Relationship theory in the nursery: attachment and beyond

Contemporary approaches to early childhood education widely acknowledge that young children's relationships with others play a fundamental role in their learning and development. This article explores the construct of relationships within the context of early childhood infant programmes through an examination of the contribution and applicability of attachment theory to current understandings of the nature and consequences of young children's relationships in these settings. A review of the sociocultural context of relationships, the infants' role in relationship formation, and the nature of peer relationships leads to the proposal that practitioners, policy makers, and researchers need to adopt a wider, more dynamic approach to relationships that includes, but extends beyond, that afforded by attachment theory alone.