InternatIonal PersPectIves on early chIldhood educatIon and care “The book rightly challenges common assumptions about the value of Western perspectives of ECEC and skilfully enables the reader to recognize the various social, political and economic drivers and processes that have shaped early years pedagogy on a global level.” Dr Janet Rose, Early Years Education Award Leader, Bath Spa University, UK eIn “Given the ever increasing interest and importance of global early childhood t education and care, this critically informed book offers valuable and der challenging internationalised comparative arguments for students and n ua academics at all levels.” t Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes, Senior Lecturer, Early Years and Primary Education Department, Io c University of London, UK n a al P there is a growing interest in understanding how early years care and education is ter organized and experienced internationally. This book examines key influential approaches s P to early years care as well as some less well-known systems from around the world. In Ie c o particular the book aims to: t Iv • Inform those studying early years about perspectives in other countries e InternatIonal Pers PectIves on ns o • Encourage critical thinking about issues, influences and the complexities of early n years provision around the world ae early chIldhood a • Promote critical reflection on students’ own provision and the current context of nr that provision l y d Each chapter provides an overview of early years provision and explores historical and c educ atIon current influences in context, as well as offering insights into daily life through short h c vignettes, longer case studies and commentary from practitioners. I l d Whilst many approaches – such as Reggio Emilia, Te Whariki and Head Start – are a h widely admired, it is important for reflective practitioners to understand the motivation which gave rise to these influential approaches in their original context. Additionally, ro o c a r e broadening understanding through information on less widely known systems, the book provides students with a good grounding in the international context of early years, the ed a n d provenance of different early years approaches and principles, and the influences on their own countries’ provision. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, the book is designed to meet the Ja needs of students studying modules related to international perspectives on a range of &n foundation, bachelor and master’s degrees in early years. Ja Ge ned eoIt Jan Georgeson is research Fellow at Plymouth University, UK. PayrGed b Jane Payler is senior lecturer in early Years at the University of Winchester, UK. leresoy n edIted by Jan GeorGeson & Jane Payler International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care MHBK078-FM.indd 1 14/01/13 5:18 PM MHBK078-FM.indd 2 14/01/13 5:18 PM International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care Edited by Jan Georgeson and Jane Payler MHBK078-FM.indd 3 14/01/13 5:18 PM Open University Press McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill House Shoppenhangers Road Maidenhead Berkshire England SL6 2QL email: [email protected] world wide web: www.openup.co.uk and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2289, USA First published 2013 Copyright © Jan Georgeson and Jane Payler 2013 All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS. A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13: 978-0-33-524591-8 ISBN-10: 0-33-524591-9 e-ISBN: 978-0-33-524592-5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data CIP data applied for Typeset by Aptara, Inc. Printed in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wiltshire. Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that may be used herein (in case studies or in examples) are not intended to represent any real individual, company, product or event. MHBK078-FM.indd 4 14/01/13 5:18 PM Contents List of figures viii List of tables ix Contributors x Acknowledgements xvi PART 1 Setting the scene 1 The importance of international perspectives 3 JAn GeoRGeson, JAne PAyleR And VeRiTy CAmPbell-bARR 2 Widening awareness of international approaches: an imperative for twenty-first-century early years practitioners? 9 VAleRie HuGGins 3 International recognition of children’s rights and its influence on early childhood education and care: the case of Zambia 18 JuliA moRGAn PART 2 How approaches have developed 4 Embedding early childhood education and care in the socio-cultural context: the case of Italy 31 FedeRiCA CARuso 5 The new face of early childhood in the United States 42 nAnCy mcdeRmoTT 6 A critique of euro-centric perspectives on early childhood education and care in the Gambia 53 RebeCCA CARTeR dillon MHBK078-FM.indd 5 14/01/13 5:18 PM vi ContEnts 7 Estonia: socio-historic and political influences on the early childhood education and care system 64 KeRsTin KööP 8 Early childhood education in Norway and Sweden today: education for democracy 76 elin ødeGAARd PART 3 Workforce issues 9 South Africa: who are the early years practitioners and where do they work? 93 HAsinA bAnu ebRAHim 10 The quest for quality early childhood education and care: leadership in a changing political context in England and Hong Kong 103 VeRiTy CAmPbell-bARR, CARoline leeson And doRA Ho 11 India: early childhood educators in changing patterns of early childhood education and care 114 CHAndRiKA deVARAKondA 12 Early childhood education and care in the Czech Republic: recent developments within a changing society 125 PHiliP selbie And AlenA dRžAloVá PART 4 Putting it into practice: curriculum and pedagogy 13 Day to day in Italian preschools: environments for learning and development 141 PAolo soRzio 14 A day in the life of a New Zealand kindergarten teacher: a curriculum of open possibilities 152 CARmen dAlli 15 HighScope today: pedagogy for learning and development 165 beTH mARsHAll 16 China: pedagogy today and the move towards creativity 179 KeAnG-ienG (PeGGy) VonG 17 Canada: developing an ethical pedagogy and curriculum 190 Anne HunT MHBK078-FM.indd 6 14/01/13 5:18 PM ContEnts vii 18 Diverse theories for diverse learners? The Australian early years learning framework 204 JoCe nuTTAll And susAn edWARds 19 Using Leuven observation and assessment tools to investigate outdoor provision 216 Annie dAVy 20 Hungary: kindergarten as a public education institution 229 ÉVA KoVáCsnÉ bAKosi (TRAnslATed by zsuzsA meGyesinÉ VARGA) 21 The Japanese view of nature and its implications for the teaching of science in the early childhood years 243 mAnAbu sumidA 22 Early childhood education and care in the UK: piecemeal development through philanthropy, propagation, pluralism, and pragmatism 257 JAne PAyleR, JAn GeoRGeson And KARen WiCKeTT Subject Index 275 Author Index 283 MHBK078-FM.indd 7 14/01/13 5:18 PM figures 9.1 An ECD centre reaching out to households 95 12.1 A kindergarten’s education plan is guided by statutory frameworks in its development of key competencies 131 12.2 Example of a daily programme for preschool children aged 5–6 years 132 12.3 Sleep and rest during the early afternoon is an important part of the daily routine 133 15.1 The HighScope Preschool Wheel of Learning 168 15.2 HighScope greeting time 173 16.1 Children dress up for dramatic play 184 18.1 Relationships between Principles, Practices, and Learning Outcomes in the EYLF, leading to sub-outcomes and descriptors for Learning Outcome 2 207 19.1 Learning through Landscapes cycle of change 219 19.2 The SICS Scale for Well-being 220 19.3 The SICS Scale for Involvement 221 20.1 System of playful activities 234 20.2 Sample project plan (competence-based teaching and learning project in Hajdú-Bihar county) 240 21.1 Japanese and Western Language-Culture (L-C) modes of understanding nature 249 21.2 Multiple and integrated learning through the Ladybird activities 254 MHBK078-FM.indd 8 14/01/13 5:18 PM tables 8.1 Concepts of democracy in Norwegian and Swedish ECEC 84 11.1 Coverage under various ECEC initiatives 118 15.1 HighScope Preschool Curriculum content: key developmental indicators 170 18.1 Relationship between EYLF principles and theoretical perspectives 209 21.1 ‘Desired experiences’ in the content field ‘Nature’: National Course of Study for Japanese Kindergarten, 1956 246 21.2 Aims, elements, and means of addressing the elements of the content field ‘Environment’: National Course of Study for Japanese Kindergarten, 1989 247 MHBK078-FM.indd 9 14/01/13 5:18 PM