Section 1 Introductory section -- 1 Introduction: Content and Context -- 2 The preschool as an arena for democratic education: A framework for teacher roles and child outcomes -- Section 2 Democracy in early childhood curriculum and policy -- 3 Ethical issues in child research: Caution of ethical drift -- 4 Talent development in preschool curriculum and policies: Implicit recognition of young gifted children -- 5 Parental decision-making about school start age in Australia: Democratic for whom? -- 6 Democracy and multilingualism in South African primary education: Implications for early literacy development -- 7 Engagement of children of Finnish descent in bilingual communicative events in Swedish preschool contexts -- Section III Espoused and enacted EC pedagogical practice -- 8 Banning the "Incompetent Child" in pedagogical documentation and discourse -- 9 Parent-Teacher-Child communication and advocacy: A community intervention -- 10 Time to tell more stories: Children, democracy and education in movement -- 11 Establishing a learner identity: Young digital citizens and the pursuit of a democratic and empowering early childhood education -- 12 Democratic discourses in higher education: Australian preservice student teacher perceptions of quality early childhood education -- Section IV Children's democratic arenas -- 13 Narratives of belonging: Migrant children's friendship negotiation -- 14 Inclusive practice for all: Child perspectives -- 15 Toddlers enacting democracy through communication in preschool -- 16 Preschool children as democratic subjects: Agents of democracy -- 17 Preschool children's resilience: An ecological perspective in a Taiwanese context -- Section V Conclusion -- 18 Challenging the challenges: Democratic spaces and opportunities in ECE.