Reflective Practice in Early Years Education

Reviewed by Tiffiny Hilge, Adjunct instructor, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on 12/15/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Self-reflection can lead to the development and improvement of professional skills. This textbook examines the role of reflective practice in the education field. The text begins by defining reflective practice and identifying the benefits the practice can bring to your professional competence. The different theories and reflective models are examined in the text. A range of methods by which you can incorporate reflection, whether it is in writing, with a professional group, or in social media formats, are also explored. There is a self-reflection assignment at the end of each chapter. This enables the student to reflect on their newly acquired knowledge in real-time.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

No errors were found.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I found the written content to be relevant. Each chapter contains linked video and article resources. Those resources help to explain the topic and broaden the student's understanding. They are currently engaging and relevant. There is a concern that the resources could get outdated if not monitored by the publisher.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is an easy read and holds the reader's attention. Each chapter is broken into three parts: objective, lesson(s), and reflective practice. The first section identifies the learning objective. In the second section, you will find the lesson or lessons. Every lesson has a video link or "Dig Deeper"(or both) component that enables students to deepen their understanding of the lesson. The chapter concludes with a reflective practice activity.

Consistency rating: 5

The format is consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter provides ample information but is also concise and to the point. There is no extra fluff.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization is easy to follow.

Interface rating: 5

No problems found.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No problems found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

None noted.

Comments

Self-reflection can be beneficial to your professional growth. It is often a skill taught indirectly without much explanation as to why. There is often very little formal training or practice. This text can help bridge that gap between the concept of self-reflection and practicing the skills.

Reviewed by Bonnie Yoder, Instructor, James Madison University on 9/12/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Set up in ten interactive modules, this textbook provides both theory and practice in becoming a reflective educator. Each chapter contains a brief reading passage followed by a discussion question that could serve as a springboard for class discussion or an individual writing assignment.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The text appears to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Becoming a reflective teacher is a key dispositional skill for beginning teachers.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate and set up in a way that the reader can choose certain chapters or the entire text.

Consistency rating: 5

The organization of each chapter is consistent and user-friendly.

Modularity rating: 5

The organization of this text allows instructors to pick and choose relevant topics for their course. Set up in modules, this text could easily be adapted into an online, set-paced course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is set up in an organized fashion with a logical progression of topics and content.

Interface rating: 4

I did not notice any technical errors or issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I noticed one minor grammatical error where a period was missing at the end of a sentence.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The author worked to include culturally sensitive examples. This is an area that can always be a work in progress.