Early Childhood Studies

Damien Fitzgerald PhD, is Head of Area for Early Childhood and Childhood at the Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests include gender and childhood, heteronormativity in family contexts and same-sex parenting and this informs his undergraduate and post-graduate teaching. Prior to working at Sheffield Hallam, he worked as an advisory teacher in early years special needs and in other teaching roles in schools. He is also qualified as a nurse working mainly in emergency care. Heloise Maconochie PhD, is Visiting Scholar of Early Childhood Education at Purdue University Fort Wayne, USA. Her research interests include children’s experiences and perspectives of early childhood services, curriculum in the early years, disabled children’s childhoods, early intervention, children’s rights and participatory methodologies. She has worked in the UK as a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Teacher Education, and as an early years coordinator and primary school teacher. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in Allen County, Indiana.

Introduction - Damien Fitzgerald & Heloise Maconochie
PART I: The Individual Child
Chapter 1: The emergence of Early Childhood Studies: an historic overview - Rita Winstone
Chapter 2: The brain and children’s early development - Heloise Maconochie
Chapter 3: Children as thinkers: Philosophy for Children - Fufy Demissie
Chapter 4: Children as learners: multimodal perspectives on play and learning - Karen Daniels & Roberta Taylor
Chapter 5: Creativity, curiosity and resilience - Sarah Rawding
PART II: Children Interacting
Chapter 6: Children as communicators: peers and others - Tanya Richardson
Chapter 7: Children’s friendships - Caron Carter
Chapter 8: Children within the family context - Eunice Lumsden
Chapter 9: ′Supporting’ play - Philippa Thompson
Part III: Supporting Children
Chapter 10: Inclusion and participation - Penny Borkett
Chapter 11: Children′s health - Pam Dewis
Chapter 12: The politics of children′s services - Marie Lavelle
Chapter 13: Safeguarding children - Ginny Boyd
Chapter 14: Young children′s wellbeing: conceptualising, assessing and supporting wellbeing - Sigrid Brogaard-Clausen, Sofia Guimaraes, Michelle Cottle & Sally Howe
Chapter 15: Children, families and English as an additional language - Ester Ehiyazaryan-White
Part IV: The Social Environment
Chapter 16: The educational environment - Alison Glentworth
Chapter 17: Working with families and professionals from other agencies - Heloise Maconochie & Jill Branch
Chapter 18: Childhoods in a global context - Monica Edwards
Chapter 19: Contemporary issues - Jenny Robson
Chapter 20: Young Children, Childhood and Gender - Damien Fitzgerald
Chapter 21: Technology and early digital culture - Adam Holden
Part V: Your Journey
Chapter 22: Observing and assessing children - Jane Murray
Chapter 23: Researching with children - Amanda Hatton
Chapter 24: Becoming a professional: entanglements with identity and practice - Karen Barr
Chapter 25: Learning through placements - Caroline Leeson
Chapter 26: Leading quality practice - Mary E. Whalley