Social Studies and Young Children

Social Studies and Young Children presents developmentally appropriate strategies for teaching social studies to young children, with a focus on NCSS and NAEYC standards and using trade books, activities, and other resources designed to reach young children. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book weaves current research-based principles of developmentally appropriate practice throughout. Through the book’s experiential, hands-on learning approach, teachers see how to reach young learners, pique their interest, and use their natural curiosity to develop more critical thinking. The developmental learning focus promotes the idea that by understanding how young children learn, teachers will be more successful in presenting material in a way that children are able to comprehend, further allowing them to build knowledge as they are developmentally able to make sense of the material. Cross-curricular teaching and learning is promoted through the inclusion of a list of trade books in each chapter. A variety of strategies, activities, resources, and key chapter sections illustrate the concepts and help students make the connections to daily classroom practice.

Dr. Eucabeth Odhiambo is a member of the Department of Teacher Education faculty at Shippensburg University. She has served the education community in a variety of positions during the past 25 years. As a classroom teacher she worked with K, and 2nd - 8th grades. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Early Childhood and Curriculum and Instruction programs. She currently teaches child development and social studies methods. She is also involved in student teacher supervision. She has made numerous professional presentations at local, state, national, and international conferences. She has authored publications on teaching, pre-service training and diversity.

Dr. Laureen E. Nelson is a member of the Department of Teacher Education faculty at Shippensburg University. She has served the early childhood field in a variety of capacities over the past 25 years. She has been a classroom teacher, a preschool teacher and director, and a faculty member teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the Early Childhood program and the Curriculum and Instruction program. She currently teaches Child Development and Assessment courses in the Early Childhood undergraduate program and Early Childhood Curriculum & Assessment, Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood in the graduate program. She has made presentations on teaching math and social studies to young learners at local, state, national and international conferences and has co-authored publications on teaching math to young learners.

Dr. Chrisman is professor of Early Childhood Education and has co-authored books related to familes, professional development and mathematics for young children.

Chapter 1          Understanding the Development of Social Studies Concepts and Young Children

Chapter 2          Planning Social Studies Activities with Young Children

Chapter 3          Child Development, Families, and Communities in the Social Studies Context

Chapter 4          Using Age Appropriate Methods and Strategies for Teaching History to Young Children

Chapter 5          Practicing Civics, Government, and Citizenship in Early Childhood Classrooms

Chapter 6          Helping Young Children Understand Economics and Social Issues

Chapter 7          Age Appropriate Understanding of Geography

Chapter 8          Diversity, Anti-Bias, and Multicultural Education

Chapter 9          Assessment