Recent Perspectives on Preschool Education and Care

The preschool period is a period in which children investigate and try to get to know their environment, are willing to communicate with their environment and begin to acquire the value judgments of the society they live in and the behaviors and habits appropriate to the cultural structure of that society. In this period when the foundations of personality are laid, the child needs conscious guidance in home, school, and social life. By providing appropriate educational opportunities in the early years, the development of children¿s self-care, mind, language, social, emotional, and motor skills can be supported. In a preschool education institution that is well prepared in terms of physical conditions and educational programs, the children learn to establish friendships, cooperate, and develop their skills. Developing human potential to its highest limits is only possible with the opportunities provided in the early years. This book provides a comprehensive overview of preschool education. Chapters address such topics as the importance of literacy, pedagogical leadership, high-quality preschool education, and preschool improvement practices. They also discuss the role of theater in childhood education and community approaches to funding and support. Furthermore, the book examines childhood obesity; connecting home, school, and communities; childcare social enterprises; teacher quality and professional development; motor, cognitive, nutritional, metabolic, and epigenetic influences on early childhood; and instructional and interactional aspects of childhood education.