Short presentation

Martin Woodhead is Professor of Childhood Studies at The Open University, UK. With a background in psychology, sociology and educational research, major strands of Martin's research relate to early childhood development, education and care, including policy studies and extensive international work. He has also carried out research on child labour, and children’s rights, including consultancy work for Save the Children, Council of Europe, OECD, UNICEF and UNESCO. He is co-editor of the journal Children & Society, a member of the editorial board for Childhood and advisory board for Journal of Early Childhood Research.  During 2005, Martin was appointed Special Advisor to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Geneva, in preparation of General Comment 7: Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood.  Martin’s current projects include his role as Child Research Director for Young Lives, a four country longitudinal study of childhood poverty, including research into service access, transitions and well-being for young children in Ethiopia, India and Peru <www.younglives.org.uk>. Martin is also co-editing Early Childhood in Focus, a series of booklets on research/policy issues in early childhood, for Bernard van Leer Foundation.

 Selected references

- Woodhead, M. (1979) Pre-School Education in Western Europe: Issues, policies and trends, London, Longman/ Council of Europe
- Woodhead, M., (1996) In search of the Rainbow: pathways to quality in large scale programmes for young disadvantaged children, The Hague, Bernard van Leer Foundation
- Woodhead, M. (1999) ‘Towards a global paradigm for research in early childhood education’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, Vol 7, No 1, pp. 5-22
- Woodhead, M. et al (2003) Understanding Childhood: an interdisciplinary approach Chichester, Wiley, (Childhood, Vol 1) 
- Woodhead, M. (2006) ‘Changing perspectives on early childhood: theory, research and policy’. International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp.5-48
- Woodhead, M. (2007) ‘Early Childhood Development: a question of rights’ in M.Vandenbroeck and G. Brougeres (Eds) Nouveaux Paradigmes pour repenser l’éducation préscolaire, Brussels : Peter Lang Publishers
- Woodhead, M. (2008) ‘Respecting child rights: implications for early childhood policies and practices’ in G. MacNaughton, P. Hughes and K. Smith (Eds) Young children as active citizens: principles, policies and pedagogies, Melbourne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing
- Woodhead, M. (2009) ‘Child development and the development of childhood’, in J.Qvortrup et al (eds) Handbook of Childhood Studies, London, Palgrave
- Woodhead, M. et al (in press 2009) Early Childhood Transitions in Ethiopia, India and Peru: Access, Equity and Quality (provisional title)The Hague, Young Lives/Bernard van Leer Foundation