Paradigm Shifts

Two books published by Exchange Press offer some new ways of looking at traditional early childhood practices.

In a review of Francis Wardle’s popular book, Oh Boy! Strategies for Teaching Boys in Early Childhood, Jerry Parr, President and CEO of Willow Tree Early Education Team, wrote this:

"It's a story that sends a message…that we need a paradigm shift—to our thinking, our training, and our hiring—to recognize the gender imbalance that is putting young boys at great risk of failure. It's a story that urges us as a field to better understand the specific complexities of caring for young boys so that we may fulfill our ultimate promise to provide the highest quality of care possible to all children."

And Rusty Keeler, in his award-winning book, Adventures in Risky Play, discusses how new thinking about outdoor play can provide children a sense of control as they master appropriate risks. He first explains that assuring children’s safety from true harm must be taken as a given, but then goes on to write:

"Opportunities for measured risk-taking can create more able-bodied and self-assured children who will be better equipped to live safer lives in the long run than if we overly protect them to be safe in the momentary short term. If we stop children from being able to come in contact with perceived risky situations or elements in their worlds, we are setting them up to be less able to know how to be safe in the future when we are not around to protect them."

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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