Major Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education

This revised and updated edition provides essential social, historical, and philosophical perspectives in the field of early childhood education. Leading scholars and practitioners examine a variety of today’s most significant and challenging subjects, including child development research, play, program models, assessment, diversity, inclusion, public policy, and advocacy.

New for the Second Edition!

• Definitions and metaphors for the major terms—trends, issues, controversies, and challenges—that serve as the organizational structure for the book.
• A chapter delineating the issues on emergent literacy development, such as emergent literacy versus reading readiness, reading aloud versus phonemic awareness, and print skills versus books.
• An easy-to-use three-part organization—Child and Family Issues, Curricular Trends and Issues Affecting Practice, and Policy and Professional Development Issues.

Joan Packer Isenberg is Professor of Education and Director of the Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning Program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and Mary Renck Jalongo is a professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and editor-in-chief of Early Childhood Education Journal.

“An excellent introduction to the complexity of contemporary challenges confronting professionals working with young children….Highly recommended for undergraduates.”

—Choice, reviewing first edition

“Isenberg and Jalongo have pulled together a worthy collection of writing by well-known early childhood educators.”

—Childhood Education, reviewing first edition