Learning Stories
Constructing Learner Identities in Early Education
- Margaret Carr - Waikato University, New Zealand
- Wendy Lee - Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand
Chapters explore how Learning Stories:
" help make connections with families;
" support the inclusion of children and family voices;
" tell us stories about babies;
" allow children to dictate their own stories;
" can be used to revisit children's learning journeys;
" can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom.
This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories, and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed, and shows through research evidence why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions.
Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.
'Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee weave together a powerful book full of respect for children's ideas, interests and identities as learners. Using theoretically informed and practically focused discussion and examples, they provide extensive evidence of the role of narrative assessment as teachers, children and families co-construct stories of competence'
- Sue Dockett, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Murray School of Education, Charles Sturt University
'What a fabulous read! Any practitioner already engaged in collating learning stories or learning journeys as a means of recording children's achievements and progress should absorb this life-enriching read of a beautiful book'
-Early Years Educator
'Illustrated in colour, this is a fascinating and timely book which will make rewarding reading for both experienced practitioners and for students on degree and higher degree level courses. There is much here to think about, reflect upon and discuss as we endevour to equip young children with the skills and dispositions they need to live in a global democratic society'
- Early Years Update
integral to the teaching of our module about how children learn
Excellent book that utilized really cases and stories so that students can follow and understand the authors points. Highly recommended
Excellent book that utilized really cases and stories so that students can follow and understand the authors points. Highly recommended.
This edition is very different from the first so I would recommend that students (in particular) read the first. The concept of learning stories should be conisdered in settings in the UK.
An excellent book that adds to the first of margaret carr's books. It provides many more real examples of learning stories with discussion around principles, and this brings learning stories to life. One thing I would say is that the paper and printing used is horrible! Not up to Sage's usual standards
This book is ESSENTIAL reading for all early years practitioners who are looking to engage in meaningful assessments of the children in their care. The book expands on the concept of learning stories and demonstrates how the process of collecting and telling the stories of children's remarkable experiences enables us to influence how others view children. When practitioners turn their observations into oral, written, and visual stories, children sense that their pursuits are worthy of being documented, described, and remembered, and their families are rewarded with the details of what the children have been doing, thinking, and learning. This book will make our assessing and documenting children's development better, easier, and more fun.
The students on the foundation degree in early years programme have engaged with this book. They have enjoyed both text and photographs and have taken ideas from it to develop in their own practice.
Essential for those who follow the comparative element of this module.
The many practical examples and accessible writing style result in a text which documents this approach to assessment in the early years in an interesting and thought provoking read.
