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Introduction to Early Childhood Education
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Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Eighth Edition


January 2019 | 496 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Introduction to Early Childhood Education provides current and future educators with a highly readable, comprehensive overview of the field. The underlying philosophy of the book is that early childhood educators’ most important task is to provide a program that is sensitive to and supports the development of young children. Author Eva L. Essa and new co-author Melissa Burnham provide valuable insight by strategically dividing the book into six sections that answer the “What, Who, Why, Where, and How” of early childhood education. Utilizing both NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practice) standards, this supportive text provides students with the skills, theories, and best practices needed to succeed and thrive as early childhood educators.

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Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
PART I. THE WHAT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
 
Chapter 1. The Scope of and Need for Early Childhood Education
Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Early Childhood Standards

 
The Growth of Early Childhood Education

 
What Is Included in Early Childhood Education?

 
Defining Quality in Early Childhood Programs

 
The Future of Early Childhood Education

 
Summary

 
 
PART II. THE WHO OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
 
Chapter 2. The Children
Age-Related Commonalities Among Children

 
Factors That Influence Child Development

 
Children With Different Abilities

 
Working With Families of Young Children

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 3. The Families
A Theoretical Perspective

 
The Changing American Family

 
The Needs of Families

 
Communicating With Families

 
Family Engagement

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 4. The Teachers and Caregivers
The Early Childhood Teacher and Caregiver

 
Staffing in Early Childhood Programs

 
Training and Regulation in Early Childhood Education

 
Professionalism

 
Some Current Issues and Dilemmas

 
Family Support for the Early Childhood Profession

 
Summary

 
 
PART III. THE WHY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
 
Chapter 5. Rationale Supporting Early Childhood Education
A Look Back—Children Through Time

 
Influential People in the History of Early Childhood Education

 
Influential Theorists’ Views of Child Development

 
Application of Theories in Early Childhood Education

 
Research Support for Early Childhood Education

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 6. Accountability, Standards, and Assessment
Accountability: Program Standards and Assessment

 
Learning Standards for Young Children

 
Child Assessment: Informal Methods

 
Child Assessment: Formal Methods

 
Assessment Systems

 
Family Collaboration in Screening and Assessment

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 7. Helping Children Cope With Stress
Defining Stress and Coping

 
Sources of Stress in Children’s Lives

 
Resilient Children

 
Techniques to Help Children Cope With Stress

 
Helping Families Cope With Stress

 
Summary

 
 
PART IV. THE WHERE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
 
Chapter 8. The Physical Environment
Effects of the Physical Environment

 
Arranging the Indoor Environment

 
Arranging the Outdoor Environment

 
Adapting Environments for Different Ages and Abilities

 
Developmentally Appropriate Equipment

 
Developmentally Appropriate Materials

 
Technology and Interactive Media

 
Summary

 
 
PART V. THE HOW OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION—CURRICULUM
 
Chapter 9. Scheduling and Curriculum Planning
Components of the Early Childhood Schedule

 
Guidelines for Program Scheduling

 
Types of Schedules

 
What Is Curriculum?

 
Theme-Based Curriculum

 
Emergent Curriculum

 
Family Involvement in the Curriculum

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 10. Creative Development Through the Curriculum
What Is Creativity?

 
An Environment That Encourages Creativity

 
Art Theories and Philosophies

 
Art Activities

 
Music Activities

 
Supporting Creativity in Children of Different Ages and Abilities

 
Factors That Decrease Creativity

 
Family Values for Creativity

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 11. Physical Development Through the Curriculum
A Developmental Framework for Motor Development

 
Components of Motor Development

 
Gross Motor Activities

 
Fine Motor Activities—Manipulatives

 
Caring for the Body

 
Supporting Physical Development in Children of Different Ages and Abilities

 
Family Values Related to Physical Development and Care

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 12. Cognitive Development Through the Curriculum
Theoretical Foundations of Cognitive Development

 
Tools of the Mind

 
Cognitive Tasks

 
STEM

 
Supporting STEM Learning in Children of Different Ages and Abilities

 
Family Values for Cognitive Development

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 13. Language Development Through the Curriculum
Theoretical Views of Language Development

 
Components of Language

 
English Language Learners

 
Language and the Early Childhood Curriculum

 
Supporting Language and Literacy Development in Children of Different Ages and Abilities

 
Family Values for Language and Literacy Development

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 14. Social–Emotional Development Through the Curriculum
Theoretical Views of the Socialization Process

 
Emotional Intelligence

 
Development of Social Competence

 
Promoting Anti-Bias Attitudes

 
Activities That Promote Social Development

 
Supporting Social Development in Children of Different Ages and Abilities

 
Reflecting the Family’s Culture and Values

 
Summary

 
 
PART VI. THE HOW OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION—GUIDANCE
 
Chapter 15. Guiding Routines and Group Activities
Guiding Routines for Individual Children

 
Guiding Routines for Groups of Children

 
Factors That Affect Group Behavior

 
Out-of-the-Ordinary or Unexpected Situations

 
Coordinating With Families About Routines

 
Summary

 
 
Chapter 16. Guiding Social Behaviors
What Behaviors Do Educators Expect of Young Children?

 
Philosophies of Guidance

 
Some Techniques of Guidance

 
What Is the Difference Between Normal and Problem Behavior?

 
Factors That Affect Children’s Behavior

 
Dealing With Specific Behavior Challenges

 
Working With Families to Solve Behavior Challenges

 
Summary

 
 
Pulling It All Together: An Early Childhood Classroom Observation
 
Appendix: Standards Correlation Matrix
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

Supplements

Student Study Site

edge.sagepub.com/essa8e

SAGE edge for students enhances learning, it’s easy to use, and offers:

  • an open-access site that makes it easy for students to maximize their study time, anywhere, anytime;
  • eFlashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts;
  • eQuizzes that allow students to practice and assess how much they’ve learned and where they need to focus their attention;
  • exclusive access to influential SAGE journal articles that tie important research and scholarship to chapter concepts to strengthen learning; and
  • video and multimedia links that facilitate student use of Internet resources, further exploration of topics, and responses to critical thinking questions.

“Great book for helping students identify developmentally appropriate standards and practices.”

Lisa White
Athens Technical College

“A foundational text for early childhood education topics that is cognizant of and responsive to the current practices and concerns that recent brain-based research encourages EC practitioners to be aware of and proficient in for the success of the whole child. The text's features makes it more approachable than most texts, while simultaneously providing a myriad of prompts for further discussion and/or reflection.”

Dr. Lauren E. Burrow
Stephen F. Austin State University

“Essa and Burnham’s text is clear and concise, and presents information in an easy-to-understand format for my students. The textbook includes NAEYC standards and stresses Developmentally Appropriate Practices and play.”

Dr. Lois Silvernail
Spring Hill College

“This book provides the historical contexts, rationale, and a great overview of the early childhood profession.”

Wendy P. Jung
Tulane University
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION: 
  • New co-author Melissa Burnham contributes in-depth knowledge of child development, extensive understanding of brain architecture, application of the latest brain research to practice, and a deep comprehension of progressive models of education.
  • This edition reflects the latest research, statistics, policy, and changes in the field of early childhood education, providing the latest information as students enter the field.
  • All chapters now begin with specific learning objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, helping to better organize the chapters and tie the objectives to the main sub-sections as well as to the NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation Programs.
  • All chapters list the specific NAEYC standard(s) met in the section and include in-depth links leading to NAEYC Standards for further study.
  • The renamed feature, Brain Science, focuses on recent brain development research, tying an aspect of child development to the study of the brain and discussing how and why this research is relevant to early childhood education practitioners.
  • Video cases, included in the Interactive eBook, offer students the opportunity to observe real-life educators and classrooms to provide teachers-in-training a sense of what to expect in their future classrooms.
  • Thorough coverage of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) discusses the role of digital tools as an avenue for engaging creative activities, while also acknowledging ways in which electronic media can possibly impede creativity.
  • An expanded discussion surrounding ever-changing technology is included throughout.


KEY FEATURES: 

  • Learning Objectives at the beginning of each chapter prepare readers for encountering the material covered in each chapter and provide clear direction for navigating the content.
  • Learning Objectives are paired with NAEYC Standards—a summary of the standards discussed in each chapter are provided, preparing readers for which standards will be covered and where they are discussed in more depth.
  • Each chapter opens with a quotation from the book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) to underscore the importance of this topic in the field of early childhood education.
  • The Take a Closer Look feature offers in-depth information about a topic of importance to the field of early childhood education.
  • Stories from the Field are found in each chapter and feature a story from an early childhood practitioner, providing firsthand narratives and insight into what makes working with young children meaningful to professionals.
  • Working with Families sections focus on one of the important tasks of early childhood teachers—communicating, coordinating, and working with families—demonstrating how parents and other family members are integral to early childhood programs.
  • Key Questions are posed at the end of each chapter to help readers reflect on the information and further explore its relevance, with some questions suggesting activities to reinforce understanding of the topic.
  • End-of-chapter study tools include chapter summaries and additional resources, including books, articles, and websites that contain information relevant to early childhood education in relation to the topic of the chapter.

For instructors

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