Early childhood education has always provoked passionate feelings amongststakeholders at all levels from practitioners working with children andfamilies in pres... » 

Early childhood education has always provoked passionate feelings amongststakeholders at all levels from practitioners working with children andfamilies in preschool and school settings to advisers managers politiciansand academicsThe purpose of this reader is to examine change transformation andcontinuity and to present indicative scholarship in relation to five keythemestheoretical perspectives on learningcurriculum and pedagogyplaypolicyprofessionalism and research methodsWithin each theme the readings have been chosen to exemplify national andinternational perspectives and trends. This is not to present a homogenisedview of early childhood provision and services across cultural contexts ratherthe intention is to take a critical perspective on past present and futuredirections and to identify some of the challenges dilemmas and contradictionsposed in research and scholarship. «