In this book the work of the nursery teacher is explored in depth as the author draws on her own experience as nursery teacher, advisory teacher, nursery school headteacher and specialist consultant, and on the views of teachers working in the field. The teaching of young children has long been undervalued and misunderstood - those who do it well find their role hard to explain because it involves such a wide range of complex responsibilities.
The author sets out to challenge the idea that anyone can work with the ′little ones′ and, in describing, celebrating, and analyzing developments in the most effective nursery education practice, highlights the need for specialist teachers of the highest quality. Since the First Edition was published in 1991, role of the nursery teacher has been undermined further by national and local political initiatives. More and more teachers, not initially trained for the age group, have found themselves working with nursery-aged children, but their need for support has gone largely unrecognized.