Introduction to Early Childhood Education

• The text has been thoroughly revised to correspond with the latest position statements and the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This includes updated content and learning objectives, as well as Standards and Competencies features. 
• All new professionals and their experiences are portrayed in in the Stories From the Field feature, especially professionals who have faced marginalization of their social identity within education, to present a fuller picture early childhood educators.
• Chapter 7: The Physical Environment has been moved earlier in the text to better set the stage for Part IV: The Where of Early Childhood Education. 
• Chapter 8: The Social and Emotional Environment has been thoroughly revised to focus not solely on stress and trauma, but to include educator-child relationships and centering the strengths of children.
• Chapter 16: Positive Guidance for Behaviors that are Challenging to Adults has been updated to focus on ways adults can shape and guide children's developing skills. 
• The Professional Standards and Competencies Matrix Appendix has been fully revised and is a useful reference for the chapters wherein each standard and competency is most fully addressed.
• 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.

KEY FEATURES: 

• All chapters list the specific NAEYC standard(s) met in the section and include in-depth links leading to NAEYC Standards for further study.
• 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 Brain Science feature 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.
• 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.
• 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.