This title works to provide students with an introduction to different types of artistic expression within early childhood. Combining theory, research and practical strategies, the authors present how the arts can be beneficial in fostering inclusion through a range of settings.

Offering practical guidance on encouraging creativity in early childhood settings, this much-needed book highlights the importance of the arts and creativity for children's learning, critical thinking, social interaction and self-regulation. The book considers the impact of creativity on early brain development and discusses how to choose the right arts or creative approach for your children. Principles for creative curriculums, teaching, assessments and environments are provided and each chapter includes a 'practitioner toolkit' element, with reflective questions and practical strategies for implementing the learning from the chapter into daily practice.

Early Childhood Curriculum for All Learners: Integrating Play and Literacy Activities is designed to teach early childhood professionals about the latest research on play and early literacy and then to show them practical methods for adapting this research to everyday classroom practices that will encourage the development of learning skills. The authors link solid, play-based research to specific developmentally appropriate practices. By combining these two areas, the text demonstrates that academic learning and play activities are highly compatible, and that children can and do develop academic skills through play. In addition, the text focuses on socio-dramatic play, a recently acknowledged, essential aspect of child-initiated play interactions. It provides specific strategies that link these interactive behaviors with the early academic skills needed for the initial primary grades. Implementation of the information presented in this book will enable children to experience a richer transition into primary education classrooms.

This book considers the practical challenges likely to be faced when conducting research in the reality of busy educational contexts. It presents an understanding of the perceived efficacy and accessibility of creative research approaches from the perspective of participants as well as the researcher. The book addresses key concerns in research that seeks to understand children’s experiences in terms of creativity in thinking, methods and analysis, the school setting as a socially constructed environment, and power relations in experience and data production. Written in an accessible style that provides a representation of the evolution of arts-based research methods, it includes illustrative case studies, practical suggestions and guidance on further reading. This book will assist higher education researchers seeking to represent subjective experience and empower participants in the creative research process. This book will be vital reading for researchers completing projects within primary and secondary school settings, as well as those involved in teaching and studying at postgraduate level within MA Education programmes. It will also be of interest to students of research methods at undergraduate level.

Provides teachers and child carers with a wide collection of colour mixing and media application, printmaking and dyeing activities suitable for young children.

This book is a theoretical and practical guide to implementing an inquiry-based approach to teaching which centers creative responses to works of art in curriculum. Guided by Maxine Greene’s philosophy of Aesthetic Education, the authors discuss the social justice implications of marginalized students having access to the arts and opportunities to find their voices through creative expression. They aim to demystify the process of inquiry-based learning through the arts for teachers and teacher educators by offering examples of lessons taught in high school classrooms and graduate level teaching methods courses. Examples of student writing and art work show how creative interactions with the arts can help learners of all ages deepen their skills as readers, writers, and thinkers.

Introducing research to early childhood students.

Recently, a new understanding of creative thought and creative performance has surfaced. It has also attracted the attention of early childhood professional organizations and researchers. Professional organizations have included it in their publications and conferences. While current creativity researchers have initiated a far more sophisticated understanding of young children’s creative thinking, ways to assess creativity, strategies to promote creativity, and research methodologies. The purpose of this volume is to present a wide range of different theories and areas in the study of creativity to help researchers and theorists work toward the development of different perspectives on creativity with young children. It focuses on critical analyses and reviews of the literature on topics related to creativity research, development, theories, and practices. It will serve as a reference for early childhood education researchers, scholars, academics, general educators, teacher educators, teachers, graduate students, and scientists to stimulate further “dialogue” on ways to enhance creativity. The chapters are of high quality and provide scholarly analyses of research studies that capture the full range of approaches to the study of creativity --- behavioral, clinical, cognitive, cross-cultural, developmental, educational, genetic, organizational, psychoanalytic, psychometric, and social. Interdisciplinary research is also included, as is research within specific domains such as art and science, as well as on critical issues (e.g., aesthetics, genius, imagery, imagination, insight, intuition, metaphor, play, problem finding and solving). Thus, it offers critical analyses on reviews of research in a form that are useful to early childhood researchers, scholars, educators, and graduate students. It also places the current research in its historical context. The volume is also of interest to the general readers who are interested in the young children’s creativity. The chapters are authored by established scholars in the field of young children’s creativity.

Now in a fully updated third edition, The Early Childhood Curriculum demonstrates how to confidently teach using inquiry-based methods that address the whole child while also meeting and exceeding academic standards. Based on current research showing the powerful advantages of integrating the curriculum while providing inquiry opportunities, this text explores how to make such an approach work for all children, preschool through the primary grades. 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. Filled with real-life vignettes and activities, this third edition provides comprehensive information on the most recent trends in national curriculum standards and classroom technology, alongside a new section exploring the outdoors as a welcome learning environment. Offering a foundation in early childhood theory, philosophy, research, and development, 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.

Reflecting contemporary theory and research in early art education, this volume offers a comprehensive introduction to new ways of thinking about the place of art, play, and aesthetics in the lives and education of young children. Enlivened by narratives and illustrations, 16 authors offer perspectives on the lived experience of being a child and discovering the excitement of making meaning and form in the process of art, play, and aesthetic inquiry.