Description

The primary focus of this 5th edition of Observing Young Children is to promote observation and encourage pedagogically sound observational practices. Through observation and the creation of pedagogical documentation, we learn about, appreciate, and make visible the daily experiences of children: their dizzy play, their ability to create, their curiosity, their understanding of their world, their capacity for wonder, and their growth and change over time. Through the lens of appreciative inquiry and the cycle of observation, we invite students and practitioners to create a new space in their mind where they can develop transformative ways of teaching and learning with children, families, the early childhood profession, their communities, and the global village. As students and professionals of early childhood education, you will explore and discover the world of children with this text and learn about families and communities. You will be amazed, surprised, and rewarded, for this journey is both a deeply personal and a professional process. We hope that, by studying and applying the content of these chapters and the online site, you will find a meaningful way to tell your own story, as well as the stories of children and families.