ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a broad range of strategies to: support communication, language and interaction in children; support children with physical and motor difficulties; support play and learning; support children with visual difficulties; support children with a hearing impairment; and much more. It suggests that there are spheres of influence within the setting, with concomitant layers of leadership, distributed leadership underpins the need to mobilise leadership expertise at all levels within the setting. The book holds that accessing the physical space is but one step in the journey toward inclusion. It outlines a comprehensive range of strategies to enable educators to ensure children are safe while attending the setting. The book examines the purpose of assessment, describing it as being concerned with what children do and how they do it, as a basis for educational decisions that inform pedagogical approaches, curriculum development and implementation.
