Inclusive Education in the Early Years is an essential resource that will help you to critically understand and actively engage with a rights-based approach to including all children in education.

This new edition explains the importance of changing early years practices, language and mindsets, encouraging and supporting teachers to develop skills, knowledge and confidence in creating inclusive early years learning environments.

KEY FEATURES

• Builds on current research and engages with the field of Disability Studies in Education.
• All new case studies of personal accounts from children, parents and teachers, which highlight the steps to inclusion.
• The Critical Reflection questions and activities help you reflect on your current practice and consider how to improve or develop a skill.
• The end of chapter For Further Reflection exercises encourage you to think about key themes of the book and ignite further discussion.

New chapters in this edition cover the following key topics:

• approaches to developing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and respectfully incorporating languages, culture, knowledge, and histories within everyday practice (Chapter 9 Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives)
• addressing inequality and privilege (Chapter 10, Navigating Social Class and Inequality)
• children’s perspectives of inclusion and exclusion revealed through storying the exploration of everyday lived experiences (Chapter 2 Children as Changemakers)
• highlighting the benefits of mindsets and strategies aligned with equity and inclusivity compared to the problems of ableist practices in schools (Chapter 3 Chronicles of “Inclusion”: Reflections on Graduation Day)
• identifying and challenging barriers to inclusion in early years practice (Chapter 13 Challenging barriers to inclusion in early years practice – one small step after another)
• taking a trauma-informed approach to understanding and responding to behaviour (Chapter 17 Social and Emotional Wellbeing in a Turbulent world)
• addressing diversity through children's literature (Chapter 18 Children’s literature as a tool for inclusion)
• inclusion and exclusion in popular culture (Chapter 19 Representations of diversity in children’s popular media)
• the importance of clear communication as central to inclusion and effective partnerships (Chapter 20 Communication Matters)
• working with teacher's aides to facilitate inclusion (Chapter 23 Working betwixt and between ableist and equitable education: The role of Additional Educators

Section 1: Why inclusive education? Centring children and families
1: For Peace and Power: Understanding inclusive education
2: Children as changemakers
3: Chronicles of 'Inclusion': Reflections on Graduation Day
4: Ableism, Disablism and the Early Years
5: Just words? Language and labelling for inclusive praxis
6: Legislation and Policy for inclusive education in Australia
Section 2: Inclusive education for embracing human diversity
7: Oppositional Approaches Fostering True Inclusion and Full Belonging: The Cultural Nature of Teaching and learning
8: Gender Matters in the Early Years Classroom
9: Including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives
10: Navigating social class and Inequality
11: Supporting Children with Chronic Illness and Health Issues
12: 'Not just being Accepted, but Embraced': Family Perspectives
Section 3: Strategies to Facilitate Inclusion
13: barriers to inclusion -- one small step after another
14: Inclusive Planning: Planning for Everyone
15: Universal and inclusive planning in implementing the curriculum
16: Play and Inclusion
17: Social emotional wellbeing in a turbulent world
18: Children's literature as a tool for inclusion
19: Representations of diversity in children's popular media
Section 4: Working together for inclusive education
20: Communication Matters
21: Family-Centred Practice
22: Inter-professional Practice
23: Working betwixt and between ableist and equitable education: The role of Additional Educators
Section 5: Equitable learning opportunities across the curriculum
24: Inclusive early literacy experiences
25: Inclusive Early Numeracy Experiences
26: Every child an artist: fostering identity and belonging in and through the arts
27: "I know about science and stuff": STEM in an inclusive classroom
28: Equity Education in action: Right from the start

Kathy Cologon , Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Macquarie University

Zinnia Mevawalla , Lecturer, University of Strathclyde

Kathy Cologon is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Inclusive Education at Macquarie University. Zinnia Mevawalla is a Lecturer in Early Years Education at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.