Against a backdrop of ever-changing government initiatives and strategies, it is essential that you have a firm vision for the roles and purposes of education to inform your interpretation of education.This accessible and engaging book provides you with the scaffolding to develop your reflective practice as you journey towards developing your own philosophy of education. It enables you to consider how your aspirations and vision can be enacted in practical ways in the classroom and provides a means to evaluate and analyse your own practice. The structure of the book and its individual chapters guides you through supported reflective activities and case study examples so that the exploration of educational philosophy is thoroughly grounded in professional practice.The book offers:Supported reflection on values underpinning primary educationPractical examples to set theory within contextAn issues-based approach to pedagogy and curriculumExamples of philosophy and practice developed by practitionersWith its wide range of thought-provoking ideas, examples and case studies, this is an excellent resource if you are thinking about becoming a teacher, training to teach or beginning your teaching career. This book reaffirms in a very readable and engaging way the liberal, humane values that have informed, and still inform, the work of so many primary schools and teachers. It challenges its readers to engage personally with both values and vision. This is particularly necessary in the current context where primary education is in danger of being replaced by primary schooling through government diktat. The book is part of the principled resistance necessary to combat this menace to English childhood and teacher professionalism. Colin Richards, former senior HMI and Emeritus Professor, University of Cumbria, UKA book putting children at the centre of education is a rare delight. It sloughs away the boredom of government directives and the 'compliant culture' (Compton) that follows. Chapters begin with eye-catching vignettes about learning. The text is evocatively written and, like a good novel, has memorable nuggets at regular intervals: e.g. Taylor's 'curiosity is all about possibilities.' The book delivers practical approaches for student/teachers by practitioners. It is refreshing in its willingness to articulate values. Kimaliro and Woolley present the challenge for us all: 'how can teachers make possible the dreams that are to shape tomorrow's pathways?'Dr Trevor Kerry, Emeritus Professor, University of Lincoln, UK & Visiting Professor, Bishop Grosseteste University, UKThis book enters the initial teacher education field almost like a breath of fresh air because it reminds us of children and their worlds. The contributors tackle some of the 'big ideas' in education and provide a strong foundation for those students in initial teacher education who might be seeking to make sense of their emerging role as educators. Each of the chapters contextualises its theme within the recognisable curriculum orthodoxies of primary education but seeks to expand these margins and place children once again at the centre of the curriculum. The editors deserve congratulations in remind all of us about the purposes of primary education.Dr Robyn CoxAssociate Professor Literacy Education, Strathfield Faculty of EducationAustralian Catholic University, AustraliaContributors: Ashley Compton; Linda Cooper; Karen Elvidge; Nigel Hutchinson; Eunice Kimaliro; Lindy Nahmad-Williams; Rachael Paige; Mike Steele
