Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to analyse the development of ‘learning stories’ as a form of pedagogic documentation in New Zealand. It focuses on the philosophy and framework of the early childhood curriculum on New Zealand: Te Whariki. The book describes some examples of professional journeys by teachers as they began to align their documentation practices with Te Whariki. It presents lived pedagogic documentation in one classroom in Portugal that contextualizes Pedagogy-in-Participation, highlights the connectivity of learning and teaching as well as the respect for children’s voices in the day-to-day pedagogic development. The book explains the relationship between early childhood education and care and competent staff. It argues that pedagogical documentation is a key theme within the debate on early childhood education. It provides a hermeneutically-informed pedagogical documentation strategy as an inspiration to conceptualise and develop pedagogical documentation of children’s learning in early childhood education.