Discovering the Culture of Childhood

by Emily Plank, Carol Garhart Mooney (Foreword by)

Overview

View the culture of childhood through a whole new lens. Identify age-based bias and expand your outlook on and understanding of early childhood as a culture. Examine various elements of childhood culture: language, belief economics, arts, and social structure to understand children's dispositions of questioning, engagement, and cooperation.

Emily Plank specializes in play-based education, diversity and culture in early childhood education, and outdoor learning. In 2011, the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children identified Emily as one of seven emerging leaders. She earned her bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University. She and her family currently reside in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605544632
Publisher:	Redleaf Press
Publication date:	07/11/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	781,318
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Emily Plank has worked as a family child care provider, mentor, and adult educator, and as a writer and consultant on workshop presentations and interactive keynotes for educators and families. Her specialties include play-based education, diversity and culture in early childhood education, respectful guidance and discipline, and outdoor learning. In 2011, the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children identified Emily as one of seven emerging leaders in the field of early childhood education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and has lived in various locations around the world. She and her family currently reside in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: "Becoming Outsiders": An Invitation 1

Chapter 1 "It's a Good Thing You're Fat!": Why Culture Matters 15

Chapter 2 "Poison Meat Eaters": The Social Lives of Children 33

Stories from the Field: Trap and Maps 55

Stories from the Field: No Forced Apologies 57

Chapter 3 "We're Stuck!": The Language of Childhood 61

Stories from the Field: The Value of Fenceless Play 86

Chapter 4 "It's Going to Eat Me!" Systems of Belief 89

Stories from the Field: We Know the Difference 112

Stories from the Field: Lions Listen to No! 116

Chapter 5 "This Feels Amazing": Artistic Expression 121

Stories from the Field: "It's a Zoo!" 141

Chapter 6 "Look at Me!": The Economics of Belonging 145

Stories from the Field: Teatime 169

Conclusion: "No One Remains Unchanged" Transformation 171

Group Discussion Guide 177

Resources by Chapter 183

References 188

Index 191

Editorial Reviews

"Regardless of how long you have been working with young children, you'll experience many "aha" moments that will stay with you long after you have put this book down."
— Jenna Bilmes

"No mini-adults here. This book is your passport to new understanding of children and their most baffling behaviors. Emily Plank opens our eyes to see we are everyday travelers in a distinct and foreign land: the culture of childhood."
— Heather Shumaker, It's OK NOT to Share

"The book is filled with meaningful stories that help adults recognize the language of play so they can more fully engage with and support children in play, celebrate children's rich imaginary belief systems rooted in fantasy and make-believe, and explore the curiosity-driven arts and culture of children with a focus on process and child-centered creativity."
— Gaye Gronlund, author of Individualized Child-Focused Curriculum


"When we visit another land we can view the natives’ differences from us as deficiencies, to be judged, or as fascinations, to be understood. Only the latter can lead to real communication. The same is true in our relationships with little children. In this brilliant book, Emily Plank helps us learn to appreciate children for who they are, fully formed children not unformed adults, and thereby overcome our tendency to try always to make them more like us. They will, on their own, become more like us in due time, as they grow naturally into the adult culture." — Peter Gray, Research Professor at Boston College and author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life

From the Publisher