Ebook: Learning to Teach Young Children: Theoretical Perspectives and Implications for Practice

Learning to Teach Young Children presents theoretical perspectives as propositions to be discussed and debated rather than as foundational principles for educational practice. Readers are invited to critically engage with the propositions and, in so doing, to envision the complex ways in which many of the core beliefs in early childhood education theory and practice have come to be seen as truths. The book is organized around ten propositions that are explored in relation to thirty key questions, for example:
- What does it mean to honour children’s right to be different?
- What does it mean to learn?
- How can images of childhood be used as frames for practice?
These questions help support and organize the arguments, which are presented from diverse theoretical perspectives. Each of the ten chapters reflects the historical development of the main ideas and offers a contemporary critique of pertinent theoretical perspectives. A selection of key concepts defined by the theories are discussed by characters depicted in original illustrations in comic-book style. The readers’ dialogue with propositions also occurs by engaging with a comprehensive companion guide and website. Consequently, the book offers multiple modes to encourage the reader to ask ‘why to’ questions rather than looking for one correct answer. Learning to Teach Young Children is thus positioned, not as a compendium of existing expert knowledge, but as an invitation to use the knowledge to generate new meanings by critically examining the content and engaging with the various educational philosophies and theoretical perspectives.