eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors
Making a play-based curriculum work in early years settings. Early Years practitioners have been advocating for play to be at the heart of early years for many years. Now is the time to make this a reality. Using in the moment planning, child initiated play and other strategies, this book supports early years practitioners to enable the children in their setting to choose what they do and how they want to learn. Dawn Rigby shares her passion for a play-based curriculum, her own setting′s journey, what worked and the challenges faced along the way. This practical book: shares examples of good practice; gives advice on how to make play the central focus of early years practice; explores why a play-based curriculum matters; includes practical support on developmentally appropriate practice.
Play in the Early Years provides an accessible overview of key concepts, debates and approaches to children’s Play. This book: · Considers play from a variety of perspectives · Offers expert insights into theory and research in each area · Encourages the reader to critically reflect on both theory and practice With features including key terms, case studies, reflective questions, spotlights on research and an accompanying glossary, this text is perfect for everyone who is interested in Play - from those just starting undergraduate degrees through to those with more advanced knowledge or experience.
Providing high quality play experiences is an essential part of good early years education, but this can pose a challenge for practitioners who face pressure from a more didactic primary curriculum, and from parents worried that their children will fail to acquire essential skills and knowledge. By helping the reader to develop their understanding of the complex relationships between play and learning, this book examines current theoretical perspectives on play, alongside examples of recent and innovative play research from a range of disciplinary and methodological perspectives. With contributions from leading play scholars, it brings together theory, research, policy and practice in relation to play and learning in early years settings. The emphasis is on the relationship between play and learning, and play and pedagogy, and the need to understand these dimensions more substantially in order to teach with confidence. Included are chapters on: - the influence of play on thinking, problem-solving and creativity - cooperative play and learning - play, risk and outdoor learning - learning to play in cultural context There are chapter objectives, reflective points, reflective tasks and suggestions for further reading throughout, to facilitate critical thinking and encourage independent study. Suitable for early years practitioners, early childhood students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and all those who work with and care for young children, this is an exciting and thought-provoking book.
In The Ultimate Guide to Mark Making in the Early Years, internationally renowned teacher trainer Sue Cowley takes practitioners on a journey: the journey young children embark upon when they learn their first words and make their first marks. Filled with practical activities and honest advice, this must-have guide presents a wide range of creative approaches to developing mark making and building language skills in the Early Years. With ideas to build finger strength and eye-to-hand coordination, activities for understanding the concept of symbols and signs and strategies for building confidence in reading and writing including talk and drama, you'll find a variety of techniques to develop children's key skills and motivation. Sue also includes full-colour photographs and examples of early marks to illustrate how young children's communication skills develop. There are tips for getting boys engaged in writing and a companion website with downloadable resources and useful links. The Ultimate Guide to Mark Making in the Early Years is an invaluable source of inspiration for all those working with children aged three to seven.
Play is an underlying theme of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) but it is often a challenge for practitioners to provide a play based curriculum. This book investigates the values and beliefs that underpin play and demonstrates through case studies how play opportunities can be observed, planned and assessed in a meaningful context for the child. Organized into four sections that mirror the EYFS, this book takes you through the curriculum framework demonstrating how play underpins each of these principles and is the common thread that links them together. Chapters include: - celebrating children′s play choices - ways to work with parents - inspiring environments for inspirational play - the role of play in supporting key relationships - creative play for flexible learning Incorporating the voices of Early Years practitioners, this book takes the unique approach of analysing the academic theory, showing how this can be put into practice and then suggesting activities to facilitate reflective practice and professional development. Useful to all those studying on any Early Years course, the book is particularly relevant to those leading practice in early years settings and those working towards Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).
This accessible and practical book provides teachers with a tool-kit for observing and assessing children's play developed by the author after a decade of working in early years classrooms.
Written for the wide range of practitioners working with young children, this book gives guidance on both the theory and the practical management of drama in the Early Years. The relationship between 'pretend play' and the cognitive and affective development of young children is emphasised, having much to inform us about the children in our care. Major themes are children's need to experience quality talk and their engagement in narrative through story-making. The authors have a wide range of experience in Early Years teaching and in teacher training. Through their work, they are aware of the importance of drama for the development of the young child. Parents and practitioners are encouraged to explore drama activities and examples are given of fantasy play taken from pre-school, nursery and infant settings. All those involved with Early Years can discover that engaging children in dramatic activity is both a natural form of behaviour and a powerful learning medium.
People Under Three translates child development theory and research into everyday practice. Focusing on the childcare of very young children, it is designed specifically for those who look after them day by day, as well as being a useful resource for social work and playwork students and policy makers. All the practical ideas in the book have been developed and tested in nurseries and family centres. They include detailed guidance on educational play for babies and toddlers and how to care for children's emotional needs. The book also explores the difficult area of child protection and working with parents and children with a variety of problems. People Under Three is an established text for all those training to work with young children or managing day care facilities. This new edition has been completely updated to take account of the key policy and practice changes which have taken place in child care provision since the book's second edition.
`An excellent overview of the development in thinking about play, based on research into different aspects of play...This book enables the reader to not only access, and engage with developing theories and ideas, but also provides practical ideas and examples that have been tried and tested in the classroom. This book should be compulsory reading for every teacher of young children who are interested in developing their practice to provide a stimulating, active and playful environment with their children in which effective learning and positive attitudes are developed' - Bernadette Hancock, Headteacher of Christ the King Primary School, Cardiff `One of the major strengths of the book is that it makes some complex theory highly accessible to its audience....This makes it an excellent introductory book for use on inservice and undergraduate programs' - Sue Rogers, Institute of Education `This book aims to improve the quality of play in "educational" settings. It will be valuable for a wide range of practitioners' - Nursery World `In this new and updated edition of an outstanding book, Wood and Attfield once again demonstrate how young children make meaning, and construct knowledge, through play. They combine an informed discussion of the 'ideological tradition' of the early childhood pioneers, which continues to underpin most contemporary provision, with a refreshing openness to the new insights provided by recent research, and the new opportunities offered by the Foundation Stage era. Their unrivalled explanation of the links between theorists, such as Vygotsky, and classroom provision for play, is now expanded through considerations of recent findings in neuroscience, and a renewed awareness of the sociocultural contexts of childhood, as well as by studies which acknowledge the importance of boisterous, rough-and-tumble, play activities for children's development. And throughout, they remind readers and practitioners of the important distinction between play as a spontaneous activity of children ('play as such'), and the play which educators offer as a medium for learning' - Elizabeth Brooker, Course Leader: MA in Childhood Studies, Institute of Education 'This book provides a thorough and up-to-date overview of the topical issue of teaching and learning through play. Chapters cover issues including assessment through play, the role of adults in children's play, the impact of play on social and emotional learning and how to develop a whole-school approach to learning through play. ...This book is theoretical and detailed but extremely interesting and there is certainly practical information to be found in it' - Early Talk This timely Second Edition explores recent developments which strongly endorse play as an integral part of the curriculum. The content has been fully revised to reflect contemporary thinking about the role and value of play in early childhood and beyond. A key focus is the provision of a secure theoretical and practical grounding for developing a pedagogy of play. In the first section, the authors provide an overview of recent developments in education policies, and reviews of research into different aspects of play. In the second section, the emphasis is on classroom practice, specifically: organizing and developing play with particular reference to the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; establishing progression and continuity with Key Stage 1; assessing children's learning through play; the role of adults in children's play; using the plan-do-review approach to integrate child-initiated and adult-directed play; the importance of socio-dramatic play for children's social and emotional learning; and developing a whole-school play ethos. This book enables practitioners to create unity between play, learning and teaching, and to improve the quality of children's learning. New material provided by practitioners has been added, to show how this unity can be successfully achieved. This is an essential text for students of education. It is highly recommended to those undertaking degrees in Childhood Studies and those on Initial Teacher Training programmes in early years and primary education.
