Learning Together : The Law, Politics, Economics, Pedagogy, and Neuroscience of Early Childhood Education

This book makes a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary argument for investing in effective early childhood education programs, especially those that develop in children their proven natural capacity to construct knowledge by building meaningful relationships. Recent insights in the fields of law, policy, economics, pedagogy, and neuroscience demonstrate that these particular programs produce robust educational, social, and economic benefits for children and for the country. The book also provides legal and political strategies for achieving these proven benefits as well as pedagogical strategies for developing the most effective early childhood education programs. The book concludes by making visible the wonderful learning that can take place in an early education environment where teachers are afforded the professional judgment to encourage children to construct their own knowledge through indispensable learning relationships. Section 2 THE PROVEN BENEFITS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE BY BUILDING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPSChapter Six Pedagogical Approaches to Early Childhood Education; Chapter Seven The Proven Benefits of the Social Constructivist Approach; Section 3 STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING, DEVELOPING, AND DESIGNING EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING COMMUNITIES THAT CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE THROUGH MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS; Chapter Eight Legal, Political, Economic, and Comprehensive Strategies for Expanding Access For too long, early childhood education has been conceived of as simply "pre-school," rather than as a critical and foundational school experience. Weaving together research and rationale from a wide variety of disciplines, the authors build an airtight case for recognizing early education as the "real" schooling it is, and for investing in quality programming for all of our children. This book makes a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary argument for investing in effective early childhood education programs, particularly those that develop in children their proven natural capacity to construct knowledge by building meaningful relationships.