About the Book
Play Is Important Work
As an early childhood educator, you know
how important play is for young children. You also know that selecting the
right play materials to include in your program matters; there are so many
options, and often your budget does not stretch to cover everything. With this
book, discover ideas for both familiar and new play materials and how those
materials support the cognitive, social and emotional, and physical learning
and development of children from birth to age 3.
This practical, easy-to-read resource
- Presents foundational information organized
around the who, why, how, and what of using play materials to support very
young children's learning and development
- Provides suggestions for play materials
and describes why they are useful for different aspects related to each
learning and development domain
- Includes safety considerations and tips
on a range of topics, including climbing, choking hazards, and interacting with
animals
- Recommends more than 75 children's books
that go hand-in-hand with each learning and development domain
With a thoughtful selection of
appropriate play materials, you can enhance the quality of your program by
creating an environment and providing experiences that enable all children to
thrive.
About the Author:
Mary Benson McMullen, PhD, is professor of early childhood
education at Indiana University (IU), where she has been on faculty since 1993.
She received a BS from Michigan State University and earned MS and PhD degrees
in child development from Florida State University. During and after her
graduate education, she worked as a teacher of infants, toddlers, and
preschoolers and then as an early childhood program director, before accepting
her position at IU. At IU, she teaches courses to preservice and in-service
early childhood teaching professionals, as well as to doctoral students who
plan to become early childhood teacher education scholars. Mary's primary
research interests involve factors that influence quality early care and
education for infants and toddlers; the healthy overall growth, development,
learning, and well-being of young children (birth through age 5); teaching
beliefs and practices across cultures and contexts; and factors that influence
and ensure the well-being of professionals who care for young children. She has
published dozens of articles for both research and teaching journals, as well
as numerous book chapters. She is coeditor of the 2019 book
The Wiley Handbook of Early Childhood Care
and Education. Mary lives in Bloomington, Indiana, where she and her husband
of 40 years raised their three sons.
Dylan Brody (they/them), MSEd, is a doctoral
student at the University of Georgia. They are currently the graduate research
assistant for the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, with a focus
on critical studies. Dylan began working as a full-time teacher with infants
and toddlers in 2010 and fell deeply in love with the complexity of teaching
young children. They worked collaboratively with a coteacher in a setting that
utilizes a continuity of care model, providing Dylan the space and support
needed to build intimate and meaningful connections with children and their
families over the course of a three-year cycle. This time allowed them to
create a more deeply reflective teaching practice and mindful rapport with
families through daily moments of trust building. Dylan's primary research and
teaching interests focus on ethics, equity, critical theory, mindfulness, and
advocacy for fellow teachers who experience marginalization. They prioritize
care practices and policies that allow all members of the community to feel
safer to be themselves and challenge the barriers in place that might prevent
success for all. Dylan hopes to work more closely in the future with early
childhood teachers in the LGBTQ+ community and to further advocate for trans
visibility and representation in the field. Dylan currently lives in Athens,
Georgia, with their beloved cat, Bean.
