Theorists and their developmental theories

ABSTRACT

Major developmental theories been a resource to early childhood education researchers and educators. They help to explain how child development unfolds, sources of vulnerability and protection that influences child development, and how the course of development may be altered by prevention and intervention efforts. Understanding factors which may support or compromise development and integrating this knowledge into their work with children and their families are key to supporting healthy developmental outcomes and creating trusting partnerships with caregivers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Russian word, perezhivanie, is derived from two root components pere, meaning ‘through’, and zhivat and zhiv, meaning ‘to live’. Perezhivanie therefore expresses an idea of ‘lived through’ experience. (Michel, 2016, p. 6).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olivia N. Saracho

Olivia N. Saracho is Professor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Maryland. She has conducted many studies in the area of play focusing on areas such as literacy, cognitive style and many others. She is widely published in the field of early childhood education. She is editor of the Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children, 4th ed. (2021, Routledge) and the series on Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education (Information Age). She is the author of An integrated play-based curriculum for young children (2021, Routledge).

Roy Evans

Roy Evans is Editor in Chief of Early Child Development and Care, a position he has held since 1977. He is Visiting Professor of Early Childhood Education in the School of Education at the University of Northampton. Prior to his retirement from full time work, Roy was Professor of Education and Head of the School of Education at Brunel University, London. Since the late 1960s, he has authored numerous books in the field of early childhood and special education, published regularly in various scholarly journals, and lectured internationally on the social integration of young children and features of the environment which represent risks to children's normal development. In 1999, the Royal Society of Arts recognized Roy for his scholarly research and publications; therefore, the Society elected him to be a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), which is awarded to scholars in the world that the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) identifies and determines to have made important achievements to social progress and development. He is also Chief International Editor of the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, a journal that publishes research on adolescents and youth across international contexts.