About the Book
Play Is Important Work
As an early childhood educator, you know how important play is for young children. You also know that selecting the right play materials to include in your program matters; there are so many options, and often your budget does not stretch to cover everything. With this book, discover ideas for both familiar and new play materials and how those materials support the cognitive, social and emotional, and physical learning and development of children from birth to age 3.
This practical, easy-to-read resource
Presents foundational information organized around the who, why, how, and what of using play materials to support very young children's learning and development
Provides suggestions for play materials and describes why they are useful for different aspects related to each learning and development domain
Includes safety considerations and tips on a range of topics, including climbing, choking hazards, and interacting with animals
Recommends more than 75 children's books that go hand-in-hand with each learning and development domain
With a thoughtful selection of appropriate play materials, you can enhance the quality of your program by creating an environment and providing experiences that enable all children to thrive.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Part 1: Essential
Questions
Chapter
1: Who? Children from Birth to Age 3
Chapter
2: Why? Supporting Learning, Development, and Well-Being
Chapter
3: How? The Role of Teachers
Chapter
4: What? Curating Play Materials for Very Young Children
In
Your Words
Part 2: Cognitive Learning
and Development
Chapter
5: Play Materials That Help Me Construct Knowledge and Understanding
Chapter
6: Play Materials That Facilitate My Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
Chapter
7: Play Materials That Inspire My Approaches to Learning
In
Your Words
Part 3: Social and
Emotional Learning and Development
Chapter
8: Play Materials That Help Me Understand Myself and Others
Chapter
9: Play Materials That Encourage Me to Express Myself Creatively
Chapter
10: Play Materials That Connect Me to Nature and Science
In
Your Words
Part 4: Physical Learning
and Development
Chapter
11: Play Materials That Help Me Develop My Gross Motor Skills
Chapter
12: Play Materials That Enhance My Fine Motor Skills
Chapter
13: Play Materials That Teach Me About My Body in Space
In
Your Words
Final Thoughts
Appendix A: Highlights of
Learning, Development, and Positive Well-Being
Appendix B: On the
Bookshelf
References
Resources
Index
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Author :
Mary Benson McMullen, PhD, is professor of early childhoodeducation at Indiana University (IU), where she has been on faculty since 1993.She received a BS from Michigan State University and earned MS and PhD degreesin child development from Florida State University. During and after hergraduate education, she worked as a teacher of infants, toddlers, andpreschoolers and then as an early childhood program director, before acceptingher position at IU. At IU, she teaches courses to preservice and in-serviceearly childhood teaching professionals, as well as to doctoral students whoplan to become early childhood teacher education scholars. Mary's primaryresearch interests involve factors that influence quality early care andeducation for infants and toddlers; the healthy overall growth, development,learning, and well-being of young children (birth through age 5); teachingbeliefs and practices across cultures and contexts; and factors that influenceand ensure the well-being of professionals who care for young children. She haspublished dozens of articles for both research and teaching journals, as wellas numerous book chapters. She is coeditor of the 2019 book The Wiley Handbook of Early Childhood Careand Education. Mary lives in Bloomington, Indiana, where she and her husbandof 40 years raised their three sons.
Dylan Brody (they/them), MSEd, is a doctoralstudent at the University of Georgia. They are currently the graduate researchassistant for the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, with a focuson critical studies. Dylan began working as a full-time teacher with infantsand toddlers in 2010 and fell deeply in love with the complexity of teachingyoung children. They worked collaboratively with a coteacher in a setting thatutilizes a continuity of care model, providing Dylan the space and supportneeded to build intimate and meaningful connections with children and theirfamilies over the course of a three-year cycle. This time allowed them tocreate a more deeply reflective teaching practice and mindful rapport withfamilies through daily moments of trust building. Dylan's primary research andteaching interests focus on ethics, equity, critical theory, mindfulness, andadvocacy for fellow teachers who experience marginalization. They prioritizecare practices and policies that allow all members of the community to feelsafer to be themselves and challenge the barriers in place that might preventsuccess for all. Dylan hopes to work more closely in the future with earlychildhood teachers in the LGBTQ+ community and to further advocate for transvisibility and representation in the field. Dylan currently lives in Athens,Georgia, with their beloved cat, Bean.
Review :
This book is an invitation to discuss play materials as
the “right stuff” for supporting whole child development and well-being. It
offers developmental snapshots of the four stages of infancy, lists of
suggested play materials and books appropriate for each stage, and concrete
guidance on how and why to use these resources with infants and toddlers,
making it the perfect guide for infant and toddler teachers and families.
—Diane
M. Horm, George Kaiser Family Foundation Endowed Chair and Director of the Early
Childhood Education Institute (ECEI), University of Oklahoma-Tulsa
This is a wonderful
overview of how to support children from birth to age 3 with a rich selection
of developmentally appropriate play materials. Each idea invites teachers to
engage the hearts and minds of young learners thoughtfully and responsively.
—Peter L. Mangione, Senior Director of Early Childhood
Strategic Initiatives, WestEd
Utilize this enlightening book and you
will experience much joy with children! It offers a full range of practical
play strategies, unique materials, and positive outcomes most appropriate for
healthy human development. Beautifully written and illustrated, this book is an
extraordinary resource for anyone seeking inspiring approaches to play and nurturing
happier, more well-balanced children.
—Walter F. Drew, Founder and Executive Director,
Institute for Self Active Education and Dr. Drew’s Toys
McMullen and Brody offer a
reflective and reader-friendly array of play materials, activities, and
practical suggestions for infant and toddler teachers that inspires quality
interactions and teaching practices. Helpful appendices include highlights of
early development, children’s books that correspond to developmental interests
and needs, and suggestions for further reading. This is an excellent resource
for new teachers!
—Susan L. Recchia, Professor Emeritus, Early Childhood
and Special Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
This thoughtfully crafted book outlines
the learning that happens during play for very young children, providing
readers with the perfect balance of developmental reasoning and application
strategies for immediate use. I will be using this book in my trainings for
infant and toddler teachers going forward.
—Jessi Beedle, Infant/Toddler Early Childhood Education
Specialist, Early Childhood Connections
McMullen and Brody offer clear-eyed
explanations of the what and how of materials
for supporting learning and development. Notably, they also establish why these
open-ended play materials and interactions are important across all areas of
development for infants, toddlers, and twos.
—Nancy File, Professor Emerita, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
