Category Archives: e-book/journal

Free e-textbook: The Well-Being of Children

Posted on March 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

Well-Being of Children coverThis new book explores the questions related to the theory, practice, and policy of the well-being and well-becoming of children.

Studying and promoting the well-being of children is an interdisciplinary task. Furthermore, it has a strong ethical component, since it is connected to the questions of good life and just society. In this book, philosophers and social scientists approach the issue in close dialogue and shed light on some of the most challenging matters involved.

The 176-pages book is divided into two sections:

* Section I: Theories and Concepts of Children’s Well-Being (5 chapters)
* Section II: Children’s Well-Being and Well-Becoming (4 chapters)

The first section consists of papers that deal with conceptual issues and discuss how the well-being of children can and should be grasped in a meaningful sense. The second part of the book deals with practical issues, specific cases and social environments in which the well-being and well-becoming of children is secured or endangered.

This book is published by De Gruyter Open – one of the world’s leading open access publishers. It is available from the Google Play store for mobiles and tablets, and individual chapters can be freely downloaded as PDFs from: http://www.degruyteropen.com/book/wbcpssa/
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Free e-book: Transforming the workforce for young children

Posted on January 4, 2016 | Leave a comment

19401-0309324858-450Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children.

The National Academies Press in Washington publish more than 200 textbooks a year on a wide range of topics including Children, Youth and Families. This 2015 book edited by LaRue Allen and Bridget B. Kelly explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. It examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems.

The 700-pages book is illustrated with up-to-date colour and black-and-white diagrams and is divided into five parts:

I: Introduction and Context
II: The Science of Child Development and Early Learning
III: Implications of the Science for Early Care and Education
IV: Developing the Care and Education Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8
V: Blueprint for Action

Part II: The Science of Child Development and Early Learning, is practically a book-within-a-book at 160 pages long, and is an interesting and informative read for all members of the young children’s workforce.

We are fortunate to be able to download the PDF version of this title for free; the hard-cover version costs $75. To download a free PDF of Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8, go to:

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/19401/transforming-the-workforce-for-children-birth-through-age-8-a

Next click Download Free PDF, then Download as Guest, where you just need to enter an email address to download any of NAP’s titles. This one is an 11MB download, or you can download chapters individually.

A short 16-pages booklet is also available as a companion to the full book. Professional Learning for the Care and Education Workforce (2015) summarizes considerations from the report for planning and implementing high-quality and coherent professional learning for this workforce.
You can download a free PDF of the booklet at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/21786/professional-learning-for-the-care-and-education-workforce

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Free e-textbook: Family Life in Adolescence

Posted on November 15, 2015 | Leave a comment

FLAMany parents fear the time when their beautiful happy children will become unmanageable adolescents continually engaging in risky or destructive behaviour. Unfortunately, this view of adolescents is the focus of the media, even though it relates to just a small proportion of young people.

In Family Life in Adolescence, research is collated showing that most adolescents are responsible young people who care about their families and crave the support of their parents. The research also indicates that the quality of the relationship parents have with their adolescents is crucial to the wellbeing of those young people.

Authors Patricia Noller and Sharon Atkin discuss the need for parents to set reasonable limits on their adolescents and to expect appropriate behaviour. They also show that children who have experienced positive, caring relationships with their parents are more likely than other adolescents to behave responsibly.

Family Life in Adolescence is valuable reading for anyone interested in the development of young people and the impact of the family environment. It draws on contemporary research across the globe, showing that behaviour in adolescence builds on earlier experiences in the family. It will prove useful to practitioners from a range of professions, such as social workers, educators and youth leaders.

This 222-page book is available in both PDF and EPUB format suitable for e-readers. Both may be downloaded free of charge from: http://www.degruyter.com/viewbooktoc/product/447873

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