ABSTRACT

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. 

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

ByDaniel R. Meier, Stephanie Sisk-Hilton

part I|42 pages

Science, Nature, and Inquiry: Theoretical and Practical Foundations

chapter 1|20 pages

Science, Nature, and Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood

ByDaniel R. Meier

part II|62 pages

Setting as Teacher

chapter 3|13 pages

Babies and Nature

The Act of Noticing in Infancy
ByCamille T. Dungy

chapter 4|18 pages

Overcoming Our Fears

Embarking on a Nature Journey
ByGita Jayewardene

chapter 5|17 pages

Naturally Speaking

Children and Teachers in Dialogue with Nature
ByDarcy Campbell, Kelsey Henning, Shawna Thompson

chapter 6|12 pages

Discovering the Brilliance and Beauty in Black

ByPatricia Sullivan

part III|66 pages

Children Explore the Forest – The Power of Wild Spaces in Childhood

chapter 7|11 pages

Children Explore the Forest

The Power of Wild Spaces in Childhood
ByAnna Golden

chapter 8|15 pages

Putting the Forest on the Map

Using Documentation to Further Natural Inquiry
ByMarty Gravett

chapter 9|17 pages

Nature Education and the Project Approach

ByJean A. Mendoza, Lilian G. Katz

chapter 10|21 pages

Nature-Based Exploration to Support Language Development and Inquiry with Preschool Dual Language Learners

ByIsauro M. Escamilla, Sahara Gonzalez-Garcia, Alicia Alvarez

part IV|60 pages

Child Agency in Nature Education

chapter 11|19 pages

Promoting Nature Study for Toddlers

ByMabel Young

chapter 12|19 pages

From Fear to Freedom

Risk and Learning in a Forest School
ByHeather B. Taylor

chapter 13|20 pages

Studying Nature

ByJana Walsh