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This book is a bible for nurture group enthusiasts and should be essential reading for anybody who has the desire to make a significant impact in the area of social change.
First Published in 2001. Nurture groups are spreading rapidly throughout the UK. This fully updated second edition is written in response to the support given by the DfEE to the Nurture Group project and the recognition by every major special needs policy document that they provide effective early intervention for children showing signs of emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The authors present evidence of the success of nurture groups, and examine what factors affect the success of the group. From this they draw key messages for effective practice, including the importance of recognising a child's emotional needs and meeting them, and the role of the relationship between the teaching staff co-ordinating the group.
′[This] resource would have enormous value for all who are considering developing nurture provision within their school, as it provides a clear overview of the practical considerations involved and provides guidance on the tools that need to be devised. This well thought out resource will reduce the workload for all those setting up groups and be a real confidence giver to all Nurture leaders′ - SNIP ′What an excellent book! ′Running A Nurturing Group′ does exactly what it says in the title and much more. The layout and framework must make it one of the most accessible books ever. Every chapter states its intention, unfurls – and then is concisely summarised at the end. Then we have questionnaires, tick lists, case studies and PowerPoint presentations; just what tired teachers need to take on a new body of knowledge. There is a wonderful balance of practical suggestions and theory – at all the times you feel you are in the hands of a dedicated, researcher and practitioner.′ Jenny Mosley, Founder of Quality Circle Time `Running a Nurture Group is a worthwhile book full of useful ideas and resources for nurture group practitioners. Simon Bishop is a skilled nurture group practitioner and he links his contemporary, practical experience to the wider range of ideas and thinking that inform and underpin nurture group work in a helpful and accessible style. I am delighted to commend this important addition to the increasing literature on nurture groups - Jim Rose, Director, The Nurture Group Network Setting up and running a Nurture Group in your school is an effective way to improve the quality of educational provision for every child, not just for those with special educational needs. This practical book is especially useful for those new to the idea of Nurture Groups. It offers a clear structure for making a Nurture Group work effectively, and provides tried and tested photocopiable resources to support the whole process. The author: o explains how and why Nurture Groups work o shows how all children′s social, emotional & educational development improves o gives practical advice on setting up and running a Nurture Group o tells you how to assess and monitor the children′s progress o supplies materials to use when leading INSET sessions with colleagues o provides lots of photocopiable resources on an accompanying CD Rom. An inspirational read for all teachers and support staff, this book will appeal to anyone working with children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Unlike IQ, emotional competence can be nurtured and developed, and is a key factor in physical and mental health, social competence, academic achievement and other aspects in the personal and social development of children and young people. Promoting Emotional Education connects with the contemporary shift from an exclusively academic focus towards a more balanced and broader approach to education, with an emphasis on both academic and emotional literacy. The book suggests adopting educational practices which encourage feelings of emotional security, promote trusting and supportive relationships and reflect students' views and feelings; essential qualities for healthy personal and social development in children and young people. The contributors emphasise evidence-based practice, proposing various student-centred and emotion-focused approaches and strategies which have proven to be effective in improving the social and academic behaviour of children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. These include student voice approaches, peer-mediated support strategies, personal and social education, nurture groups and aggression replacement training amongst others. An illuminating read, this book will be of interest to school staff and professionals, psychologists, social workers, health workers, researchers and practitioners and anyone interested in developing innovative approaches to the promotion of emotional education among children and young people.
In the wake of the tragedy and destruction that came with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, public schools in New Orleans became part of an almost unthinkable experiment—eliminating the traditional public education system and completely replacing it with charter schools and school choice. Fifteen years later, the results have been remarkable, and the complex lessons learned should alter the way we think about American education. New Orleans became the first US city ever to adopt a school system based on the principles of markets and economics. When the state took over all of the city’s public schools, it turned them over to non-profit charter school managers accountable under performance-based contracts. Students were no longer obligated to attend a specific school based upon their address, allowing families to act like consumers and choose schools in any neighborhood. The teacher union contract, tenure, and certification rules were eliminated, giving schools autonomy and control to hire and fire as they pleased. In Charter School City, Douglas N. Harris provides an inside look at how and why these reform decisions were made and offers many surprising findings from one of the most extensive and rigorous evaluations of a district school reform ever conducted. Through close examination of the results, Harris finds that this unprecedented experiment was a noteworthy success on almost every measurable student outcome. But, as Harris shows, New Orleans was uniquely situated for these reforms to work well and that this market-based reform still required some specific and active roles for government. Letting free markets rule on their own without government involvement will not generate the kinds of changes their advocates suggest. Combining the evidence from New Orleans with that from other cities, Harris draws out the broader lessons of this unprecedented reform effort. At a time when charter school debates are more based on ideology than data, this book is a powerful, evidence-based, and in-depth look at how we can rethink the roles for governments, markets, and nonprofit organizations in education to ensure that America’s schools fulfill their potential for all students.
This comprehensive book explores theories and practice of play. It suggests that media influences have a profound effect on behaviour, and by stressing the importance of understanding play as a chart of development, and drawing links between home, school, clinics and therapy, he offers the prospect of an understanding of delinquency and difficulty.
