Offering a curriculum focus, this is one of the most accessible introductory early childhood texts.  It’s an engaging introduction to practical developmentally appropriate practice.

Teaching Young Children is organized around five essential elements of early education—understanding child development, play, guidance, working with families and communities, and diversity. These elements are clearly identified and explored in the prose, through boxed features in every chapter, and in one chapter devoted to each essential element. The book also presents many concrete applications strategies so that you’ll know exactly what to do, including what traits and behaviors to observe and factors to consider and reflect upon in order to insure that you have a firm grasp on each child’s interest and abilities—essential to planning learning activities.