Contributors

Janet Mansfield is an art and music practitioner and educator of primary and tertiary background. She has developed courses on the philosophy and theory of the arts in education and the place of cultural studies at postgraduate level at the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology. She publishes internationally on the arts in education, reviews for a number of academic journals and is on the editorial board of ACCESS: Critical Perspectives on Communication, Culture and Policy Studies. Her research interests include the theory and philosophy of the arts, the politics of curriculum, cultural policy and creativity. She co-edited The Arts in Education; Critical Perspectives from Aotearoa New Zealand (with E. M. Grierson, Dunmore Press, 2003). She has published in the British journal Education 3-13, Sound Ideas, Educational Philosophy and Theory, British Journal of Music Education, Australian Journal of Education, and Policy Futures in Education.

Claire McLachlan is Associate Professor, Early Years Education at Massey University College of Education, where she lectures on literacy, young children's learning and research methods in education. Claire completed her doctorate in 1996 on the topic of emergent literacy in New Zealand kindergartens and has recently completed a quasi experimental study of how to promote alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness in holistic early childhood settings with her colleague, Dr Alison Arrow. Claire is an Editor of the journal, Early Education and the recent text Literacies in childhood: changing views, challenging practice. Claire has also recently co-authored Early Childhood Curriculum: Planning, assessment and implementation, published by Cambridge University Press, with Marilyn Fleer and Susan Edwards from Monash University.

Judy Hamer is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Education Studies at the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, teaching students in both the Diploma and Bachelor of Teaching (early childhood education). Judy has worked for a number of years in both early childhood and adult education, including initial teacher education. Judy’s research interests lie in the areas of literacy in the early years and social and policy issues in early childhood education. She is co- author (with Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Judith Rivalland and Paul Adams) of Literacy learning in Australia: Practical ideas for early childhood educator (2006), and co- author (with Paul Adams) of The New Zealand Early Childhood Literacy Handbook (2003). She is also co-editor (with Roger Openshaw and Paul Adams) of Education and society in Aotearoa New Zealand (2nd Ed.) (2005).

Marjolein Whyte came to New Zealand nearly 20 years ago where she trained as a Primary school teacher and an Early Childhood teacher through the Faculty of Education University of Auckland. Marjolein has worked in the early childhood field for over ten years as a teacher and head-teacher. She has recently completed a postgraduate diploma in Education. Marjolein is now teaching early childhood education at New Zealand Tertiary College. Marjolein’s research interests include: ‘parent / whanau involvement in assessment for learning in early childhood education’ and ‘preparing young children for reading comprehension’.

Professor Ian Hay is an experienced researcher holding educational and psychological professional qualifications. Professor Hay is the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He has published over 100 refereed journal articles, book chapters, reports, and other articles in a range of international and peer review publications. As a chief investigator, he has been awarded competitive research funds in excess of 1.25 million dollars, and has supervised over 20 research higher degree students. His research interests include children’s reading development, students with special education needs and disabilities, and children with learning difficulties. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Research into Learning Disabilities.

Ruth Fielding–Barnsley Ruth taught in primary schools in N.S.W before becoming an academic at the University of New England teaching in the area of Inclusive Education. Ruth has recently joined the University of Tasmania where she is now an Associate Professor in the area of Literacy Education. She has taught in undergraduate and postgraduate literacy units as well as supervised research higher degree students. Ruth has more than 60 publications including, book chapters, refereed journal articles, conference papers, reports and other articles, and has also been an investigator on several research and consultancy projects. Ruth has served on the New National English Curriculum advisory committee and has presented recommendations to the Senate Committee on Quality of School Education.

Therese Taylor, B. Ed (Primary) is an experienced Early Childhood and Primary School teacher. Therese commenced her teaching career in 1988 and has taught children in Hobart, Sydney, London and Brisbane. Therese has spent the previous four years researching and writing with Professor Ian Hay and Associate Professor Ruth Fielding-Barnsley, designing programs to help teachers help children with reading difficulties. Therese is currently working as a Learning Support teacher and a Literacy and Numeracy tutor as well as completing her Masters degree, specializing in Literacy. Therese lives in Brisbane with her husband and 2 teenage children.

Navpreet Kaur has worked within the tertiary sector for eight years five years being in India. She has worked in public kindergartens and was inspired to work with families and teachers involved in early childhood education. Before migrating to New Zealand (2002), she was a lecturer in a teacher training centre in India organising seminars and professional development for trained teachers. Navpreet’s New Zealand experience includes working with the Manukau Family Literacy Programme. This programme, overseen by Auckland University of Technology, included working with south Auckland primary schools providing parents with a qualification in early childhood education.

Alison Arrow is a Lecturer in Literacy in the School of Educational Studies at Massey University’s College of Education. Alison teaches in foundational literacy skills at both the undergraduate and post graduate level. Her research interests are in the area of emergent literacy and the transition into conventional literacy, as well as how children use what they know about language for reading and spelling. She is also interested in best practice in teacher education. Alison is currently involved in research that examines the role of early childhood educators in developing emergent literacy knowledge, in the relationship between home and school literacy practices at primary school entry, and the literacy knowledge of teacher education students.