Early Childhood Practice

Bruce, a Froebel-trained teacher who has taught in mainstream and special schools in the UK, China, and Egypt, brings together 12 essays by Froebel-trained early childhood teachers and classroom assistants from the UK who examine Froebelian practice in the twenty-first century. They explore how the work of Friedrich Froebel continues to be a resource for early childhood practitioners today and describe his holistic approach and emphasis on the family, community, and wider world. They detail applications of his principles related to the importance of nature, the arts (including family songs and hand and finger rhymes), home learning in the family, and creating environments conducive to learning, with discussion of wooden block play, construction and workshop experiences, and cooking. Essays are drawn from recent conferences at Edinburgh U. and the U. of Roehampton, London, UK. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)