6. Spirituality: A natural phenomenon in children’s lives
7. Revelations: What research is telling us about young children and spirituality
8. What can we do? Nurturing spirituality in young children while understanding our own
9. Weaving the tapestry of spirituality
10. Creating the spiritual tapestry
Biography
Helena Card is an educator with over 35 years of experience, as a classroom teacher and in significant leadership roles. For many years, she has been involved in facilitating educational workshops and professional development sessions for educators. Recently, Helena has been dedicated to research in early childhood education and completed a Master’s by Research thesis. At this point in her educational career, Helena has come to understand and believe that spirituality is an integral part of childhood; it is the way that children express themselves and learn.
“With this book, Helena Card offers an antidote to the messages of efficiency, standardisation and scripted programmes that are too evident in today’s educational landscape. It challenges the educator to critically reflect on the role of education and the kind of educator they want to be. Learning stories bring theory to life, helping the reader to recognise the child’s spirituality in the everyday and also imagine new possibilities. Guiding questions support the reader to reflect on their pedagogical practices and to connect to mission and purpose: to their own spirituality.”
Lisa Burman, Pedagogical Consultant, Author and Speaker
“A beautifully written intersecting tapestry of ideas between the Reggio Emilia Educational Project and the witnessing of spirituality as told through the eyes of children, adults, the environment, and the researcher. This book will become a treasured resource for those in both faith-based and secular educational settings. As an academic, I can also visualise its place in teacher education courses, particularly when investigating the role of spirituality in young children's emotional well being in these increasingly troubled times.”
Deborah Harcourt PhD, MEd, BEd, DipT, MACE, Asia Pacific Early Childhood Consultants
