DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET author who wrote the introduction. To help you know who wrote what, our names appear before each of our contributions. The Lineup (A Sum of Our Parts) As Holly Elissa wrote in the beginning of the preface, we each bring our own area of expertise and life experience to our work together, both as presenters at the NAEYC conferences and as authors writing this book. You can read more about us at the end of the book, but for now know that we each care deeply about young children and about the people in our field who dedicate their life’s work to caring for and teaching children and partnering with their families to make a difference. Our Hopes for the Book This book is an invitation to civil discourse. You will see that we do not always agree and that we value those disagreements because they help us better understand the world. With that said, we want you to use this book however it best fits your needs. We encourage you to read it and discuss it with fellow students, colleagues, or members of a discussion group at your local Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC)—there’s a lot in this book to support your professional development. Make the most of the learning by discussing the chapters with colleagues in similar work environ- ments and with people experiencing something different. In other words, think outside the box and engage in discussion with people who will further challenge your thinking and practices. We hope as you read this book that you will respect the different points of view we share and that it will help you respect your colleagues’ opinions as well. Learning is a lifelong adventure, and we hope that this book contributes to yours. Remember, learning should be joyful. The discussion we start in this book should never be over. Thank you for joining us on the journey. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL PREFACE    xi