The Classrooms All Young Children Need: Lessons in Teaching from Vivian Paley

by Patricia M. Cooper

Teacher and author Vivian Paley is highly regarded by parents, educators, and other professionals for her original insights into such seemingly everyday issues as play, story, gender, and how young children think. She is also recognized for exposing racism and exclusion in the early childhood classroom. Surprisingly, until now no one has attempted a comprehensive analysis of Paley's work. In The Classrooms All Young Children Need, Patricia M. Cooper takes a synoptic view of Paley's many books and articles, charting the evolution of Paley's thinking while revealing the seminal characteristics of her teaching philosophy. This careful analysis leads Cooper to identify a pedagogical model organized around two complementary principles: a curriculum that promotes play and imagination, and the idea of classrooms as fair places where young children of every color, ability, and disposition are welcome. With timely attention paid to debates about the reduction in time for play in the early childhood classroom, the role of race in education, and No Child Left Behind, The Classrooms All Young Children Need will be embraced by anyone tasked with teaching our youngest pupils.

Genres: Education

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though there were moments when I just wished I was through with this book, I am glad that I read it. As a big fan of Vivian Paley it was interesting to me to read a book all about her work and perspective. It made me realize though, that while I like a lot about Paley's philosophy, that doesn't account for most of what I enjoy about reading her books. Paley writes in a very intimate way that makes you feel like you are sitting with her in her living room while she chats with you about teaching. Reading Cooper's more academic account of Paley's work (of course) had none of this familiar quality...and I missed it. What I did appreciate about Cooper's book though was that it gave me a better understanding of the research and theory based aspects of Paley's work, as well as a better understanding of why some parts of her work are controversial. It also has a practical guide in it for implementing Paley's storytelling and story-acting curriculum in your own classroom. This is a resource I will certainly hang onto.

[Mills College Library]

372.2101 C7781 2009