ABSTRACT
Children’s experiences may be jeopardised if adults have inadequate, insufficient or inappropriate pedagogical knowledge. Learning about and understanding early years pedagogy, putting that pedagogy into practice, being comfortable with it, confident with it, and being able to articulate it in practice make a crucial difference in the practice of better qualified early years educators. A steady understanding of pedagogy in early years has been emerging, which are informed by historical, theoretical, and research perspectives, giving it distinctive features from other phases of education. At its simplest explanation, pedagogy is what makes a crucial difference in a child’s life. It involves us in distinguishing actively and reflectively what is good, right, and needed for children, and how we do this. Early years pedagogy is distinct, unique, and multifaceted. It contributes to preservation of the spirit of educational freedom that has always been present in early childhood settings. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
