Greening Early Childhood Education is now available online

Volume 24(2), 2014

Guest editors

Patti Bailie, University of Maine Farmington

Nancy Rosenow, Dimensions Educational Research Foundation

For article access and subscription information:

www.jstor.org/page/journal/chilyoutenvi/about.html

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.issue-2

This special issue explores outcomes associated with bringing nature into the settings of child care centers, preschools and kindergartens and describes a variety of ways to do this in practice. Seven research articles review the literature on benefits that children gain from engagement with nature, evaluate the impacts of naturalized school grounds and nature kindergartens on children’s development, and examine education for sustainability in early childhood programs. Three “reports from the field” describe initiatives that improve the quality of child care settings through nature and outdoor learning at a statewide scale, adapt the approach of European nature kindergartens to North America, and provide connections with nature for infants and toddlers. In a personal essay, David Sobel reflects on the value of nature preschools and nature kindergartens. Reviews cover related books, a film, a green school rating scale, and relevant health policy statements. 

Volume 24(3) will continue this theme with a special section on this topic.