ABSTRACT
This introduction chapter gives an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents very different stories of eleven children and experiences to their first classrooms. The authors in the book challenge some very basic assumptions existing in early childhood practice today. A fundamental principle of early childhood education in the western world has been the acknowledgement of children's individuality. Studies into linguistic and, especially, cultural differences have not exerted much influence on the work of early childhood practitioners. This volume argues against notions of universality or 'naturalness' of learning practices and proposes that educators must take account of the multiple pathways of learning in children's worlds. Although many of our eleven children appear to begin school with all the odds against them, the authors look with optimism to each child's future success.
