Contemporary debates in childhood education and development / edited by Sebastian Suggate and Elaine Reese.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. I. What are the purposes of education? -- 1. The purpose of education - a "post-liberal" perspective / Bo Dahlin -- 2. Intellectual goals in the early years / Lilian G. Katz -- 3.De Groot's lesson / John Sweller -- pt. II. What is the effect of non-parental childcare on child development? -- 4. Why non-maternal childcare can be good for children and families: research and policy implications / Allison De Marco -- 5. Delegated parenting: some neuroendocrine reservations / Aric Sigman -- pt. III. Is shared book-reading an indispensable ingredient of responsible parenting? -- 6. Shared book-reading: there is no downside for parents / Catherine Mcbride-Chang -- 7. The tyranny of shared book-reading / Elaine Reese -- pt. IV What should be done to foster children's mathematical development in the preschool years? -- 8. Mathematics for the whole child / Douglas H. Clements -- 9. Fostering mathematical thinking through playful learning / Roberta M. Golinkoff -- pt. V. What is the role of digital media in early education? -- 10. Extending opportunities for learning: the role of digital media in early education / Christine Stephen -- 11. The inappropriateness of ICT in early childhood: arguments from philosophy, pedagogy, and developmental research / Richard House -- pt. VI How is school readiness best fostered? -- 12. Promoting school readiness: an integrative framework / Annemarie H. Hindman -- 13. School readiness and school's readiness: on the child's transition from preschool to school / Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson -- pt. VII Is academic skill acquisition important during preschool and kindergarten? -- 14. Understanding the contributions of early academic skills to children's success in school / Beth M. Phillips -- 15. The importance of balance in early childhood programs / Rebecca Marcon -- pt. VIII. Is it important for children to acquire reading skills in preschool and kindergarten? -- 16. Why is it important for children to begin learning to read in kindergarten? / Linnea C. Ehri -- 17. Watering the garden before a rainstorm: the case of early reading instruction / Sebastian P. Suggate -- pt. IX. What are the best ways to develop primary school children's mathematical abilities? -- 18. The importance of reasoning and of knowing the number system when children begin to learn about mathematics / Terezinha Nunes -- 19. Towards proficiency: the Chinese method of teaching mathematics to children / Yujing Ni -- pt. X Is phonological awareness causally important in the acquisition of reading and spelling? -- 20. Re-impact of phonological awareness on the acquisition of literacy / Nicole Berger -- 21. Increasing awareness of phonological awareness - helpful or misleading? / Renate Valtin -- pt. XI What form should reading instruction in kindergarten and elementary school take? -- 22. Contemporary reading acquisition theory: the conceptual basis for differentiated reading instruction / William E. Tunmer -- 23. Toward better teaching: revising the fundamentals of learning to read / Claire M. Fletcher-Flinn -- pt. XII. What is the pedagogical value of homework? -- 24. The changing debate: from assigning homework to designing homework / Frances L. Van Voorhis -- 25. What the evidence says and what we need to investigate / Peter Tymms -- pt. XIII Is regular standardized assessment important for childhood education? -- 26. The benefits of regular standardized assessment in childhood education: guiding improved instruction and learning / John Hattie -- 27. Developments in standardized assessment: a perspective from the UK / Christine Merrell -- pt. XIV What is the role of the modern educator in fostering moral values and virtues? -- 28. On the educational value of moral virtues: some lessons from ancient philosophy / David Carr -- 29. The pursuit of virtue as an aim of education / Richard Pring.

"What are the risks and benefits of non-parental care for young children? What are the short- and long-term effects of academically vs. play-focused environments for learning? How and when should we teach reading? Should educators attempt to foster the development of children 's imagination? Psychologists and researchers have not reached a consensus about some of the most pressing questions facing educators and parents. Contemporary Debates in Childhood Education and Development is a unique resource and reference work that brings together leading international researchers and thinkers, with divergent points of view, to discuss contemporary problems and questions in childhood education and developmental psychology. Its aim is to inform readers of both sides of a variety of issues, and in the process encourage constructive communication and fresh approaches. Importantly, this book adopts an innovative format similar to a debate, whereby leading scholars with different viewpoints will be asked to write a contribution on each topic, spanning a broad spectrum of contemporary issues affecting child development. Areas covered include: - Phonic and whole language reading approaches The developmental effect of non-parental childcare The value of pre-school academic skill acquisition Standardized assessment does it work? The role of electronic media and technology The pedagogical value of homework Year round schooling for struggling pupils The value of parents reading to children. This book combines breadth of vision with the cutting edge of research and is a must have resource for researchers, students and policy makers in the fields of education and child development." -- Publisher's information.

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