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Understanding Schemas and Young Children
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Understanding Schemas and Young Children
From Birth to Three



April 2013 | 224 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Shortlisted for the 2013 Nursery World Awards!

'This exciting book will greatly enhance understanding of learning throughout the early years, and reinforces the importance of responsive professionals who understand children's schemas. Atherton and Nutbrown have brought together socio-cultural and cognitive learning theories with ease, and their metaphors are brilliantly evocative'
-Dr Anne Meade, Consultant

'This book is drawn from a study carried out with rigour and contains several gems, such as the 'bike and slide exploration'; the idea of adults engaging in 'a dialogue of conceptual correspondence' with children; and tables outlining 'what the children might have been thinking'. A great read!'
-Dr Cath Arnold, Pen Green Early Years Centre

'This is an exciting and illuminating account of babies and toddlers, following their schema fascinations with determination and competence, as they continually explore and experiment and come to know their world. This book captivated me. It should be in every early childhood education setting'
-Pam Cubey

This is the first book to focus specifically on Schemas and children under three. The authors trace the development of schemas from motor level through to symbolic representation, and show how to use schema theory to understand young children's learning and behaviour.

This accessible and student-friendly book includes:

-activities and discussion points

-links to policy and practice

-descriptive observational material

-a look at the ethics of this kind of research

-numerous photographs and illustrations

-suggestions for follow-up reading

The book is aimed at early childhood professionals and practitioners in ECEC settings, as well as those on initial training courses, teacher education, Early Years courses, and higher degrees.

 
Acknowledgements
 
About the Author
 
Foreword
 
PART ONE: KNOWING ABOUT SCHEMAS
 
Introduction
 
Schemas and the Youngest Children
 
Observing Children: Spotting Schemas
 
PART TWO: HOW DO CHILDREN UNDER THREE PURSUE THEIR SCHEMAS? 'ALL ABOUT HENRY'
 
Henry's Containing and Enveloping Schema
 
Henry's Back and Forth Schema
 
Henry's Dynamic Vertical Schema
 
Henry's Mark Making and Figurative Representations
 
PART THREE: DEVELOPMENTAL JOURNEYS: TRACING DEVELOPMENTS IN CHILDREN'S THINKING FROM MOTOR TO SYMBOLIC BEHAVIOURS
 
Containing and Enveloping Schema
 
Going through a Boundary Schema
 
Dynamic Vertical Schema
 
Stories from Home
 
Epilogue
 
Bibliography
 
Name Index
 
Subject Index

'I am very excited about this book. It fills many gaps: the age group focused on, the integration of theory with observations of schema learning, effective learning and teaching in play settings.

Atherton and Nutbrown have followed in the footsteps of other important researcher-theorists in studying young children in depth over a long period of time (18 months). They listened intently to what seven children were 'telling' them about their patterns of thought whilst attending a day care setting - including without spoken language to begin with. The authors demonstrate that babies and toddlers are "astonishing thinking things" when adults get to know them differently through observing their play from a schematic perspective.

Dozens of detailed observations of schematic development are provided that enrich practitioner and academic understanding of how very young children learn. The authors integrate

theoretical and research knowledge following each observation by precisely matching quotations from Athey, Piaget, Rogoff, Gardner or other learning theorists with the point the child has demonstrated about learning. Atherton and Nutbrown "walk their talk" albeit at an academic level. In discussing the role of practitioners in early years settings, they assert the need for precise matching of adult talk to the children's thinking concerns and challenge practitioners to provide a conceptual response to children's thinking - and they mean concepts that many would expect from school learning. They provide practical and specific illustrations of how this can be done in connection with the main forms of thought that babies and toddlers demonstrate as they explore the material world.

With socio-cultural learning theory gaining prominence in the field of early education, attention to children learning about schema and mathematic and scientific concepts declined for a time. I am confident that this book will reverse that. Atherton and Nutbrown have brought together socio-cultural and cognitive learning theories with ease in their synthesis of the literature, in theorising the schema stories about the children, in providing "stories of the characteristics of effective learning", and in stories about strengthening children's dispositions and understanding of the world. Their metaphors are brilliantly evocative; for example, adults should be "learning accomplices" of children showing "compatible like-mindedness".

This book will greatly enhance understanding of learning throughout the early years, not just of babies and toddlers, and reinforces the importance of responsive professionals who understand children's schemas. It details how communication with family members at home enhances the opportunities for matched learning encounters between adults and children'
-Dr Anne Meade, Consultant


'This book makes a welcome and valuable contribution to the recent literature on young children and schemas. It strengthens and supports findings of earlier studies and focuses on a younger age group. It is drawn from a study carried out with rigour and contains several 'gems', such as 'the bike and slide exploration'; the idea of adults engaging in 'a dialogue of conceptual correspondence' with children; 'attuned accompaniment' and tables outlining 'what the children might have been thinking'. A great read!'
-Dr Cath Arnold, Pen Green Early Years Centre


'This is an exciting and illuminating account of babies and toddlers, following their schema fascinations with determination and competence, as they continually explore and experiment and come to know their world.

A most valuable resource not only for early years practitioners working with the youngest children, but also for those responsible for the over threes, indeed, for anyone desiring to learn more about using the schematic approach.

The complex skills of the "attuned matched learning encounters" between adults and children and the vital partnership between practitioners and parents are woven throughout the report.

This book captivated me. It should be in every early childhood education setting'
- Pam Cubey



[This book] is original in the way that it situates schema theory in the context of other contemporary theories about care, learning and development, and also original in its specific focus on babies and toddlers. The observations of these very young children’s activities and their play are strikingly written; the book is exceptional for the quality of its material and the skilful ways in which narratives from children’s lives are presented.

Julian Grenier, Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre, London
Early Years: An International Research Journal

Very useful for individuals who would like a greater understanding of schemas, particularly within the under-researched area of birth to three

Mr Joe Murdoch
Childhood Studies, Isle of Wight College
February 1, 2016

A very useful, well written, easy to understand text about children's schemas.

Miss Alyson Lewis
Department of Educational Studies, Bath Spa University
September 29, 2015

Nutbrown is widely used on most early years courses and this book fulfils many of the course objectives and initiates many discussion opportunities and points of reference for critical analysis.

Mrs Terrie A Blaszczyk
Education Department, Roehampton University
August 20, 2015

Helpful insight into children's play and why they do what they do the way they do.

Ms Dawn O'Connell
Centre for Youth Ministry, St John's College
June 9, 2015

This is an excellent text for students on early childhood programs. Accessible to students for level 4 and upwards.

Mrs Michelle Rogers
Centre for Early Childhood, University of Worcester
April 29, 2015

Very thorough and pertinent to child development and professional studies

Mrs Jenny Carpenter
Faculty of Education & Theology, York St John University
February 22, 2015

A very clear book which explains clearly schemas.

Miss Katie Lee
Early Years Department, Solihull College
January 1, 2015

Informative, accessible and comprehensive text suitable for all students and practitioners. Great for study and for developing or updating practice.

Ms Caroline Brooks
Childcare & Early Years, Sheffield College
September 16, 2014

Sample Materials & Chapters

Sample chapter (Chapter 1)


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