The Child in Focus: Learning and Teaching in Early Childhood Education

Part of the series Oxford University Press - Teacher Education.

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Addressing the latest changes in the curriculum, The Child in Focus incorporates the full range of the early years from birth to age 8 while linking to specific subject areas. It provides an all-round introduction for students beginning an early childhood education program.

Part 1 is an introduction to childhood and the concepts which form early childhood education. Part 2 covers discrete subject areas along with curriculum and pedagogy. Part 3 focuses on professional practice and teaching skills, providing students with the grounding knowledge to continue in their degree.

The Child in Focus recognises the important role early childhood educators and teachers play in society and focuses on providing the foundational skills and knowledge for students to succeed in these roles. It is filled with contemporary content and has a strong emphasis on the development of critical reflection and adaptability to respond to increasingly complex social and family issues.

Key Features: 

• Addresses the national Graduate Teacher standards described by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), the Australian Curriculum, and the National Quality Standard (NQS) of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
• Each chapter begins with an introductory vignette to illustrate theory and engage students’ interest. These include interesting, historical facts relating to the concepts/topics covered by the chapter
• Individual chapters link to specific subjects in early education programs – these chapters are clearly tabbed for easy reference
• ‘Stop and reflect’ sections encourage students to reflect on their own experiences and education, while ‘Stop and think’ sections consolidate learning by asking students to answer questions based on the text
• Case studies showcase real-life education experiences
• Each end of chapter includes a summary, further reflection questions, a class activity and discussion questions.