Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation, 4th edition

For courses in Early Childhood Education.

Provide the building blocks for understanding effective practices in early childhood education

Sue Bredekamp designed Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education to empower a new generation of teachers who can make a difference in children's lives. An entire chapter introduces readers to developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) for early childhood education. Subsequent chapters are organized according to the NAEYC guidelines, which Bredekamp has coauthored for over 30 years.

The 4th Edition introduces a new theme, the importance of developing children's executive function, self-regulation and positive approaches to learning.

• Developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) are emphasized throughout the text. Chapters are organized according to the NAEYC’s guidelines to help students gain a strong foundation in DAP. (See Ch. 2, which overviews DAP principles and guidelines; Ch. 6, which discusses the critical role of social, cultural, and linguistic contexts on children's development and learning and how teachers must embrace a diverse society to help every child succeed in school and life; and Part 4, where each chapter demonstrates how the continuum of children’s development influences decisions about curriculum content and intentional, effective teaching strategies for children of different ages.)
• Becoming an Intentional Teacher features help readers understand what teachers are thinking and how and why they select the strategies they do. (See the Easing Transitions through Developmentally Appropriate Practice box in Ch. 3 and the Working in Small Groups box in Ch.  9.)
• Compelling case studies introduce the key points in each chapter. Cases are revisited at the end of the chapter to help students better understand the chapter content and reinforce their learning.
• Observe, Reflect, Apply end-of-chapter features include authentic artifacts of children’s work to bring the classroom experience to life and engage teachers as they practice and apply their skills.
• New - Digital media examples help teachers assess the potential benefits and risks of using technology in their classrooms and understand how to use it in developmentally appropriate ways. (See Chs. 7 and 9-13).

• Explores the classroom implications of current research on brain development and executive function
• Updated - The important theme of developing children’s executive function, self-regulation, and positive approaches to learning is integrated throughout the book. (See the What Works: Strategies to Build Executive Function box in Ch. 9; and What Works: Using Tools of the Mind to Promote Executive Function box in Ch. 10.)   
• New - Updated research on the brain and the impact of toxic stress on children’s development and learning is discussed, along with effective intervention strategies teachers can use to address challenging behavior in their own classrooms. (See Chs. 1, 4, 5, 8 and 14.)
• Demonstrates effective practices in action
• What Works features show teachers how current research is applied in practice.
• Effective Practices summary tables help students quickly find strategies that are effective in scaffolding development and learning across a variety of domains and content areas.
• Reflects the changing landscape and expanding knowledge base of early childhood education
• Expanded - Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning are the new focus of the completely revised Chapter 13. New discussions and examples of engineering are included, and emphasis is placed on science standards and teaching practices.
• Updated  - Chapter 1 addresses challenging issues such as adverse childhood experiences, stress in children’s and families’ lives, the opioid crisis, threats to children’s play, bullying, and social media.
• New - Discussion of NAEYC’s Power to the Profession initiative and recommendations in the Institute of Medicine & National Research Council’s report on Transforming the Early Childhood Workforce help prospective teachers understand the efforts to increase the professional qualifications, effectiveness, and compensation of early childhood teachers. (See Chs. 1 and 16.)
• Focuses on cultural diversity, dual-language learners, and children with diverse abilities
• Language Lens features help readers understand dual-language learning and how to teach dual- or multi-language learners using proven teaching strategies.
• Culture Lens features are designed to widen readers’ perspective to look at cultural and linguistic topics from varying perspectives.
• Including All Children features describe effective inclusion and specific examples of teaching practices for children with special needs and disabilities.

• Updated - Promoting Play features and chapter sections emphasize protecting children’s right to play especially in kindergarten, and the relationship of all play to child development and learning. (See the Promoting Play: Does Developmentally Appropriate Practice = Play? box in Ch. 3 and the Promoting Play: Playful Mathematics Curriculum box in Ch. 10)  
• Developmental Continua features describe child development from birth through age 8 in specific domains with ways teachers can support development and learning in that domain or content area. (See Chs. 12-15).    

• Digital media examples help teachers assess the potential benefits and risks of using technology in their classrooms and understand how to use it in developmentally appropriate ways. (See Chs. 7 and 9-13). 
• The important theme of developing children’s executive function, self-regulation, and positive approaches to learning is integrated throughout the book. (See the What Works: Strategies to Build Executive Function box in Ch. 9; and What Works: Using Tools of the Mind to Promote Executive Function box in Ch. 10.)   
• Updated research on the brain and the impact of toxic stress on children’s development and learning is discussed, along with effective intervention strategies teachers can use to address challenging behavior in their own classrooms. (See Chs. 1, 4, 5, 8 and 14.)
• Chapter 1 addresses challenging issues such as adverse childhood experiences, stress in children’s and families’ lives, the opioid crisis, threats to children’s play, bullying, and social media.
• Discussion of NAEYC’s Power to the Profession initiative and recommendations in the Institute of Medicine & National Research Council’s report on Transforming the Early Childhood Workforce help prospective teachers understand the efforts to increase the professional qualifications, effectiveness, and compensation of early childhood teachers. (See Chs. 1 and 16.)
• Updated Promoting Play features and chapter sections emphasize protecting children’s right to play especially in kindergarten, and the relationship of all play to child development and learning. (See the Promoting Play: Does Developmentally Appropriate Practice = Play? box in Ch. 3 and the Promoting Play: Playful Mathematics Curriculum box in Ch. 10.)