Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child: Time for Slow Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education

The book "Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child" explores the relationship with time in early childhood by advocating for slow pedagogies and knowledge. It highlights alternative practices in ECEC that enable a different pace and rhythm, against the backdrop of acceleration and testing. The book is divided into three parts, exploring the pressures to speed up, slow pedagogies, and a time-full approach to ECEC. It serves as a catalyst for discussing the need to slow down in early childhood education and teacher education, with case studies of where slow early childhood education is already happening.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intricate relationship between time and early childhood, advocating for the significance of embracing slow pedagogies and slow knowledge. Alison Clark highlights alternative practices in Early Childhood Education and Care that offer a distinct pace and rhythm, countering the prevailing acceleration in early childhood and the proliferation of testing and measurement. The book explores diverse approaches aimed at fostering an unhurried child and less hurried adults.

Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child is organized into three compelling parts. Part 1, Reasons to be slow, delves into the pressures within Early Childhood Education and Care to accelerate and prepare children for the next stage. It then explores various relationships with time for young children and educators. Part 2, Slow pedagogies and practices, showcases the diverse forms slow practices can take, encompassing outdoor learning, studio experiences, everyday routines, storytelling, pedagogical documentation, and slow research. Part 3, Moving forward, presents a vision of a time-full approach to Early Childhood Education and Care, while engaging in a thoughtful debate about the challenges and possibilities that arise.

This book serves as a powerful catalyst for urgent discussions about the imperative to slow down in early childhood education and teacher education. It provides captivating case studies of where slow early childhood education is already flourishing, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers alike. By taking a longer view, this book underscores the profound importance of valuing time in early childhood and its profound impact on the development and well-being of children.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367508814