The classrooms all young children need : lessons in teaching from Vivian Paley /

Vivian Paley is probably best known for recording children's stories that children can then enact. However, as Cooper (New York Univ. Steinhardt School of Education) discusses in this fine, concise book, Paley has contributed much more to the understanding of teaching and young children. A champion of the importance of fantasy play, Paley has also been concerned about issues of fairness in the classroom, such as race, gender, difference, and unpopularity. Her book You Can't Say You Can't Play generated much debate. In White Teacher and Kwanza and Me, Paley models the self-reflection that should characterize all teachers. Cooper, who is a former teacher and a teacher educator, analyzes Paley's work with balance and insight. Cooper makes valid and useful connections among Paley, Vygotsky, Dewey, and Erikson. After reading this book, readers will go back to Paley's work with a greater appreciation of what she offers through her examination of young children in the classroom. Work such as Paley's is an essential reminder of the basic principles of early childhood education, currently challenged by emphasis on overly structured curricula. The appendices, including a guide to Paley's storytelling curriculum, are a valuable addition. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and all undergraduate students. S. Sugarman emerita, Bennington College