Smart and Capable

A global perspective on early childhood learning and education, with nine experiences to support children's agency

Young children are smart and capable and already have most of what they need to learn and grow. Author Dr. Jennifer Keys Adair, a Professor of Early Childhood Education at The University of Texas and a cultural anthropologist-turned-preschool teacher draws upon over 20 years of research to share stories and scientific evidence of how agency expands young children’s capabilities.

Using examples from around the world - The United States, New Zealand, Australia, India, England, France, Namibia, Italy, Germany, and Sri Lanka - this book emphasizes that early childhood learning and development look different depending on where you live, what you have access to, and the way your family and communities are treated by society. Adair includes stories of infants, toddlers, and young children from observations and research projects in parks, homes, childcare centers, elementary schools, preschools, and a host of community gathering spaces.

At the heart of the book is a framework for how adults can offer (or just support) agentic experiences to children in a wide range of circumstances, grounded in nine core experiences: Exploration, Participation, Caring for the Natural World, Conflict, Difficult Discussions, Caring for People, Multilingualism, Multiplicity, and Protection

Parent and educator approaches to early childhood differ across regions, politics, cultural communities, languages, religions, and family dynamics. Given the variety of lives young children are living, Adair encourages readers to consider how best to support their agency to expand their capabilities so they can live meaningful lives.Jennifer Keys Adair, PhD is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Her work focuses on the connection between agency and racism in the early learning experiences of children of color. She is primarily concerned with how racism and white supremacy impact young children’s early schooling experiences.