Working With Young Children

"Working with Young Children" is an introduction to the fast-growing field of early childhood education. This title provides current health, safety, and nutrition information plus additional coverage of technology, cultural diversity, family stressors, and child care careers.

"Introduces your students to the fast-growing field of early childhood education. Your students will develop skills for guiding children effectively while keeping them healthy and safe. Working with Young Children applies child development principles to child care settings"--Publisher.

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

This go-to guide for educators helping children who have experienced trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) provides accessible information paired with practical, adaptable strategies.

This user-friendly book presents research-based best practices for serving families of children with special needs from birth to age 6. Expert contributors demonstrate how early intervention and early childhood special education can effectively address a wide range of family concerns, which in turn optimizes children's development and learning. Tightly edited, the volume offers indispensable tools for assessing families; identifying and capitalizing on their strengths; providing information, support, and coaching; collaborating with parents and teachers to address children's functional needs in the context of everyday routines; and coordinating care. Over a dozen reproducible checklists and forms help professionals immediately implement the techniques and strategies described.

This book is essential reading for anyone studying and working in the new integrated children′s services. The Children′s Workforce Development Strategy sets out the basic skills and knowledge needed by people whose work brings them into regular contact with children, young people and their families. Built around this Common Core of Skills and Knowledge and packed with case studies and reflective exercises, this book helps students and practitioners understand the theory behind these issues and develop strategies for embedding them within their own practice.

Written from a unique interprofessional perspective, this book is an essential introduction to working with children, young people and families. It covers policy, practice and theory, exploring key themes and developments, including: - poverty and disadvantage - ethical practice - child development - education - child protection - children and young people's rights - doing research. The book introduces students to a range of theoretical perspectives, links the key themes to the existing and emerging policy and practice context and supports students in engaging with and evaluating the central debates. With case studies, reflective questions and sources of further reading, this is an ideal text for students taking courses in childhood studies, working with children, young people and families, interprofessional children's services, early years, youth work and social work.