Early Childhood Studies

Early Childhood Studies by Jenny Willan, now in its fully updated 2nd edition, is a comprehensive and accessible introductory text for those entering the field of early childhood studies and early years. Scholarly, yet engagingly written, it covers all the key contemporary debates from child development, language acquisition, and play to professional practice, health and wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion.

The new edition includes two new chapters on fostering creativity and sustainability. It addresses the urgent post-pandemic need for early childhood practitioners to lead remedial work for the 2020 generation of babies who lost valuable socialisation opportunities. The book also includes discussions on the current ‘schoolification’ of early childhood and the pursuit of data as a driver of education and care provision. Furthermore, it examines the impact of health and income inequalities, Covid-19, global neoliberal policies, and Brexit on the early childhood landscape.

An excellent all-rounder, this book covers everything a student of early childhood will need. Each of the eighteen chapters features at least one global case study and includes reflective exercises, topics for discussion, assignments, and further reading lists. Throughout the book, vital connections are made between theory and practice to help students prepare for a career working with a diverse community of children, parents, and professionals.