Sandra Smidt’s insightful series focuses on the seminal work of early childhood writers who have heavily influenced thinking and practice in this field. The titles are guides for both practitioners and students in early years education and care and are written in everyday language to make complex ideas accessible. The authors helpfully draw on a range of illustrative and relevant case studies and maintain a global rather than a local or national perspective, with examples of thinking and practice from around the world.
By Nóirín Hayes, Leah O'Toole, Ann Marie Halpenny
November 23, 2022
The influence of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model of development has been extensive in different areas of developmental science and education, and it continues to inform contemporary research and practice in many fields, including early childhood education. This book presents a comprehensive ...
By Sandra Smidt
October 19, 2017
Colwyn Trevarthen’s seminal work has earned him a place alongside the most prestigious thinkers, writers and researchers into human development. He is universally acknowledged as the pre-eminent expert on foetal, neonatal and early childhood development. Sandra Smidt examines the impact of his ...
By Nóirín Hayes, Leah O'Toole, Ann Marie Halpenny
March 13, 2017
Children learn in contexts, and the spaces, places and people they come into contact with have a deep influence on their development. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of development places the child at the centre of this complex network, and his influence has been extensive in early ...
By Sandra Smidt
April 15, 2014
The famous Brazilian educator Paulo Freire has influenced educators, teachers and students in a broad tapestry of contexts and countries, as he challenged conventional thinking on how teachers ought to teach and learners ought to learn. By making his ideas accessible and relevant, this insightful ...
By Sandra Smidt
December 08, 2008
Sandra Smidt takes the reader on a journey through the key concepts of Lev Vygotsky, one of the twentieth century’s most influential theorists in the field of early education. His ground-breaking principles of early learning and teaching are unpicked here using every-day language, and critical...
By Ann Marie Halpenny, Jan Pettersen
August 19, 2013
Jean Piaget was one of the most significant contributors to our current understanding of how children think and learn, from birth through to adolescence. In this comprehensive and accessible new book, Ann Marie Halpenny and Jan Pettersen capture the key concepts and principles of Piaget’s ...
By Sandra Smidt
April 01, 2011
Sandra Smidt takes the reader on a journey through the key concepts of Jerome Bruner, a significant figure in the field of early education whose work has spanned almost a century. His wide-ranging and innovative principles of early learning and teaching are unpicked here using everyday language and...
By Sandra Smidt
October 31, 2012
Loris Malaguzzi is recognised as the founder of the extraordinary programmes of preschool education that developed after the war in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Deeply embedded in the cultures and communities they serve, these unique preschools have justifiably become famous throughout the world. In this ...
