Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education
A Guide for Students and Practitioners
- David Whitebread - University of Cambridge
The importance of high quality early childhood education is now universally recognized, and this quality crucially depends upon the practitioners who work with our young children, and their deep understanding of how children develop and learn. This book makes a vital contribution to this understanding, providing authoritative reviews of key areas of research in developmental psychology, and demonstrating how these can inform practice in early years educational settings.
The book's major theme is the fundamental importance of young children developing as independent, self-regulating learners. It illustrates how good practice is based on four key principles which support and encourage this central aspect of development:
- Secure attachment and emotional warmth
- Feelings of control and agency
- Cognitive challenge, adults supporting learning and learning from one another
- Articulation about learning, and opportunities for self-expression
Each chapter includes:
- Typical and significant questions which arise in practice related to that area of development
- An up-to-date review of key research, including insights from observational and experimental work with young children, from evolutionary psychology, and from neuroscientific studies of the developing brain
- Practical exercises intended to deepen understanding and to inform practice
- Questions for discussion
- Recommended further reading
This book provides an invaluable resource for early years students and practitioners, by summarizing new research findings and demonstrating how they can be translated into excellent early years practice.
With so many Psychology books being the size of loaf of bread it is nice to hold one which doesn't make my arm want to drop off. While this is a think book don't be fooled as it covered exactly what is needed for child development. If your looking to understand it in terms of PIES then you are in luck with this book.
This text is short and succinct so provides an excellent supplementary text to other books on children's learning and development. It is well compiled and an accessible read that can be used as a reference to understand developmental theory.
Excellent introduction
Good for first year students with or without previous knowledge. Content structured and logically scaffolded.
The parts about self-regulation in young children are very useful for my course on self-regulated learning. The text is interesting for students in educational science and I did not find such a good summary on self-regulation in that age anywhere else.
Ideal for the students, an easy to read manual about development in the first years.
This book goes through all the different types of development and would make an appropriate read for first year undergraduate students. There is a nice mix of visuals and images which is especially helpful when exploring the differing theorist experiments. Case studies and activities allow individuals to apply their theoretical knowledge base to practical situations.
Valuable resource for students studying the CACHE L3 and submitting the Research task. Includes new research findings and how they relate to practice.
An excellent introduction to early childhood development and suitable for early years students and practitioners.
This book is easy to read and understand for my differentiated learners.
