Foundations And Best Practices In Early Childhood Education: History, Theories, And Approaches To Learning

More applied than other texts on models and approaches, "Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education: History, Theories, and Approaches to Learning" focuses on foundational aspects of early childhood education, including

• models of early childhood education, such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, High/Scope, and Waldorf, and techniques such as The Project Approach, each discussed in its own chapter
• the core professional practices outlined in NAEYC's "Developmentally Appropriate Practice "and" Code of Ethical Conduct "
• historical figures that influence practice today
• theories of learning, including constructivism and multiple intelligences theory, and how they apply to diverse young learners
• important current issues and practices, such as early intervention

This text provides a fresh look at the issues, firsthand accounts of practice, descriptive views into classrooms in "Classroom View" features, and classroom-based examples and suggested strategies that help teachers bridge theory and practice in "Putting It Into Practice" features. "Instructor resources: " Online Instructor's Manual, Online Test Bank, PowerPoint Slides, test management software, and WebCT and Blackboard cartridges

This text differs from other models or approaches texts in its vivid descriptions of programs and settings and practical instructional applications. Foundational chapters on Early Childhood Education history, learning theories, and NAEYC's Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Code of Ethics give students an introduction to the field, while chapters discussing The Project Approach, Multiple Intelligences, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf help students to understand distinctions and similarities among classroom learning approaches. Highly practical, realistic "Putting It Into Practice" features show students how to apply theory with young children in today's classrooms. This text includes themes of self-reflection and developing an identity as an early childhood teacher, using developmentally appropriate practices, and developing sections of a professional portfolio in each chapter. This is a core text for Introduction/Foundations in Early Childhood Education courses or Issues/Models of Early Childhood Education courses.