Young Children, Parents and Professionals : Enhancing the Links in Early Childhood

As early year education and very early child care increase, parents and professionals face many difficult questions. What are the effects of early education on children? Are parents fulfilling their roles? What should teachers' roles be? Seldom asked are more basic questions: What are the fundamental needs of young children? Or parents? Or professionals? How can these differing sets of needs be met? Margaret Henry proposes three dimensions of caregiving behaviour through which parents and professionals not only help young children to develop, but can also help one another's development. Evidence of positive change comes both from her own research in family day care and from the work of her students, practicing teachers and child care personnel. Their examples involve often hard-to-reach parents - those who are tired, employed, alienated, bossy and culturally and ethnically diverse. There are practical suggestions here for professionals and parents interested in enhancing their relationships with one another and the outcomes for young children. High quality early childhood provision has been shown to make a substantial difference to children's later performance in school, and throughout their lives. This book explores the needs of and relationships between children, parents and professionals and puts forward practical ways in which these needs can be met. Margaret Henry presents a model which proposes three care-giving dimensions of behaviour through which parents and professionals can not only help young children to develop, but can also help one another's development. Evidence of positive change comes both from her own research in family day care and from the work of her students, practising teachers and child care personnel. Their examples involve often hard-to-reach parents - those who are tired, employed, alienated and culturally or ethnically diverse. There are practical suggestions here for professionals and parents interested in enhancing their relationships with one another and improving the outcomes for young children. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures......Page 10 List of tables......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 THE TIMES OF THEIR LIVES......Page 16 NEEDS MUST......Page 27 IN SEARCH OF A MODEL......Page 49 RESPONSIVENESS......Page 84 CONTROL......Page 113 INVOLVEMENT......Page 144 MR MICAWBER AND THE MODEL ALL TOGETHER......Page 178 Questions......Page 204 Appendices......Page 211 References......Page 220 Index......Page 230

As early education and child care increase, parents and professionals face many questions. This book proposes three dimensions of care giving behaviour, by which parents and professionals can help themselves, and young children, to develop.