Praise for the first edition: '...represents an enormously rich body of research and expertise focused on the objective of taking into account the social, historical and cultural dimensions of everyday activities in order to better understand children. Will undoubtedly be of interest and value to anyone with a similar concern' - "Early Years Journal". '...an international state-of-the-art early childhood education publication that sets out research-based evidence and critically links this with theory and practice. It is pitched at the graduate level and beyond. Readers will gain more from the book if they have a thorough base understanding of relevant learning and social-cultural theories and an open-mind to appreciate the perspectives presented in this book' - Childforum, New Zealand.This fully revised and up-to-date edition examines sociocultural and historical approaches to current theories of learning in early childhood education. It sets out research-based evidence linking theory and practice in early childhood settings. Written by leading figures in the field, the book extends a strong and traditional theme - the importance of the child's perspective and respect for each child's individual background. Within the context of early years settings, the book is structured around four overall themes: the dynamics of learning and teaching; the nature of knowledge; assessment; and, evaluation and quality. This book is essential reading for undergraduate and advanced courses in early childhood studies. Contents: Research contexts across cultures Part 1 - Conceptualizations of learning and pedagogy in early years settings - Angela Anning, Joy Cullen and Marilyn Fleer Developing a pedagogy of play Scaffolding learning and co-constructing understandings - Elizabeth Wood Exploring critical constructivist perspectives on children's learning - Barbara Jordan Part 2 - The nature of knowledge in early years settings - Glenda MacNaughton The co-construction of an early childhood curriculum Adults co-constructing professional knowledge - Angela Anning Building bridges between literacies - Joy Cullen Part 3 - Assessment in early years settings - Denise Williams-Kennedy The consequences of sociocultural assessment On-entry baseline assessment across cultures - Bronwen Cowie and Margaret Carr Cultural-historical assessment: Mapping the transformation of understanding - Peter Tymms and Christine Merrell Part 4 - Evaluation and quality in early years Settings - Marilyn Fleer and Carmel Richardson Quality teaching in the early years Questioning evaluation quality in early childhood - Iram Siraj-Blatchford Multiple pathways between home and school literacies - Valerie N. Podmore Part 5 - Conclusion - Susan Hill and Susan Nichols A framework for conceptualising early childhood education