BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course preparation
To help you feel prepared for your university studies, we’ve gathered together a range of course related activities including suggested reading, useful websites and some great things to do right now. Open the links below to find out more:
Suggested reading
This section relates to reading specifically for your programme. For suggested reading and other materials to read or watch now, please view the other sections on this page.
Some texts you could read as an introduction prior to starting the course include:
- Reed, M. and Walker, R. (eds) (2015) A Critical Companion to Early Childhood. London : Sage
- MacDowall Clark R (2013) Childhood in Society London: Sage
- Kehily, M.J. (ed) (2008) Introduction to Childhood Studies. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
- Johnstone, J (2018) Early Childhood Studies: Principles in Practice, London: New York.
- Maynard, T and Powell, S (eds) (2013) An Introduction to Early Childhood Studies.3rd
- Penn, H (2005) Unequal Childhoods: Young Children’s Lives in Poor Countries. London: Routledge.
Detailed and updated reading lists are included in the module handbooks, which are provided in the first session of each module.
Useful websites
You can see some of our cutting edge research pertinent to your degree at the following links:
Things to do now
We do not recommend too much preparation before arrival – you will have enough to do when you arrive.
However, you might want to think about how you will prepare for study – which might involve clearing a space for study if you intend to study from your home or thinking about how you will manage your time in relation to caring, social and work obligations when you arrive to begin the programme.
You can also do some general reading on the theme of early childhood. Some good introductory texts would be:
- Kehily, M.J. (ed) (2008) Introduction to Childhood Studies. Maidenhead: Open University Press
- Maynard, T and Powell, S (eds) (2013) An Introduction to Early Childhood Studies. 3rd
You could also:
- Keep up-to-date with the Guardian Society pages.
- Regularly read news stories on Children and Young People Now.
- Read this report from UNICEF. This is an important survey of infant mortality around the world, highlighting how much more needs to be done to tackle the problem — especially in parts of the developing world. Encouragingly, it also describes how many of these deaths can and have been prevented with the right policies in place.
Additional ways to prepare
Preparing to start
This session examines how to make a successful transition to university. From planning your results day, accommodation and commuting tips, extra support available to you and general advice on uni life.
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Find out more about who you are
The following information provides an insight into what to expect when coming to university along with some good advice on how to navigate some of the potential challenges you may face.
Start preparing yourself