Observing Young Children: Transforming Early Learning through Reflective Practic

The primary focus of this 5th edition of Observing Young Children is to promote observation and encourage pedagogically sound observational practices. Through observation and the creation of pedagogical documentation, we learn about, appreciate, and make visible the daily experiences of children: their dizzy play, their ability to create, their curiosity, their understanding of their world, their capacity for wonder, and their growth and change over time. Through the lens of appreciative inquiry and the cycle of observation, we invite students and practitioners to create a new space in their mind where they can develop transformative ways of teaching and learning with children, families, the early childhood profession, their communities, and the global village. As students and professionals of early childhood education, you will explore and discover the world of children with this text and learn about families and communities. You will be amazed, surprised, and rewarded, for this journey is both a deeply personal and a professional process. We hope that, by studying and applying the content of these chapters and the online site, you will find a meaningful way to tell your own story, as well as the stories of children and families.

Kristine Fenning is an Early Childhood Professor with the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Kristine holds an extensive background in Adult Education, Community College, Resource Consultation, and Early Childhood Education. Prior to her current position, she has fulfilled a number of roles in her 20 years in the field, including Early Childhood Educator, Resource Teacher, Resource Consultant, and Training Coordinator. Kristine has presented various topics at conferences in Canada and the U.S.A., and has authored and published other articles and documents pertaining to Cohort Based Learning, Inclusion, and Supervisory Leadership. In collaboration with Toronto Children's Services and Humber College Child Care Centres / Humber College ITAL, Kristine was a co-developer and co-originator of the professional development system now in place for Early Childhood Educators, Resource Consultants, Supervisors and Directors in Toronto. Kristine's passions are teamwork, educational advocacy, inclusion, observation, assessment, and individual program planning. Kristine continues to be a member of a number of projects involving community partnerships, collaborative learning and inclusion. She is a proud wife and mother of two beautiful daughters who continue to teach her and empower her to make a difference in the lives of others.

Sally has been in the field of early childhood over 30 years as an early childhood educator, resource teacher, elementary school teacher, program advisor for the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ontario, and college/university professor. She has partnered with Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning for a video conferencing project with Regional Training and Resource Centre in Early Childhood Care and Education for Asia in Singapore, published articles, co-presented at the NAEYC, and consulted on projects such as the website for supervisors, http://childcarelearning.on.ca. Sally recently finished teaching at Charles Sturt University Ontario leaving to pursue new horizons in her retirement.