Education and Development of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Education and Development of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers presents points of view, philosophies, and real-life program vignettes relating to teaching, caring for, working with, and parenting children from birth through preschool. Concepts, ideas, research, and applications assist readers in acquiring the knowledge and skills for working with young children. The intended audience includes child-care providers and students in early childhood education, nursing, social work, psychology, and home economics. Parents and prospective parents will discover implications for parenting as they learn about the developmental process. Throughout the text, current research supports new trends and classic studies clarify traditional practice. Research is used to heighten interest, illustrate concepts, clarify content, and provide a basis for decision making. Quotations from studies relate research to a particular topic. When care-givers act on the basis of evidence, they increase the chances that they will contribute positively to children's development and education. Child development and early childhood topics are part of everyone's life, whether or not he or she is a parent. Many contemporary magazines contain articles about the care and education of young children. These articles sometimes emphasize the bizarre and the sensational. The public is more aware than ever of child development issues. I show how contemporary issues, practices, and ideas relate to and, in many instances, grow out of current knowledge about young children. Another theme is the public attitude toward the very young. Public policies resulting from specific state and federal legislation affect how people rear and educate children. Laws relating to child abuse, compulsory school attendance, adoption, and education of the handicapped are just a few examples of public policy in action. These and other public policy programs are discussed in light of their effects on people and institutions and their resulting influence on practices relating to educating and developing young children. People need information and knowledge about young children in order to conduct quality programs, create good environments, and be effective care-givers -and service providers. The text does not advocate "one best way" of caring for or working with young children. Instead, different philosophies, models, and points of view are described to help readers understand the many opinions about what is "best." Real-life vignettes assist the reader in understanding how theories and ideas are translated into practice. Implications for Care-givers sections throughout the text provide reasonable and practical suggestions that enable those who work with the very young to conduct developmentally appropriate practices. Indeed, a hallmark of the text is the application of theory to everyday interactions with young children. Considerable attention is given to how people such as parents, teachers, siblings, and peers interact with developing children. The influences of environmental settings—home, school, peer group—are also emphasized. Special FeaturesReality-Based Discussions. The text is based on the realities of care-giving at all levels from birth through preschool. Specific techniques and activities are identified that care-givers can use with young children and their parents. The program vignettes in particular add a realistic focus to the text. Comprehensive and Extensive Coverage. This text integrates both development and curriculum. As a result, readers understand developmental concepts and theory as well as the applied curriculum and care-giving implications of theory. Comprehensive coverage of the major topics relating to the education and development of young children are included: involving parents, meeting young children's special needs, and guiding behavior. Current and Up-to-Date Information. The latest thinking of profe