Felicity McArdle – författare

This book questions some of the ideas about play that are held dear by many in early childhood education. For many early childhood professionals play is viewed as the essential aspect of children¿s development and learning and play is often promoted as a universal and almost magical `fix¿ in the early years. Although play does have many benefits for children, there are other sides to play that are not so romantic, natural, or even particularly educational. 'The Trouble with Play' challenges such taken-for-granted understandings of play in early childhood education and shows how play is not always innocent or fun, that it can be unfair and unjust in the interactions children have with each other and with staff in early childhood settings.

In addition to encouraging early years professionals to have new ways of seeing and thinking about play, the book also explores new approaches to pedagogy and the role for the teacher, including the use of 'play' as a powerful strategy for teaching and learning, as well as practical and productive strategies for bringing a critical perspective to issues around play.

Making the transition from pre-service teacher to professional can be challenging. From field experience placements, or 'pracs', to the early years in the classroom, this text provides a comprehensive and practical guide to help every early childhood student develop their professional expertise and confidence.The authors prompt students to bring together theories learned at university with ways of working with real children in real settings, framed by the principles of recognising equity and diversity. There is clear guidance on how to be successful 'on prac', including understanding the many roles pre-service teachers will be expected to take on, and the important relationships they need to build. Lesson planning, understanding curriculum documents and fail-safe strategies for teaching in a wide range of situations and with children from wide-ranging backgrounds are all covered in depth. Suggestions for tutorial activities and further reading accompany each chapter, prompting students to engage in critical reflection and self-evaluation, while the 'On track on prac' feature will help pre-service teachers monitor and review their progress. Readers are also provided with insights from 'real world' pre-service students and professional teachers who have mentored many different students on prac.This is an essential text for all students undertaking practicums and preparing for the first years of their professional careers.

Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts is an innovative text that describes practices and research that cross all five strands of the arts—visual, drama, music, dance, and media—and illuminates ways of understanding children and their arts practices that go beyond the common traditions. The book:- Offers practical and rich illustrations of teachers’ and children’s work based on international research that integrates theory with practice;- Brings a critical lens to arts education;- Includes summaries, reflective questions, and recommended further readings with every chapter. Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts provides a more nuanced understanding of the arts through an exploration of specific instances in which committed teachers and researchers are discovering what contemporary multimodal tools offer to young children. Chapters contain examples of ‘doing’ the arts in the early years, new ways of teaching, and how to use emerging technologies to develop multiliteracies, equity, agency, social and cultural capital, and enhance the learning and engagement of marginalized children.

Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts is an innovative text that describes practices and research that cross all five strands of the arts—visual, drama, music, dance, and media—and illuminates ways of understanding children and their arts practices that go beyond the common traditions. The book:- Offers practical and rich illustrations of teachers’ and children’s work based on international research that integrates theory with practice;- Brings a critical lens to arts education;- Includes summaries, reflective questions, and recommended further readings with every chapter. Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts provides a more nuanced understanding of the arts through an exploration of specific instances in which committed teachers and researchers are discovering what contemporary multimodal tools offer to young children. Chapters contain examples of ‘doing’ the arts in the early years, new ways of teaching, and how to use emerging technologies to develop multiliteracies, equity, agency, social and cultural capital, and enhance the learning and engagement of marginalized children.