Beginning Essentials in Early Childhood Education

BEGINNING ESSENTIALS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, Second Edition, is a streamlined foundations textbook that introduces readers to the field. This unique book is organized to answer four key questions: What is the field? Who is the child? Who is the teacher? and What is being taught? These four sections address the essentials in early childhood education, emphasizing multiculturalism and developmentally appropriate practice. A friendly design makes reading more enjoyable and information easier to absorb. Special boxed material highlights key issues related to standards, diversity, DAP, professionalism, and ethics. Video features introduce videos of actual early childhood settings that are available on the accompanying website, an invaluable resource that provides opportunities for reflection as well as for personal and professional development.

Ann Gordon has been in the early childhood field for over 40 years as a teacher of young children, of parents, and of college students. She has taught in lab schools, church-related centers, and private and public preschool and kindergarten programs. While at Stanford, Ann was at the Bing Nursery School for 11 years and was a lecturer in the Psychology Department. For 10 years she also served as an adjunct faculty member in four colleges, teaching the full gamut of early childhood courses. Ann served as executive director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools for 14 years, where more than 1100 early childhood programs were a part of her network. She is now consulting in the areas of early childhood curriculum governance and professional development. She is co-author (with Kathryn Williams Browne) of BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND: FOUNDATIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 8th Edition (©2011, Cengage).

Kathryn Williams Browne received her MA in Early Childhood Education from The University of Michigan, and a BA in Psychology from Stanford University. She has been teaching children, families, and students for more than 30 years. First a teacher of young children in nursery schools, parent cooperatives, full-day child care programs, pre-kindergarten and bilingual pre-schools, kindergarten, and first grade, she moved to Stanford University's lab school where she served as head teacher and psychology lecturer. Kate teaches in the California Community College system and Early Childhood Mentor program, which offer the richness of a diverse student population coupled with the challenges of access and privilege that parallel those in the early education field itself.