The Competent Child is a handbook designed to support teachers in developing a personal philosophy of early childhood education. It is concise and to the point and encourages self-reflection. The focus is on providing teachers with ideas and theories and are centred on the empowerment of young children. Sections include: Early Childhood Education, Children’s Learning, The Image of the Child, Classroom Interactions, The Role of the Teacher, Theory and Practice, and The Role of the Family and the Local Community.
As early childhood educators, it is important for us to consider what role our programmes play in the lives of young children and their families. Our responses to this issue influence the decisions that we make about the content of our curriculum and the teaching approach that we utilise.
The is section will explore the purpose of early childhood education in today’s society. It will be argued that this stage of education is about helping children to acquire life-long skills and dispositions, rather than filling them with knowledge or preparing them for the next educational level. Th e purpose of this section will be to encourage teachers to consider why they teach young children.
