The Ecology of Preschool Behaviour

This book was originally published in 1980. At the time of publication the importance of the preschool years in a child's development and education had been recognised by educationalists, psychologists, and indeed parents, and there was a corresponding commitment to expand and improve nursery and playgroup facilities for preschool children. Yet, despite this recognition, there had been little sustained experimental work designed to examine the effects and importance of resources and their deployment in preschool institutions. The details of Peter Smith and Kevin Connolly's research are set out in full and its implications carefully drawn and related to other work in the field. The authors write with precision and clarity, and their research became required reading for developmental psychologists, educationalists, those interested in the effects of the environment upon behaviour and others involved in the administration and provision of nurseries and playgroups.

Preface; 1. Introduction: research perspectives; 2. Research philosophy and methods; 3. Preschool behaviour and the physical environment: a review; 4. Number of children in the group; 5. Amounts of space and play equipment; 6. Subsidiary studies on physical resources; 7. Preschool behaviour and the physical environment: comparison of the separate studies with each other and with previous research; 8. Studies of preschool curricula and staff: child ratio: a review; 9. A comparison of structured-activities and free-play conditions; 10. Variations in staff: child ratio in structured-activities conditions; 11. Structured activities in the preschool: comparison of present studies with previous research; 12. Implications and applications; Appendices; Bibliography; Author index; Subject index.

This study, originally published in 1980, examines the preschool years in a child's development, education and their deployment in preschool institutions. This book will be of interest to developmental psychologists, educationalists, those interested in the effects of the environment upon behaviour, and others involved in the administration and provision of nurseries and playgroups.