LOOSE PARTS 3: Inspiring Culturally Sustainable Environments - Softcover

"Sometimes there's a book that invites a deep dive--the urge to engage in every activity, to touch every material, and to work in every environment. While true of all three books in the Loose Parts series, Part 3 explodes with inspiration. Exquisite photographs coupled with meaningful, deliberate, and focused prose invite, educate, and ignite enthusiasm for the tools, materials, and environments that every program can replicate with attention and determination. . . Loose Parts 3 combines visual appeal with sound practice--respectful of every culture and tradition--to improve not only early childhood education but also the lives of individual children and their families irrespective of cultural history."--Texas Child Care Quarterly "[Loose Parts 3] makes an important and convincing argument for deepening the 'loose parts' concept through principles of culturally responsive teaching. Educators seeking creative ideas for STEAM integration for children ages four and older are likely to find inspiration." --School Library Journal "When all cultures are visible then we can see ourselves as belonging in community--sharing similarities and differences. Children learn this best by manipulating tangible items in their environment. Lisa's and Miriam's creative vision and cultural research and Jenna's artful photos give us examples about how we can include cultural materials in our classrooms in meaningful ways, making this latest Loose Parts another valuable resource for us all." --Joyce Daniels, MEd Early Child Education "These carefully selected photographs elicit creative and critical evaluations of our place in the global landscape. Readers are offered imaginative ways to nurture their own and, more importantly, young children's inclination to share their existence with others." --Patrick Pieng, PhD "Once again, Daly and Beloglovsky offer beautiful photographs and prose to help bridge the home and community within early childhood settings. They illustrate a framework that is both achievable and thought provoking in how a teacher can create simple environments that remain true to children's cultural values that capture and honor identities through play and exploration that is both soulful and creative." --Cindy Linhares, MA, ED "Words like imaginative, creative, honoring, culturally appropriate are beautiful 'place holders' for delving into Loose Parts 3 It's a magical joyful adventure in what can be created in early childhood environments. The photographs offer one an experience similar to looking through a treasured family album, one of remembering our own delightful childhood play." --Lorraine Lima MA, Head Start consultant "Loose Parts 3: Insporing Culturally Sustainable Environments is playfully engaging for teachers, parents, and children. Each Chapter is powerfully constructed and entices the viewer to engage creatively with self-reflection, self- acceptance, and self-empowerment. Jenna's photographs persuade imaginative curiosity and an awakened awareness of our cultural similarities." --Tu Bears, Native American author, poet, artist and storyteller

Loose Parts cross the boundaries of gender, age, abilities, and socioeconomic challenges. Loose Parts 3, the newest addition to the wildly popular Loose Parts series, helps teachers make a conscious effort to create culturally sustainable environments that allow children to grow and to conquer a dynamic world. Over 400 full-colour photographs beautifully illustrate the ongoing need for educational pedagogy that: creates a sense of belonging supports children's identities is culturally responsive and sustainable Loose Parts 3 contains inspiration and guidance on how to create culturally sensitive and culturally sustainable early childhood environments through six key terms: aesthetic, authenticity, equity, dynamic, praxis, and critical reflection. Use your environment to promote a sense of wonder, curiosity and joy, and allow children to explore their identities. *2018 Foreword Reviews Indies Finalist in the Education category.