Living Stories Childhood Studies - Engaged Teacher Preparation

In this review of Living Stories: Nontraditional College Students in Early Childhood Education, the reviewer evaluates Susan Bernheimer's approach to teacher preparation and who benefits most from it. The bottom line: this book is for instructors, program coordinators, and teacher candidates seeking a relational, experience-centered approach to early childhood education preparation; its single biggest reason to buy is the clear case it makes for honoring students life stories as a core method for teaching developmental theory and practice. The reviewer finds the narrative-driven pedagogy persuasive and practically oriented for diverse classrooms.

Key Features

• Relational pedagogy: Frames teacher preparation around listening to and valuing students life experiences, which fosters deeper reflection and learning.
• Focus on nontraditional students: Centers the perspectives of adult and returning students, making the material relevant to many community college and continuing-education settings.
• Inclusive orientation: Presents methods embedded in students strengths and knowledge, supporting an increasingly diverse student demographic.
• Practice-linked theory: Uses real classroom stories to connect early childhood development concepts to everyday practice for future teachers.
• Reflective assignments: Encourages sustained reflection as a route to professional growth and improved care practices in early childhood settings.

Who It's For

This book is best for early childhood instructors, teacher educators, and college faculty who work with nontraditional or diverse student cohorts and want concrete ways to incorporate student stories into curriculum design. It is also useful for graduate students and program leaders exploring inclusive instruction methods grounded in lived experience.

Those seeking a textbook full of lesson plans or a broad survey of child-development theories might look elsewhere; readers expecting a step-by-step workbook will find Bernheimers emphasis on narrative, reflection, and relational practice more conceptual and classroom-oriented than prescriptive.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clearly advocates a relational approach that validates adult learners and leverages their strengths for deeper learning.
• Addresses inclusivity directly, offering a roadmap for adapting teacher preparation to diverse demographics.
• Connects theory to practice through compelling student stories that illuminate classroom realities.

Cons

• Not a traditional workbook of ready-to-use lesson plans, so instructors may need to develop specific activities from the ideas presented.

Specifications

Title	Living Stories: Nontraditional College Students in Early Childhood Education
Author	Susan Bernheimer
Focus	Relational pedagogy for early childhood teacher preparation
Primary audience	Nontraditional college students and their instructors
Approach	Narrative-driven, strengths-based, inclusive
Use case	Course design, instructor reflection, program development

Our Verdict

Living Stories is a thoughtful, practice-oriented resource for educators who want to center students life stories in early childhood training. It offers a persuasive, inclusive pedagogy that is good value for programs aiming to deepen reflection and adapt to diverse learners, though instructors should be prepared to translate ideas into concrete classroom activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for college-level courses?
Yes. It is aimed at college instructors and programs working with nontraditional students and provides a pedagogical framework useful in course planning.

Does the book include lesson plans?
Not in a step-by-step workbook sense; it presents narrative examples and reflective approaches that instructors can adapt into lesson activities.

Who benefits most from the relational pedagogy?
Educators teaching diverse or adult learners benefit most, because the approach leverages students lived experiences as central learning resources.