Nature-Based Early Childhood Education: How Emergent Curriculum and Nature Play Support Learning

In recent years a renewed interest to unplug and get back to basics has brought nature-learning to the forefront of early childhood education. Until now, nature-based approaches have been loosely lumped into a bucket of environmental education, outdoor education, or recreation unless a school or program explicitly refers to itself as a forest or nature preschool, forest kindergarten, or something similarly named. This book defines nature-based early childhood education (NBECE) as its own educational philosophy. And while it is already being applied in forest and nature preschools, it is spreading into every imaginable early learning environment.

This book will show how the benefits of NBECE for young children are supported by research. It includes guidance for directors and educators to implement seasonal, nature-based curricula with a focus on emergent curriculum and provides practical strategies for indoor and outdoor settings. And it discusses how educators can embrace their own natural wonder to bring joyful learning to children.

Each chapter contains topics that form the backbone of a nature pedagogy framework. Readers will discover how emergent curriculum and NBECE pedagogy underpins developmentally appropriate practice.

Readers will find in each chapter:

• Guiding Questions at the beginning of each chapter provide a starting point for engaging with the content.
• Reflection Questions at the conclusion of each chapter encourage more thought on key concepts.
• The feature ＂Teacher’s Call to Action＂ is a related challenge that extends educators’ understanding and learning.
• Vignettes written by experienced nature educators that provide examples of successful nature programs.

An appendix includes workbook-style templates that teachers can pull out for outdoor/classroom use, to advocate with families/communities, communicate with parents, assess/reflect on their program and staff, document authentic learning.

The foreword will be written by David Sobel who has spent the last twenty-five years working in the field of child development, place-based education, and parenting with nature. He currently serves as Senior Faculty in the Education Department at Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. His expertise and passion has led to authoring seven previous books and being identified as one of the ＂gurus and rock stars of environmental education＂ by Teacher magazine.

Monica Wiedel-Lubinski has over 20 years of experience in nature-based education. She is the founding Director of the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS) started in 2017 and co-founder of Wild Haven Forest Preschool in Baltimore. ERAFANS offers professional services for teachers, naturalists, administrators, and others working in nature-based early childhood education serve young children birth through age eight.

She previously worked at the Irvine Nature Center in Maryland where she was the founding director of The Nature Preschool. She was a key collaborator in the design of a Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom and visioned an annual Nature Preschool Conference (2012), which earned a 2016 Innovator of the Year Award under her leadership.

She is the coauthor of Nature Play Workshop for Families (2020).