Beginnings & Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education

End-of-chapter "Observe and Apply" activities provide field observation suggestions and opportunities to put concepts into real-world practice.

Emphasizing the professional standards of the field, chapters open with lists of key NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation and include sections of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Content that are related to upcoming content.

A "Brain-Research Says" feature in every chapter highlights the connection between neuroscience and development and includes reflection questions that are ideal for student assignments.

The "DAP in Action: Teaching with Intention" features underscore the important theme of intentional teaching. Accompanying reflection questions can be used for homework or to spark lively in-class discussion.

Pedagogy includes numbered, chapter-opening "Learning Objectives" tied to the chapter's main heads, helping students focus on the most important topics.

The specially designed section of Word Pictures is now the Developmental Continuum (Chapter 4, "Defining the Young Child"). This unique and popular feature provides a handy reference guide to common behaviors in six developmental areas for children of different age levels, helping classroom teachers know what to expect and when to expect it and thus empowering them to appropriately prescribe programs, plan activities and create curricula.

Based on NAEYC's foundational "Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education” document, diversity and inclusion updates and discussions are woven throughout the book. An "Equity in ECE" feature in each chapter enables readers to recognize issues of gender, race/ethnicity, ability, language and family patterns in every aspect of teaching.

The four curriculum chapters are developmentally based to show readers how activities can be constructed on children's physical, cognitive, language and socio-cultural developmental levels rather than simply on subjects or themes, thereby helping educators understand how to create developmentally appropriate and equity-advancing curricula. All major areas and curricula are covered, making the text an excellent resource in a multitude of courses, such as Foundations in Education, Principles & Practices in ECE and Introduction to Curriculum.

Timely and practical, the 11th edition combines the latest research, best practices and a basic thesis that reflects NAEYC's strong emphasis on high-quality early learning, the ethics of cultural contexts, equity and the three core considerations (commonality, individuality and context) for fostering optimal development.

Thoroughly updated throughout, the book's current topic coverage includes revised or expanded discussions of inclusion, poverty, children with special needs, LGBTQ families, dual- and multiple-language learning (DLL/MLL), core standards, play responsive teaching and learning, behavior that is challenging, team teaching, diversity/inclusion/equity, emergent curricula, brain-based learning, technology and digital media, sociocultural and spiritual development, professionalism, curriculum for children from infant-toddler through school-age, and other key issues.