Download or read book Deconstructing Early Childhood Education written by Gaile Sloan Cannella and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 1997 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a critical perspective, some early childhood educators have proposed that the knowledge base used to ground the field actually serves to support the status quo, reinforces prejudices and stereotypes, and ignores the real lives of children. The purpose of this book is to deconstruct early childhood education, identifying and evaluating the themes and forms of discourse that have dominated the field, leading to the construction of specific theories and forms of practice that privilege particular groups of children and adults and oppress others. An alternative avenue for early childhood education is posited that focuses on social justice and human agency.