Nature Education with Young Children

Now in a fully updated second edition, Nature Education and Young Children remains a thoughtful, sophisticated teacher resource that blends theory and practice on nature education, children's inquiry-based learning, and reflective teaching.

Reorganized to enhance its intuitive flow, this edition features a Foreword by David Sobel and three wholly new chapters examining nature and literacy in kindergarten, outdoor play and children's agency in a forest school, and the power of nature inquiry for dual language learners. Revised to reflect the latest research and guidelines, this book offers a seamless integration of science concepts into the daily intellectual and social investigations that occur in early childhood.

With a fresh framing of nature exploration in the context of our current educational landscape, this text is a comprehensive guide for educators and students looking to introduce and deepen connections between nature education and teacher inquiry and reflection.

Introduction. Part I. Science, Nature, and Inquiry: Theoretical and Practical Foundations 1. Science, Nature, and Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood [Stephenie Sisk-Hilton] 2. Nature Education and the Power of Inquiry, Documentation, and Reflection [Daniel Meier] Part II. Setting as Teacher 3. Babies and Nature: The Act of Noticing in Infancy [Camille T. Dungy] 4. Overcoming Our Fears - Embarking on a Nature Journey [Gita Jayewardene] 5. Naturally Speaking: Children and Teachers in Dialogue with Nature [Darcy Campbell, Kelsey Henning, and Shawna Thompson] 6. Discovering the Brilliance and Beauty in Black [Patricia Sullivan] Part III. Nature as Support for Representation and Aesthetics 7. Children Explore the Forest: The Power of Wild Spaces in Childhood [Anna Golden] 8. Putting the Forest on the Map: Using Documentation to Further Natural Inquiry [Marty Gravett] 9. Nature Education and the Project Approach [Jean A. Mendoza and Lilian G. Katz] 10. Nature-Based Education to Support Language Development and Inquiry with Preschool Dual Language Learners[Isuaro Michael Escamilla, Sahara Gonzalez-Garcia, and Alicia Alvarez] Part IV. Child Agency in Nature Education 11. Promoting Nature Study for Toddlers [Mabel Young] 12. From Fear to Freedom - Risk and Learning in a Forest School [Heather B. Taylor] 13. Studying Nature [Jana Walsh]