Given that every child is both unique and a competent learner from birth, helping children to thrive in every area of development requires that educators encourage and support children to work at their own pace and in their own individual ways.
Babies and children develop in individual ways at varying rates. Every area of development – physical, cognitive, linguistic, spiritual, social and emotional – is equally important.
Child Development focuses on three key areas:
- The Developing Child
- The child as a skilful communicator
- The child as competent learner
This resource also covers key issues such as the impact of nature and nurture on children’s development, factors which put development at risk and which support children’s development, and the effect of emotional wellbeing and cultural influences on young children’s development. Each section includes case studies, checklists for monitoring practice, ideas for developing effective practice with children and parents, insights into related theories and research, information for further reading and study and points for reflection or discussion.
There three books in this Series are:
About the Authors:
Linda Pound is an experienced educator and author who has worked in all sectors of education, including tertiary, but whose passion is work with young children and their families. She has been head of a nursery school and deputy head of a primary school, and has also run both foundation and honours degree programmes on early childhood studies.
Nicole Halton (Co-founder/Director of Inspired EC and educational consultant) has been a proud member and advocate of the early childhood profession for over 13 years. Nicole is particularly passionate about the provision of quality early childhood services and children having the right to a childhood filled with risk, adventure and fun. From 2005 to 2012, Nicole was the director of Woodrising Community Preschool and Child Care Centre, a service that has developed a strong reputation for its commitment to natural play environments and authentic experiences for children. During her leadership the centre was one of the first services to be assessed under the National Quality Standards and achieved the rating of ‘Exceeding’. In 2007 Nicole and her business partner Natashja Treveton spent countless hours discussing the need for inspiring professional development in their local area and, as a result, founded their educational training and consultancy business, Inspired EC. Their passion and enthusiasm in their beliefs have allowed the company as well as the services they offer to develop and expand and to ‘inspire’ thousands of educators Australia wide.
