Table of Contents

PART I Events Influencing the Froebel Early Education Project
1. In the Beginning
2. Evolution of Early Education Provision
3. Research in Quality Education and Pedagogy
4. Towards a Constructivist Pedagogy
PART II The Findings of the Froebel Early Education Project
5. From Marks to Meanings: The Language Of Lines
6. From Action To Thought
PART III Continuities from Earlier to Later Patterns of Thought
7. Continuities in Form and Meanings
8. Speech and Writing In Relation To Schemas
9. Continuity Between Schemas and Concepts
10. Parental Participation and Extended Experience

About the Author

Chris Athey, M Ed, was Principal Lecturer in Education at the Roehampton Institute of Higher Education (RIHE). Funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, she directed the Froebel Early Education Project from 1973 to 1978. She has taught all ages of primary-school children in State and private schools. She has considerable experience of initial teacher training and INSET.

Reviews

′This book remains a tremendous achievement and merits the attention of educators, parents and scholars alike. Extending thought and the Froebel Project continue to inform appropriate practice and should be on the bookshelf of every early years educator and researcher′ -
Early Years ′Chris Athey has made a major contribution to our understanding of how young children think and how educators and parents can best support their learning. This book is, without doubt, a most important text for all who are concerned to maximise the potential of early childhood education to develop effective ways of working with young children. The book explores children′s schematic development and offers ways of teaching which are closely matched to children′s actions, speech and graphic representations. This second edition of Extending Thought builds on the scholarly approach of the first and provides readers with clear explanation of relevant research alongside rich observations of children. It is essential reading for all who seek to provide the very best of learning opportunities for young children by bring parents, professionals and informed pedagogy together in a thoughtful and informed partnership of learning. Extending Thought is a major building block for many of us who study young children′s capacity to think and learn′ - Dr Cathy Nutbrown, Reader in Education, University of Sheffield Praise for the 1st edition: `This is a detailed report on the difficult area of children′s cognitive development within an early childhood education programme from 2-5 years. It is a clear example of a high-quality programme demonstrating what excellence can achieve′ - Early Education