Summary

Teaching Grade R promotes a participatory and child-centred approach to learning, based on a pedagogy of play that positions the children as active learners and encourages teachers to become

critically reflective practitioners. This pedagogy of play is explained in detail in the book, and suggestions and pointers are given as to how this pedagogy can be used in classroom practice.

This second edition includes:

-Updated theories and debates in relation to child development and insights gained through neuroscience

-Alternative constructions of children, both from a sociological and in particular an African perspective, have been considered

-A new section on self-care of the teacher

-The inclusion of the environment as the third teacher

-A further exploration of alternative informal assessment approaches including pedagogical documentation

-Laying a foundation for IT literacy through ECD-appropriate coding

-Using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and

-Mathematics) to enhance the integrated curriculum. Contents include: -What is Grade R?

-Perspectives on early childhood education

-Guiding principles of the Grade R curriculum, teaching, and learning

-Knowing the Grade R child

-Who is the Grade R teacher?

-The broader community

-An optimal learning environment

-Teaching and learning

-Assessment

-Learning and teaching through play

-Pathway to literacy

-Language diversity:

-Teaching a second language in Grade R

-Early concept development in mathematics/numeracy

-Life Skills