Table of Contents

Introduction - Michael Reed and Natalie Canning
PART ONE: CHILDREN′S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Reflective Thinking; Reflective Practice - Karen Appleby
Play in the Early Years Foundation Stage - Natalie Canning
21st Century Digital Technology and Children′s Learning - Linda Tyler
Policy to Practice in Wales - Michael Reed and Alison Morrell
PART TWO: THE UNIQUE CHILD
Safeguarding Children: Every Child Matters so Everybody Matters! - Claire Majella Richards
A Healthy Child - Direction, Deficit or Diversity? - Mandy Andrews and Kate Fowler
PART THREE: ENABLING PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
Children′s Centres and Children′s Services? - Michael Reed
Working Together at a Children′s Centre - Rosie Walker
Managing Multi-Agency Working - Wendy Messenger
PART FOUR: POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN A MULTI-AGENCY WORLD
Distance Learning and Professional Development - Victoria Cooper
Early Years Professionals: Leading for Change - Rory McDowall Clark and Sue Baylis
Defining and Measuring Quality in Early Years Settings - Alison Jackson
From Experienced Practitioner to Reflective Professional - Sue Callan
Conclusion - Michael Reed and Natalie Canning
Useful Websites - Michael Reed and Natalie Canning

About the Author

Michael Reed is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Early Childhood, within the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester. He teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to child development, practice based research and leadership.  He is a qualified teacher and hold advanced qualifications in Educational Inquiry, Educational Psychology and Special Education.  He was a member of course development and writing teams at the Open University and an experienced author. He has a particular interest in practice based inquiry and research evaluating ways to improve quality in practice. He has co-edited a number of books including  Reflective Practice in the Early Years (2010), Quality Improvement and Change in the Early Years (2012)  and Work Based Research in the Early Years (2012), all published by SAGE.

Natalie Canning is a Lecturer in Education – Early Years at The Open University. Her background is in playwork and social work, particularly in supporting children to explore personal, social and emotional issues through play. She has published a number of articles relating to professional development and the early years and has presented at national and European conferences. Her main research is in the area of children’s empowerment in play and she is currently involved in research on developing children as autonomous learners. She has taught across a variety of Early Childhood undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Reviews

′This well edited book illustrates the importance of reflective practice in the early years through consideration of many contemporary issues and will be of interest to Childhood Studies and EYPS students as well as, practitioners and University tutors. The inclusion of many practical examples enables readers to make links between theory and practice, to examine their own practice and emphasises the powerful learning undertaken through considered reflection′ - Sue Kay-Flowers, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool Hope University