Book Review Assignment
Book Review Assignment
Book Review Assignment
The research paper “Children’s early learning and development “talks about the theories
and the research on children’s early learning and development. The paper tries to explain
what teachers as well as other stakeholders of education should understand about how
children learn and develop.
The paper intends to stimulate public dialogue on children early learning and development.
The writer begins by outlining the context for early childhood education and development in
Ireland by emphasizing the economic, the social climate, the multicultural nature of the
Ireland society and the relevant policy and legislation backing the educational system in the
country.
The paper describes the modern day child as being competent learner and being able to
make choices refuting the idea of viewing the child as a tabula rasa or empty vessel needed
to be filled with knowledge.
It stresses that the modern day early childhood care and development is no longer
dominated by individualistic developmental explanations for learning and development but
also enhanced by several theories of education that talk about cultural and socially
constructed nature of learning.
The paper highlights the relationship between learning and development within the social
context and stresses that the child develop not in isolation but several stakeholders
contribute to their development. It mentions the family, neighborhood, community, public
policies, school and society as the major stake holders of education. It presents a message
that children early learning and development is the responsibility of the whole society.
He also provides summary at the end of each heading to enable readers get the main ideas
he put across at that chapter.
He acknowledges all the authorities and a source where he retrieved information from and
this will enable readers to make further enquires about the authenticity of his information.
He also outlines relevant legislation and policies which backed the changes in the early
childhood education and development in Ireland.
He quoted some theories and authorities in supporting his argument that children early
learning and development is the responsibility of the whole society.
He elaborates on the equality and diversity among children and stresses that children should
be treated equally and should not be discriminated on the bases of religion, color, age, tribe
etc.
He quoted the United Nation Convention on the right of child (1989) to support his claim.
He provided a modern conceptual view of the child and stressed that we should eschew old
ways of viewing the child as tabula rasa,
The author quoted several authorities so it is very difficult to find his own ideas and contributions.
He also did not talk about the fact the child should be brought up in the God fearing. ‘The fear of God
is the beginning of wisdom’ (proverb 9:10). Therefore if we want the child to develop intellectually
we should inculcate in them God fearing.
Also, explaining the brain development of the child, he could have represented it diagrammatically
for understanding of the reader rather than mere description. This makes it difficult for reader to
capture what he means.
Besides, the title he chose for the paper was too general knowing that the research was purposely
done for Ireland society.
Last he did not stress much about the relationship between the child and the school especially the
teacher who is one of the key players of early development of the child.
I want to conclude by emphasizing that Children early learning and development is the responsibility
of the whole society therefore all the stakeholders of education must play their part in the
upbringing of the child.
I will recommend that teachers, parents, and other stakeholders of education get a copy of this book
to serve as a guide in their upbringing of a child.
I will also recommend that the author includes the relationship between God fearing and the child
development.
I will also recommend that there should be a detailed explanation on how the school contributes to
the early childhood learning and development.