Early Childhood Curriculum: Planning, Assessment and Implementation - Softcover

The third edition of Early Childhood Curriculum provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to curriculum theories and approaches in early childhood and early primary settings. Drawing on a cultural-historical framework for education, the text explores a variety of approaches to learning and teaching and equips readers with the tools to effectively plan, design and implement curriculum strategies. Thoroughly revised and updated, this edition features up-to-date coverage of national curriculum documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework and Te Whāriki, and expanded content on play-based curriculum, assessment and documentation. Key domain areas of the curriculum are explored in depth and have been revised to include updated discussions of environmental factors, digital knowledge and multiliteracies. Each chapter is enriched with learning intentions, definitions of key terms, reflection points, links to current curriculum documents and illustrative case studies to help readers connect theory to practice.

Claire McLachlan is Professor of Education and Head of School, Te Hononga School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, New Zealand. She has lectured on early childhood education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at Auckland University of Technology, Massey University, Auckland, and the University of Waikato, Hamilton and Tauranga, as well as having had various roles as a teacher and manager in early childhood centres. Claire has a longstanding interest in curriculum, particularly early literacy and physical education, and over a 200 publications on various aspects of curriculum, assessment, and planning, including nine books. Claire is a member of the UNESCO-IBE Early Reading Panel and the New Zealand Ministry of Education Early Childhood Research Policy Forum and Teacher Lead Innovation Panel. Claire was also a member of the writing team for the update of Te Whāriki (2017).