ABSTRACT

Now in a fully updated second edition, Nature Education and Young Children remains a thoughtful, sophisticated teacher resource that blends theory and practice on nature education, children's inquiry-based learning, and reflective teaching. 

Reorganized to enhance its intuitive flow, this edition features a Foreword by David Sobel and three wholly new chapters examining nature and literacy in kindergarten, outdoor play and children’s agency in a forest school, and the power of nature inquiry for dual language learners. Revised to reflect the latest research and guidelines, this book offers a seamless integration of science concepts into the daily intellectual and social investigations that occur in early childhood.

With a fresh framing of nature exploration in the context of our current educational landscape, this text is a comprehensive guide for educators and students looking to introduce and deepen connections between nature education and teacher inquiry and reflection. 

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

part I|42 pages

Science, Nature, and Inquiry: Theoretical and Practical Foundations

part II|62 pages

Setting as Teacher

chapter 3|13 pages

Babies and Nature

The Act of Noticing in Infancy

chapter 4|18 pages

Overcoming Our Fears

Embarking on a Nature Journey

chapter 5|17 pages

Naturally Speaking

Children and Teachers in Dialogue with Nature

part III|66 pages

Children Explore the Forest – The Power of Wild Spaces in Childhood

chapter 7|11 pages

Children Explore the Forest

The Power of Wild Spaces in Childhood

chapter 8|15 pages

Putting the Forest on the Map

Using Documentation to Further Natural Inquiry

part IV|60 pages

Child Agency in Nature Education

chapter 11|19 pages

Promoting Nature Study for Toddlers

chapter 12|19 pages

From Fear to Freedom

Risk and Learning in a Forest School

chapter 13|20 pages

Studying Nature