Teaching Early Years

Theory and Practice

This new book on ‘Teaching Early Years’ provides a fresh take on the effective translation of an Early Years curriculum into practice. It advocates an early years pedagogy, which is experiential in nature and playful in approach, but also explicitly emphasises the role of the early years practitioner in the learning process. A key strength of the book therefore is its ability to bridge the gap between the early years of education and the early years of primary schooling, catering for children aged 0-7 years. The book is particularly innovative in its strong interplay between cutting –edge theory and practice-based evidence, reinforced by the unique mix of shared authorship where each chapter reflects a blend of academic and practitioner perspectives, focusing on a broad range of curricular areas of learning. Each chapter is illustrated throughout with case studies of children aged 0-7 from a range of settings, lesson plans, short summaries of chapters, questions for practitioners and further reading, all of which successfully promote engagement on the part of the reader as well as fostering a culture of reflective teaching in practice.

Teaching Early Years will be an invaluable resource for any student studying early childhood studies or training to teach at early years or primary levels. This book is also ideal for early years and primary practitioners. Although focused principally on a Welsh and English context, this book has much to offer Early Years students and practitioners across the globe.

Throughout this book, practitioners have worked alongside academics to provide the reader with a fresh perspective on the Early Years curriculum, particularly play and playfulness, setting theory into meaningful contexts for practitioners. The text celebrates the uniqueness of the Early Years and helps readers to reflect on their own personal pedagogies around play and develop clear professional identities about what it means to teach young children.

The book is an engaging and accessible read, which would be particularly useful for students of Early Childhood Education and for students training to be Early Years teachers. The practical examples also make this essential reading for current practitioners in early years and the early primary phase.

T??????eaching Early Years: Theory and Practice takes key aspects of theory and effectively explains and exemplifies them through the lens of the practitioner. The case studies in each chapter enable trainees to discuss and reflect on their theoretical knowledge in real life contexts and supports their professional development. The book brings together the different UK early years curricula so that trainees also gain an understanding of the varying approaches and age ranges that they cover. Thomas and McInnes have produced a most useful and practical text that will enable early years teachers to support the holistic development of young children in their care.

The strength of this very accessible book is the breadth of the practice and academic backgrounds of the contributors as well as the range of relevant areas covered.  It is particularly helpful to have a specific focus on well-being in the early years and the vital importance of understanding child development, alongside maths, science and English.

This textbook focuses on the main areas of teaching young children. Its coverage of the 3-7 years age range means it bridges the gap between Reception classes and KS1, enabling pupils to have a smooth and coherent transition that uses the best of both worlds. The majority of chapters are written by both an academic and practitioner and this approach gives a practical knowledge-based approach that is very authoritative, enabling the reader to set theoretical discussion in the context of real practice… Packed full of learning features such as case studies, reflective questions and lesson plans, Teaching Early Years is an essential resource for both students and practitioners, and will enhance your knowledge of how young children think and learn. It offers plenty of food for thought and the varied range of case studies mean that everyone will find relevant material. An all-round approach to the teaching of young children that will be valuable for both students and experienced practitioners.