Oscar A. Barbarin – författare

There is a gap between the hope for improved social conditions in post-apartheid South Africa and the grim reality of black life there is especially striking for South African children who face serious threats to their health and development as a consequence of poverty, racism, violence, and residual social inequality. Mandela''s Children presents the contrasting conditions of hope and peril that characterize life in South African families, schools, and communities. Using empirical data and qualitative case studies, the authors analyze and discuss research on children''s behavioral, emotional, and academic development and how they are influenced by community violence, household poverty and family functioning. This discussion is balanced by one that considers the competence, health and resilience of South African children.

There is a gap between the hope for improved social conditions in post-apartheid South Africa and the grim reality of black life there is especially striking for South African children who face serious threats to their health and development as a consequence of poverty, racism, violence, and residual social inequality. Mandela''s Children presents the contrasting conditions of hope and peril that characterize life in South African families, schools, and communities. Using empirical data and qualitative case studies, the authors analyze and discuss research on children''s behavioral, emotional, and academic development and how they are influenced by community violence, household poverty and family functioning. This discussion is balanced by one that considers the competence, health and resilience of South African children.

How and what should young children be taught? What emphasis should be given to emotional learning? How do we involve families? Addressing these and other critical questions, this authoritative volume brings together developmentalists and early educators to discuss what an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum might look like across the preschool and early elementary years. State-of-the-science work is presented on brain development and the emergence of cognitive, socioemotional, language, and literacy skills in 3- to 8-year-olds. Drawing on experience in real-world classrooms, contributors describe novel, practical approaches to promoting school readiness, tailoring instruction to children’s learning needs, and improving the teaching of language arts, math, and science.