Understanding Early Childhood is an introductory textbook for students on a range of early years, early childhood and childhood studies courses which offers broad and insightful perspectives across a range of themes on the ways in which we understand and study young children. It provides students with a clear, user-friendly introduction to a number of difficult concepts and theories in early childhood education, drawing on research evidence from various countries and reviewing studies about children from different disciplines - including anthropology, economics, history, psychology and sociology.

Key changes planned for the third edition are: Updating the political and policy context throughout as this has moved on substantially