Open AccessBook Review of The Early Advantage: Early Childhood Systems That Lead by Example by Sharon Lynn Kagan (Ed.)
Author(s) -
Leslie Blome
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of contemporary issues in education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1718-4770
DOI - 10.20355/jcie29406
Subject(s) - ideology , narrative , context (archaeology) , politics , early childhood education , sociology , early childhood , value (mathematics) , political science , history , psychology , pedagogy , law , literature , developmental psychology , art , computer science , archaeology , machine learning
This review critiques Sharon Lynn Kagan’s The Early Advantage: Early Childhood Systems That Lead by Example (2018). Kagan posits that early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems throughout the world are complex and fragmented. Burgeoning neuroscientific research and shifting political ideologies acknowledge the economic and social value of investing in ECEC and beg re-examination of outdated narratives (Kagan 2018). Responding with a timely analysis, The Early Advantage details the results of a comparative international research project designed to analyze six strategically chosen jurisdictions with successful ECEC systems. A thorough account of each country’s structural, fiscal, and ideological components provides context for systemic challenges and triumphs. Kagan’s concluding synthesis connects ideas for the reader and reveals emerging narratives to guide ECEC leaders in moulding high-quality delivery systems that are equitable, efficient, and context specific.