Abstract
Understanding Early Childhood: Issues and Controversies takes the reader through an in-depth and insightful journey of the significant issues and debates in a wide range of areas related to early childhood. Helen Penn’s voice is clear through her narratives in each chapter, sometimes offering anecdotal and personal thoughts on particular issues, as well as bringing her professional expertise, knowledge and understanding into the debates and discussions. What is striking throughout this book is the interconnectedness between the issues, so whilst each chapter can be read in its own right, it is useful to read the whole book in order to gain a sense of the importance of how all the constituent chapters contribute to the whole sense of understanding about early childhood. Furthermore, a summary is provided at the end of each chapter, as well as thought-provoking questions and suggestions for further reading.
In chapter 1, ‘Remembering childhood’, Penn offers a quite whimsical opening to the historical context of childhood as a way to encourage the reader to consider culture, context and time in relation to experiences and treatment of children. The discussion develops into consideration of the influence of early experiences on later life, provoking thinking about whether this impacts on the adults we become and warning against making assumptions. Stress is also placed on the subjectivity and personal experiences practitioners cannot help but be influenced by. Penn casts doubt on whether looking at childhood through the ages-and-stages model is the best way to view childhood, and suggests that it is important to note the value of personal experiences and how they influence our understanding. As an opening chapter, the content here offers much food for thought, and leads the reader nicely into the rest of the book.
Chapter 2, ‘Researching reality’, provides a really useful and critical summary of the notion of research and how it can be applied to research with, and of, children. It would be an ideal introduction to research for students in that it explains aspects and types of research, and provides a critical explanation of the credibility of research within studies of childhood and children. In Chapter 3, ‘Not Piaget again’, Penn provides summaries of and critiques a plethora of theorists, ranging from the iconic to the less well known. This is a good starting point for students, whilst at the same time offering a balanced critique. There is a particularly good explanation of the difficulties in trying to understand development.
Whilst there is an awareness of recent developments in the field of brain research and neuroscience, it is clear that we are only at the tip of the iceberg in our understanding. So, if you know nothing about this area, in chapter 4, ‘Genes, neurons and ancestors’, Penn offers a valuable starting point. The section on language acquisition and research and the debates surrounding this, as well as the section on lessons for early childhood help to put the thinking and research into perspective, in addition to providing notes of caution and questioning commonly held assumptions. If anything, this chapter raises more questions and uncertainties than it actually answers. If you are not a scientist at heart, it is still useful to have an understanding – albeit brief – of this area.
Chapter 5, ‘On the other side of the world’, offers a whistle-stop tour of ideas underpinning anthropology, as well as providing the reader with a good sense of concepts such as culture, relating it to childhood and in particular focusing on attachment and child-rearing practices. Again, Penn provides a well-balanced argument representative of a broad range of viewpoints. The notion of culture is threaded through the discussion. Penn writes a very readable section relating to inequality and poverty, and a cynical argument is offered regarding dominant views of child development being based on ideologies underpinning the new liberal, post-colonial westernised view.
Chapter 6, ‘Past, present and future’, is a really useful chapter in helping to provide a succinct overview of historical contexts of how childhood services have been viewed, influenced and developed. For readers who may not be aware of the significance of how politics affects services, this chapter is highly recommended. The introductory paragraph of Chapter 7, ‘Children’s rights and the ethics of childhood’, sets the scene for the complex nature of this area. Tensions are discussed between hopes for children via the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty and the realities worldwide. It is also interesting to note the historical change in how children are viewed, and how there is a much more participatory approach now.
Chapter 8, ‘What it costs and what it’s worth: The economics of early childhood’, helps to explain the importance of economics and how it links to decisions made about policy, thus affecting practitioners and professionals working directly and indirectly with children. There are many interesting and insightful points offered in this chapter, which reflect the knowledge, expertise and interest of the author in this field.
Issues discussed throughout the book regarding working with children are put into perspective very succinctly in Chapter 9, ‘Practice makes no difference’. Penn is able to articulate in a clear and concise way the sorts of important issues which affect practice. This chapter summarises much of the content discussed in prior chapters and addresses it in themes such as ‘play’, ‘aesthetics’, ‘physicality’, and so on. By comparing practice internationally, Penn suggests quite strongly that all of the issues discussed, such as political and economic, as well as cultural understanding and traditions, affect practice, and what ‘works’ or seems ideal in one country may not always be the case for a different country.
In the final chapter, ‘An interdisciplinary approach’, again, Penn summarises with insight the issues and state of early childhood education and care in the UK, alongside some of the debates and issues of political and historical significance.
Throughout Understanding Early Childhood: Issues and Controversies, Penn offers a good amount of critical depth and insightfulness, which pushes the reader to not accept common (mis)conceptions about childhood, and urges through questioning, the importance of not accepting things as fact. Quite often, Penn makes comments in one chapter which link with content in a different chapter; this is useful in illustrating the links between the subject matter. Penn’s voice and personal views and experiences are evident, and this gives the book quite a personal tone, which could make it more accessible to particular audiences. Whilst Penn’s knowledge is predominantly UK-based, her previous international research is embedded into the narratives, and the issues discussed throughout the book reflect this well. This provides quite an international feel and proves that context is important and necessary when considering specific issues.