Young Children Becoming Curriculum

This book contests a tradition and convention in educational thinking that dichotomises children and curriculum, by developing the notion of re(con)ceiving children in curriculum. By presenting an innovative research project, in which she worked with children to share their understandings of the internationally renowned Te Whāriki curriculum, Marg Sellers explores what the curriculum means to children and how it works, as demonstrated in games they played. In generating different ways for thinking, the author draws upon her work with the philosophical imaginaries of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, whose ideas shape both the content and the non-linear structure of this book. Topics covered include: Rhizomes, rhizo-methodology and rhizoanalysis; Plateaus; De~territorialising lines of flight; Dynamic spaces; The notion of empowerment. This assemblage of Deleuzo-Guattarian imaginaries generates ways for thinking differently about children’s complex interrelationships with curriculum, and opens possibilities for re(con)ceiving – both reconceiving and receiving – children’s understandings within adult conceptions of how curriculum works for young children. This book will be of interest to early childhood students, scholars and practitioners alike, also appealing to those interested in philosophical, theoretical and practical understandings of curriculum in general.

All children are born with emotional talent. If left untended, those talents can wane during the first five years of life. The text focuses on children's readiness for learning. It addresses the natural joy explicit in children's early conversations and engagement with music and their development through play with both adults and other children.

Anti-bias education begins with you! Become a skilled anti-bias teacher with this practical guidance to confronting and eliminating barriers.

This book contests a tradition and convention in educational thinking that dichotomises children and curriculum, by developing the notion of re(con)ceiving children in curriculum. By presenting an innovative research project, in which she worked with children to share their understandings of the internationally renowned Te Whāriki curriculum, Marg Sellers explores what the curriculum means to children and how it works, as demonstrated in games they played. In generating different ways for thinking, the author draws upon her work with the philosophical imaginaries of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, whose ideas shape both the content and the non-linear structure of this book. Topics covered include: Rhizomes, rhizo-methodology and rhizoanalysis; Plateaus; De~territorialising lines of flight; Dynamic spaces; The notion of empowerment. This assemblage of Deleuzo-Guattarian imaginaries generates ways for thinking differently about children’s complex interrelationships with curriculum, and opens possibilities for re(con)ceiving – both reconceiving and receiving – children’s understandings within adult conceptions of how curriculum works for young children. This book will be of interest to early childhood students, scholars and practitioners alike, also appealing to those interested in philosophical, theoretical and practical understandings of curriculum in general.

Many curriculum books treat teaching as something teachers do to or for children. Deb Curtis and Margie Carter, best-selling authors in the early learning field, believe teaching is a collaborative process in which teachers reexamine their own philosophies and practices while facilitating children’s learning. Each chapter in this curriculum framework includes a conceptual overview followed by classroom stories and photographs to illustrate the concepts. The book helps teachers create materials and a classroom culture reflective of their values: Teach through observation, reflection, inquiry, and action, and encourage children to represent their learning in multiple ways, including songs, stories, and drama.

Based on research that demonstrates the powerful advantages of integrating the curriculum while providing inquiry opportunities, The Early Childhood Curriculum shows how to make such an approach work for all children, preschool through the primary grades. The text demonstrates how to confidently teach using inquiry-based methods that address the whole child, while also meeting and exceeding academic standards. Offering a foundation in early childhood theory, philosophy, research, and development, the 2nd edition of this unique textbook helps future teachers, as well as current educators, understand the "why" of curriculum in early childhood and invests them with the skills they need to move from simply following a script to knowledgeably creating curricula on their own. Since each curricular subject has its own integrity, there is a chapter for each discipline, grounding the reader in the essentials of the subject in order to foster knowledgeable and effective integration. The 2nd edition of The Early Childhood Curriculum includes information on the most recent trends in national curriculum standards, particularly in regard to the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Next Generation Science Standards. Coupled with this information are practical suggestions for meeting standards while still providing young learners with a truly child-centered educational experience. Chapters contain real-life vignettes that demonstrate inquiry and integration in practice. The entire text reflects the philosophy that the use of inquiry to seek and obtain information is one of the most valuable and powerful tools children can acquire along the way to becoming lifelong learners.

Play provides young children with the opportunity to express their ideas, symbolize, and test their knowledge of the world. This book offers the theoretical framework for understanding the origins of an early childhood play-based curriculum and how young children learn and understand concepts in a social and physical environment.

This is a comprehensive, observation oriented introduction to the field of preschool, kindergarten and primary grade teaching. It is organized around four characteristics essential to effective teaching of young children; professional commitment, sensitivity to development, organizational and managerial skills and curriculum resourcefulness.