Understanding Early Childhood, Penn Helen

Whilst children's theoretical reasoning in biology, physics, and psychology has received considerable attention in recent developmental research, the same could not be said about their religious or theological understanding. Olivera Petrovich explores children's religious concepts, from a natural-theological perspective. Using supporting evidence from a series of studies with children and adults living in as diverse cultures as the UK and Japan, Petrovich explains how young children begin to construct their everyday scientific and metaphysical theories by relying on their own already advanced causal understanding. The unique contribution that this volume makes to the developmental psychology of religion, is its contention that religion or theology constitutes one of the core domains of human cognition rather than being a by-product of other core domains and specific cultural inputs.

Natural-Theological Understanding from Childhood to Adulthood is essential reading for students and researchers in cognitive-developmental psychology, religious studies, education and cognitive anthropology.

Key themes examined throughout this book relate to:

• The relationship between assessment policy and children's identities as learners;
• The complexity of classroom life;
• The power of assessment to shape definitions of 'learning' and 'learners';
• The impact of discourses of class, race, religion and the 'inner city' on how children are assessed, and how assumptions about inner city schools and low attainment can put pressure on teachers to assess children in particular ways.

In this important text, the author argues that assessment policies can have a huge impact on classrooms and teachers, as well as having potentially damaging effects for young children, particularly those from minoritised and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The book explores in detail the complex interaction of education policies with discourses of attainment and expectation, and the resulting reproduction of patterns of inequality. Understanding Early Years Inequality will have an immediate impact on current debates about educational policy and practice in Early Years education, and will be of particular interest to academics and students in educational studies, sociology of education, and early childhood studies.

'This book provides a very accessible approach to building a better understanding of young children and their development and will be an interesting and useful read for both experienced early years practitioners and for students who are just beginning to build their practical experience.' - Early Years Update

This highly practical and fully updated new edition is full of case studies and helpful advice on how to enhance our understanding of very young children. Through working with many practitioners in different settings, Christine Macintyre offers down-to-earth strategies to enhance the learning of children in their care, and asks:

• What are the key influences in encouraging children to achieve their potential?
• Are the four aspects of children's development equally important and how do they interact?
• Does the play - based curriculum truly cater for children with a range of abilities and interests e.g. gifted and talented children and those who need extra support?
• What new ways are there of enhancing learning?
• How can we be sure that parents appreciate how we support their children in all aspects of their development?

With examples and case-studies drawn from a variety of real-life nursery practices, these interesting and thought-provoking scenarios will help enhance and develop the practice of all students and early years teachers.