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What If Everybody Understood Child Development?
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What If Everybody Understood Child Development?
Straight Talk About Bettering Education and Children's Lives



June 2015 | 160 pages | Corwin

Understand the connection between how kids grow and how they learn 

Rae Pica knows what she’s talking about. With over 35 years in the field of education, she’s realized that what’s missing from our approach to schooling is an understanding of the connection between how children develop and how they learn. In this collection, Pica keeps children front and center as she provides thought-provoking commentary and actionable insights on topics such as the Common Core, the self-esteem movement, and standardized testing. You’ll find

  • 29 short essays on topics critical to best practice in child development and education
  • Opinions of experts supported by research and anecdotal evidence
  • Real-life stories shared by teachers and parents
  • References to related articles and interviews with experts 

With its unflinching look at well-meaning initiatives that may be holding students back, this pocket-sized powerhouse of educational philosophy is sure to inspire discussion about our schools. 

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Introduction
 
Part I. Understanding Children
 
1. All Children Are Not the Same
 
2. The Earlier the Better?
 
3. The Power of Joy
 
4. Bubble Wrapping Not Required
 
5. When Did a Hug Become a Bad Thing?
 
6. Teaching Girls They’re More Than a Pretty Face
 
7. Doing Away With the “Baby Stuff”
 
8. “But Competition Is Human Nature”
 
9. Terrorist Tots?
 
Part II. Understanding the Mind/Body Connection
 
10. The Myth of the Brain/Body Dichotomy
 
11. Why Does Sitting Still Equal Learning?
 
12. In Defense of Active Learning
 
13. “Play” Is Not a Four-Letter Word
 
14. The Body Matters, Too
 
15. Reading, Writing, ’Rithmetic . . . and Recess
 
16. Why Kids Need “Gym”
 
Part III. Understanding Developmentally Appropriate Practice
 
17. In Defense of Authentic Learning
 
18. Who Should Lead the Learning?
 
19. The Trouble With Testing
 
20. Failure Is an Option
 
21. Should We Teach Handwriting in the Digital Age?
 
22. Just Say “No” to Keyboarding in Kindergarten
 
23. iPads or Play-Doh?
 
24. The Homework Debate
 
25. In Defense of the Arts
 
26. No More “Good Job!”
 
27. Bribes and Threats Work, But . . .
 
28. Time to Give Time-Out a Time-Out
 
29. “You’re Outta Here!”

"While I was teaching my child development courses, I always had my students read What if Everybody Understood Child Development? Every week they'd be required to read two or three assigned chapters and write a reflection on what they took away or learned and how they could apply it in their classrooms and homes. Over the many years I taught, students would tell me that this was the only book that they read in its entirety and/or shared with others. Thank you for you work in helping to preserve children's childhood."

Michele McDowell
Retired Professor of Early Childhood Studies, Ohlone College, CA
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Sample Materials & Chapters

Table of Contents

Preface


For instructors

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ISBN: 9781483381848
£22.99