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“This book will make a relevant and helpful contribution in enabling practitioners to explore and understand the different ways in which they can lead and manage across a diverse range of settings and at different levels. Through helpful discussion points and case studies, the book will encourage practitioners to consider both theory and practice, including value based practice and the skills required for working within a new multi-disciplinary environment. A welcome and accessible text for early years practitioners facing the challenges and demands of this new agenda.”-Linda Miller, The Open UniversityFirmly grounded in practice, this book puts children and families at the center of good early years leadership. There is now considerable emphasis on leadership skills in this sector, as the workforce becomes increasingly professionalized.The following are considered: Changes and developments within the early years sector; The impact of good leadership on children and their families; Effective practice in a variety of settings, including Children's Centers; Values-based leadership and inspirational leadership; Meeting the challenges of management and leadership; Managing change; Inter-agency and multi-disciplinary working; Working with families and parent groupsUseful features such as Activities for Continuing Professional Development, Questions for Reflection, and Pictures of Practice appear throughout the book.Anyone studying Childhood and Early Childhood will find this book an invaluable aid.

Background Early childhood educators (ECEs) play a critical role in promoting physical activity (PA) among preschoolers in childcare; thus, PA-related training for ECEs is essential. The Supporting PA in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention incorporated: 1. shorter, more frequent outdoor play sessions; 2. provision of portable play equipment; and, PA training for ECEs. An extension of the SPACE intervention (the SPACE-Extension) incorporated only the shorter, more frequent outdoor play periods component of the original SPACE intervention. The purpose of this study was to explore the individual impact of these interventions on ECEs’ PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Methods ECEs from the SPACE ( n  = 83) and SPACE-Extension ( n  = 31) were administered surveys at all intervention time-points to assess: self-efficacy to engage preschoolers in PA ( n  = 6 items; scale 0 to 100); self-efficacy to implement the intervention ( n  = 6 items); and, knowledge of preschooler-specific PA and screen-viewing guidelines ( n  = 2 items). A linear mixed effects model was used to analyze the impact of each intervention on ECEs’ self-efficacy and knowledge and controlled for multiple comparison bias. Results The SPACE intervention significantly impacted ECEs’ self-efficacy to engage preschoolers in PA for 180 min/day (main effect), and when outdoor playtime was not an option (interaction effect). Further, the interaction model for ECEs’ knowledge of the total PA guideline for preschoolers approached significance when compared to the main effects model. Participants within the SPACE-Extension did not demonstrate any significant changes in self-efficacy or knowledge variables. Conclusions Findings from this study highlight the benefit of ECE training in PA with regard to fostering their PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Future research should explore the impact of PA training for ECEs uniquely in order to determine if this intervention component, alone, can produce meaningful changes in children’s PA behaviours at childcare.

`This book gives a thorough, detailed account of mentoring, with accompanying case studies which will be invaluable to anyone undertaking the role...this book will encourage readers to develop reflective practice in their settings and that this will help to improve quality' - Nursery World `A valuable and timely contribution to the Early Years field. This will be essential reading for all Early Years practitioners engaged in practice-based learning and will provide valuable guidance for all mentors in the field' - Dr Rose Drury, Lecturer in Early Years, The Open University Mentoring is an important part of good, professional practice. It provides a framework of support for continuous personal and professional development and is integral to the development of quality provision within early years. This book is designed as a guide for all those involved in the mentoring process. The roles of the mentor and practitioners are carefully examined and chapters cover the following: o The role of the mentor o The characteristics of a good mentor o How mentoring supports personal and professional development o The diversity of early years settings and professional roles o Case studies of mentoring in practice Chapters include a mixture of relevant theory, practical suggestions, case studies, questions for discussion, activities for personal and professional development and suggestions for further reading. There are suggestions and examples of materials that may be used, and a glossary of key terms.

With 30+ video clips - great for use in teacher training sessions! If you're preparing early childhood educators for the critical task of teaching math, this groundbreaking resource is just what you need to plan and implement effective professional development. Translating recommendations from the National Research Council's early mathematics report into clear and actionable goals, this text is your key to improving the way educators teach math to children ages 3-6. You'll get an in-depth guide to what math teachers need to teach; a research-based framework for strengthening professional development; and web-based video clips to enhance training sessions and show teachers the \"\"how\"\" of high-quality math instruction. Use this accessible text to guide both pre- and inservice teacher preparation-and ensure better math teaching and higher student achievement. TEACHER TRAINERS WILL: understand the classroom challenges of today's early childhood educators see how children's mathematical minds develop and clarify learning goals for them build professional development around five essential goals for high-quality math instruction make the most of innovative professional development methods and technologies strengthen professional development across settings, including child care, Head Start, and prekindergarten promote better math instruction for culturally diverse children and children with disabilities evaluate the effectiveness of professional development efforts PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Enhance your training sessions with 30+ video clips that show successful classroom teaching scenarios and clinical interviews demonstrating the development of a child's mathematical thinking over a 3-year period. You'll also get sample workshop outlines and syllabi, engaging teaching strategies, resource lists, and a photocopiable planning tool.

This study aims to examine pedagogical meanings of the Mimamoru approach frequently used by Japanese early childhood educators in children’s physical fights. Mimamoru is a strategy in which educators intentionally withhold an intervention, while carefully observing children, to foster children’s voluntary participation in their own learning, socially and cognitively. In this report, we examine why Japanese educators tend not to intervene, and how they determine whether their intervention is necessary. Using methods from Tobin’s video cued multi-vocal ethnography, we conducted focus groups at 9 early childhood education and care facilities (7 in Japan and 2 in the U.S.) with a total of 34 Japanese and 12 U.S. educators. They watched a short video clip in which a mid-career male teacher, one of the Japanese participants, used the Mimamoru approach with two children involved in a physical fight. Educators, then, discussed their interpretations of the teacher’s responses to children. The analyses of the participants’ discussion suggest that educators’ non-intervention, an important feature of the Mimamoru approach, provides children with opportunities to autonomously learn interpersonal skills, for example, through the experiences of feeling guilty and solving problems by themselves. Yet educators do intervene when they determine that the risk of physical harm caused by fighting is greater than the benefit for children to learn. Implications of the Mimamoru approach, including in other cultural contexts, are discussed.

Maurice Sykes has made advocating for and advancing high-quality early childhood education his life's work. Through mentorships, presentations, and personal example, Maurice challenges and inspires educators to become effective leaders who make a difference in children's lives. He does the same in \"Doing the Right Thing for Children: Eight Qualities of Leadership,\" as he shares stories of the hills and valleys of his personal and professional journeys throughout the presentation of eight core leadership values: human potential, knowledge, social justice, competence, fun and enjoyment, personal renewal, perseverance, and courage. Use this book to develop the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind you need to be a successful leader--and do the right thing for children, whether you serve at the individual, organizational, or classroom level.

Background/purpose. Preschool education in Vietnam plays a critical role in fostering the development of children aged 3 months to 6 years. Enhancing teacher quality is essential to achieving educational goals, yet early childhood educators face significant challenges in professional skill development. This study examines the implementation of teacher development activities in the Mekong Delta region. Materials/methods. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting quantitative data from 552 participants (50 administrators and 502 teachers) and qualitative insights through open-ended questions. Results. Most institutions have structured plans for teacher development, with 81.2% assessing workforce needs and 91.8% establishing clear goals. Training participation is high, with 84.1% engaged in professional title courses and 73.9% in child-centered program development. Teachers favor courses on new programs, STEAM, and life skills education. Performance evaluations were generally positive, though teachers rated themselves higher (M = 4.09) than management (M = 3.36). Facility availability varied, with discrepancies between teacher and management perceptions. Policies remain inadequate, with only 10% finding salary support sufficient, underscoring the need for improved compensation. Conclusion. Strengthening teacher capacity, refining evaluation methods, and improving salary policies are key to advancing early childhood education. Addressing these areas can drive continuous improvement, transform teaching quality, and enhance educational outcomes in Vietnam.

This 15th volume of \"Advances in Early Education and Day Care\" focuses on the implementation of professional development for early childhood educators, describing a number of models for improving early childhood care. These models differ by setting, urban, rural, public, private, center and home based child care. These programs also differ by implementation model. Mentoring, workshops, online information and college courses are examples of how professional development was implemented. The systematic assessment of both the providers and the children described in these chapters will be of assistance for future research designers who are conducting large scale data collection and analysis. These chapters should serve as a way for policy makers to become informed about how best to expend scarce resources in the implementation of professional development. Increasing our knowledge of effective practices in professional development is an important factor in improving the outcomes for future generations of children. The collection of these chapters in one volume should provide future developers of professional development with a road map for what works and what might not be as effective.

BackgroundEarly childhood is a formative period during which distinguishable development has projections of bearing desirable outcomes within an individual. Hence, physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social independence are healthy components of a typical child’s development that early childhood development (ECD) educators deem essential for Grade R readiness.AimThis article aims to explore ECD educators’ perceptions of typical 4-year-old learners’ aspects of development and how this supports their readiness for Grade R.SettingThis study was conducted in an ECD centre in a marginalised rural context of the Mandlankala area, Empangeni, north of Zululand.MethodsAn interpretive qualitative case study methodological design framed within Bronfenbrenner’s person-proximal processes-context model was adopted. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select three ECD educators from an ECD centre. Semi-structured interviews and learners’ physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social behaviour observations were used to generate data. Data were analysed thematically.ResultsFindings revealed that early childhood educators perceive 4-year-old learners’ readiness for Grade R differently based on criteria such as their personalities based on developmental milestones and the educator’s experience in the field and training.ConclusionThis study concluded that the learner’s level of physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social development influences their readiness for Grade R.ContributionSchool readiness skills allow school teachers to expand and further develop learners’ skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.

There is inherent complexity in a field like early childhood where people and their relationships are at the center of their work, daily practices involve negotiating webs of dynamic relations, shifting contexts, value conflicts, and profoundly diverse family constellations and community and cultural environments. Emphasizing Social Justice and Equity in Leadership for Early Childhood: Taking a Postmodern Turn to Make Complexity Visible expands our conceptions of leadership by drawing on postmodern ontological and epistemological perspectives that value, and make visible, diversities and complex human experiences. Julie Nicholson explores the challenges facing children domestically and globally regarding contemporary social justice and equity she also provides several frameworks and specific strategies that early childhood educators can draw from in enacting leadership inspired by the ideas presented throughout the book. Richly contextualized vignettes are woven into each chapter to highlight the voices and experiences of courageous early childhood professionals working in very different roles and contexts.