Annotated Bibliography: Readings in Early Childhood Education

This annotated bibliography presents a critical analysis of three articles related to early childhood education and care. The first article discusses children's rights and the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The second explores gender stereotypes in preschool play and how educators' perceptions influence children's activities. The third examines the suppression of indigenous history in the Australian curriculum and the importance of empowering teachers to address this issue. Each annotation includes a summary of the article's purpose, content, strengths, and weaknesses, with a focus on implementing culturally appropriate environments for children. Desklib provides access to this assignment and many other solved assignments for students.

Running head: Early Childhood Education and Care
Early Childhood Education and Care
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1Early Childhood Education and Care
1. Thomas, N. (2011). Children’s Rights: Policy into Practice. Centre for Children and Young
People
Background Briefing Series, no.4. Lismore: Centre for Children and Young People, Southern
Cross University. Access date: 23.3.2019. Retrieved from:
https://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=ccyp_pubs
Purpose
The aim of this background briefing is to understand the rights of the children and their
implementation. The paper has also reviewed the history of the global initiatives for the
promotion of the human rights as a prelude to the United Nations convention on the Rights of the
child (UNCRC), that has underpinned the promotion of the children’s rights around the world.
Again, the aim is to the consider some of the initiatives that has been taken for mainstreaming
the rights of the children, particularly the work of the independent advocated for the rights of the
children.
Summary
The first part of the papers provides an insight to the importance of the human rights, and
its historical contexts and the individuals who possess them. The author has critically discussed
about how “the rights theory” has been developed by the educated white men that reflected their
perspectives. The author has drawn a comparison between the children’s right early in the
twentieth century, where it was just about the vulnerability of the children and their
developmental needs. Negligible importance was given on the rights of autonomy. In order to
explain this, the author had also tried to draw the attention of the readers towards the convention

2Early Childhood Education and Care
on the rights of the child (UNCRC). It has highlighted the guiding principles of the UNCRC.
Focusing on the global and the local issues, the paper had focused upon the articles that uphold
the rights of the people. It gives an account of the number of recommendations for the
implementation of the UNCRC rights. Finally it has emphasized on the activities of the
commissioners and the ombudsperson for the children.
Strength
The strength of this articles is that it has given a wide account of the different children
right of the children, how they had been perceived globally or what actions are required to be
taken.
Weaknesses
The weakness of this paper is that most of the actions that has to be adopted are based on
the global approach. Nothing has been mentioned about addressing the issue at the community
level. More focus has to be given on the rural areas and the northern territory, containing the
aboriginal residents.
2. Chapman, R. (2016). A case study of gendered play in preschools: how early childhood
educators’ perceptions of gender influence children's play. Early Child Development and
Care, 186(8), 1271-1284. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1089435

3Early Childhood Education and Care
Purpose:
The aim of the research is to explore how gender stereotypes are observed in children’s play in
the early childhood settings. The paper will examine how the educators influence child’s playing
activities.
Summary
A feminist post structuralist approach has framed the design of the research and data were
collected in two settings, by the predetermined categories of play at the time of spontaneous free
play. The author has opined how the differences in the gender roles is observed the in individuals
since the young age. Boys and girls have different communicating styles, in the early years, they
play more with the same sex peers and avoid friends of opposite sex. This paper focused on a
research carried out in two preschool settings, where two educators and one class of four years
old were the participants. The study examined how the educator’s belief, perceptions and the
beliefs affect the children’s play. The research gives an account of the types of practices and the
actions taken inside the educational settings. The papers puts forward a theoretical view of the
gender formation, the rise of the feminist postmodern and the post culturalist pedagogies. A
vivid account has been given on the various stereotypes of the child’s play and the gender
formation.
In order to see the subtle differences between the two genders the author has referred to a
cross –gender play between the groups of five to eight years old boys. As per the results it was
found that the boys were engaged in a masculine play but, girls preferred more cozy corners and
indulge in feminine play. However, it has been rightfully noted, how the perception of the
educator’s perception rise and are then transferred to the children, by their program planning ,

4Early Childhood Education and Care
the resources offered, the feedback provided and the general interactions with the other
educators.
Strength
The strength of this study is that a direct observation allowed the educator to gain a clear
insight to the perception of the educators regarding the child’s play.
Limitation
The limitation of the study is that the study is unable to determine how much influence
the perception of an educator has on child’s play. The sample size of the study was small, hence
the generalizability of the result lacks.
3. Fricker, A. (2017). Indigenous perspectives: Controversy in the history classroom?. Agora,
52(4), 4. Availability:
<https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=278667476173102;res=IELAPA
> ISSN: 0044-6726. [cited 23 Mar 19].
Purpose
This paper will argue, about the “browning” the curriculum and the great Australian silence .
Summary
Empowerment of the teachers with the indigenous history will be able to give a cultural
understanding, which will ultimately assist the people to develop cultural sensitivity among the
students. This paper has stated how the great Australian silence had directly affected the
curriculum. “Australian silence” can be defined as a cult of forgetfulness about the Australian
invasion and past and hence are not included in the school level history. Additionally it has been

5Early Childhood Education and Care
found that the final review of the Australian curriculum did not even consult with the indigenous
educators . Again there was not enough choice left within the curriculum that can lead the
educators to not engage with the indigenous content in a deep and meaningful way.
The author has rightfully demonstrated similar things in Victorian curriculum, where in
2017, Victoria implemented curriculum, that showed very little adjustments to the indigenous
content and very less effort has been done to increase the indigenous content in the secondary
history curriculum.
Strength
The strength of this paper is that it gives a vivid account of how the indigenous history
has long been suppressed in the Australian curriculum and how the empowerment of the history
teacher can play an important role in challenging the “Great Australian silence” .The author has
also provided with the ways to change the focus and the curriculum in the history classroom.
Weaknesses
The weakness of this paper is that the author did not give a clear depiction of how things
could be changed or the teachers could be empowered to uphold the Australian indigenous
history.

6Early Childhood Education and Care
References
Chapman, R. (2016). A case study of gendered play in preschools: how early childhood
educators’ perceptions of gender influence children's play. Early Child Development and
Care, 186(8), 1271-1284. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1089435
Fricker, A. (2017). Indigenous perspectives: Controversy in the history classroom?. Agora,
52(4), 4. Availability:
<https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=278667476173102;res=IELAPA
> ISSN: 0044-6726. [cited 23 Mar 19].
Thomas, N. (2011). Children’s Rights: Policy into Practice. Centre for Children and Young Peo
ple
Background Briefing Series, no.4. Lismore: Centre for Children and Young People, Sout
hern Cross University. Access date: 23.3.2019. Retrieved from:
https://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=ccyp_pubs