1st Edition

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

Edited By Tricia David, Kathy Goouch, Sacha Powell Copyright 2016

    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 Jesǘs 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 Whāriki. A uniquely woven curriculum shaping policy, pedagogy and practice in Aoteoroa New Zealand Helen May and Margaret Carr

    Epilogue  Kathy Goouch and Sacha Powell

    Biography

    Tricia David is Emeritus Professor of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.

    Kathy Goouch is a Professor in Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.

    Sacha Powell is Director of the Research Centre for Children, Families and Communities and Professor of Early Childhood Care and Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.