Intentional Leadership for Effective Inclusion in Early Childhood Education and Care: Exploring Core Themes and Strategies

Intentional leadership is essential for creating an inclusive culture in which all children, with or without disabilities, can participate fully in daily life and learning. This book recognizes diverse manifestations of special educational needs and provides guidance on how to embrace them within inclusive mainstream settings. It emphasizes robust and purposeful leadership that removes barriers to learning, changes attitudes and values, motivates staff, and prioritizes holistic learning opportunities. Chapters draw on theoretical models, reflect on international and national policies, and offer in-depth descriptions of behaviors and leadership strategies, practice scenarios, and activities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 186 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2018
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Intentional leadership plays a pivotal role in uniting, motivating, and empowering educators to work towards the common goal of creating a truly inclusive culture where all children, with or without disabilities, are supported and enabled to fully participate in every aspect of daily life and learning. This transformative book recognizes the diverse manifestations of special educational needs, ranging from communication difficulties and learning delays to social and physical disabilities. It explores the ways in which these needs can be embraced within inclusive mainstream settings, emphasizing the importance of robust and purposeful leadership that removes barriers to learning, changes existing attitudes and values, motivates staff, and prioritizes holistic learning opportunities and experiences.

Chapters in this book draw on theoretical models, reflect on international and national policies, and address a range of topics, including:

The Image of the Child: Understanding the unique perspectives and experiences of children with special educational needs.

Physical, Aesthetic, and Temporal Aspects of the Learning Environment: Designing and creating environments that are conducive to learning and support the diverse needs of children.

Relational Pedagogy: Building strong relationships with children, families, and other professionals to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.

Long-, Medium-, and Short-Term Planning: Developing effective planning strategies that align with the individual needs of children and promote their progress and development.

The Role of Assessment: Using assessment practices that are inclusive, equitable, and meaningful to evaluate children's progress and identify areas for support.

Collaborative Working with Parents, Families, and Other Professionals: Building partnerships and collaboration to support children's learning and development.

In-depth descriptions of behaviors and leadership strategies, practice scenarios, and activities are provided to support the readers' understanding and application of these concepts.

Intentional Leadership for Effective Inclusion in Early Childhood Education and Care is a comprehensive guide for students, teachers, and practitioners involved in Early Childhood Education and Care, Social Care, and Early Intervention programs. It offers valuable insights, practical strategies, and resources to promote inclusive practices and create a nurturing and supportive learning environment for all children.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 156 x 233 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138092884