Book Reviews

Author Dr David Brody provides a penetrating look at the lives and personal beliefs of male early childhood and kindergarten teachers. He also reviews the cultural values and conditions that have shaped and influenced the path they travel.

In his self-published book, David Smith reflects on over 30 years of working in early childhood education, mainly in teaching roles at a variety of different service types.

How to teach and not what to teach is the focus of ‘Progressing Play’. 

The authors detail, discuss and throughout the book provide real-examples of children’s play and teacher action and responses – to support and inspire the reader to think about and extend the quality of her or his teaching in many different areas

Here is a helpful book jam-packed with ideas for teaching early years mathematics, science and ICT to children aged about 4 to 8 years. 

Literacy ideas is a NZ book written for families at home, parent educators in playcentres, and early childhood teachers.

Marg Sellers contests the usual dichotomisation of children and curriculum, by proposing and developing the notion of re(con)ceiving children in curriculum. 

As the reader turns each page a message unfolds that if we are to make any real progress today for children and the society we live in we really need to be open to learning about and taking lessons from the experiences and values of the past.

Clear details on how the British have been trying to get it right for young children by taking an integrated service delivery approach, aiming to base services on what children and parents need rather than on what the experts and bureaucrats think they need. 

This book presents diverse viewpoints on critical issues in ECE, so that readers can discuss the positions and issues being interrogated and make their own evaluations

A fantastic guide to doing research! Jeanette Rhedding-Jones explains that there is much to learn, understand, and consider when planning, doing, publishing and evaluating research.

Hamer and Adams have skilfully weaved the latest research and theory with the current political and social context to present proposals for best literacy practices and a huge range of practical literacy based ideas.

No other case of child abuse in New Zealand’s history has held public attention so strongly and for so long as the Christchurch Civic Creche case. Lynley Hood persisted, despite legal and other pressures, to get to the bottom of the case.

Beyond Quality extends the values-based approach, and taking a postmodern perspective, argues that researchers cannot continue to claim the “truth” and the right to define early childhood education and care quality for others.