ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an overview of the key findings of the project ‘Makerspaces in the Early Years: Enhancing Digital Literacy and Creativity’ (MakEY). It outlines the empirical studies conducted in each of the countries involved in the MakEY study: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Romania, the United Kingdom and the USA. The book focuses on a rich range of data collected in the case-study sites to examine a range of themes, including how making is framed within both formal and non-formal learning contexts, the kinds of pedagogical strategies that best support young children’s learning. It considers the ways in which children’s learning can be supported in makerspaces, and they include an analysis of the relationships with parents and others who do not have a formal learning agenda but do have a vision of what they think making can accomplish for their children.
