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Full of practical guidance and easy-to-implement strategies on how to provoke learning and creativity in early years settings, allowing children to freely explore their environment and develop their ability to critically think.
Looking for Learning: Provocations is a full-colour, practical guide to inspire child-led learning that's linked to current policy and the EYFS framework. As each child progresses through their learning journey, Early Years practitioners are expected to identify and understand what learning is taking place in every activity that a child is involved in. Laura England, creator of Little Miss Early Years, uses her wealth of experience as an Early Years teacher to explore the learning that takes place when a child's play has been inspired by a provocation, including mirrors to investigate symmetry, cardboard boxes to understand shapes, and sticks and pebbles to construct their own designs. Provocations invite learning, interest and creativity as they allow children to explore, think and use their imaginations. This dip-in-and-out book is linked to the Characteristics of Effective Learning and presents case studies, real-life images and practical pointers to explore their use. With tips for setting up the environment to the adult's role in this child-led play, Looking for Learning: Provocations is ideal for all Early Years practitioners searching for accessible ideas for using provocations in their settings. Looking for Learning books are the number one tool for identifying learning opportunities in child-led play. All four books are packed full of tried-and-tested ideas for indoor and outdoor activities, helpful hints and tips and full-colour photographs. Written by Laura England, known as Little Miss Early Years, these are a must-have for any nursery or pre-school.
How does early years policy impact on practitioners, children, settings and families? What are the implications of current policy for the future? How can early years professionals shape and craft practice in ways that genuinely focus on the needs of children and families, rather than the interests of policy makers? This exciting new text explores the changing context and increasing importance of early years policy. It takes a broad look at policy developments and shows how these have affected children, settings, parents and the early years workforce. Divided into two parts, the first examines theoretical perspectives and sets out the early years policy context, looking at issues surrounding accountability, international influences on policy and the Early Years Foundation Stage. The second half of the book directly shows how policy has influenced practice, and considers: the upskilling of the workforce and the impact of this on practitioners; the development of the learning environment including outdoor provision; sustained shared thinking and its link to high quality learning and teaching; the impact of policy on parents. Offering a fresh perspective on early years policy, this timely textbook will be essential reading for students on undergraduate and postgraduate Early Years and Childhood Studies courses and those working towards Early Years Teacher status.
Parents and Professionals in Early Childhood Settings addresses the complex and sometimes controversial issues that emerge from the care and education of young children. Staff and parents in early childhood settings can find ample advice about how to promote good communication, but much of that advice has no grounding in their daily lives. Instead, it prescribes an established set menu of communication tools, such as newsletters, notebooks and message boards that rarely respond to what staff and families say about relationships between them. Drawing on the authors' research with hundreds of parents, staff and students, the book explores relationships between staff and families through a series of 'issue stories'. Each story features the voices and perspectives of 'real' staff and families and captures their various understandings, desires and feelings about a complex, difficult and/or controversial issue. The authors support each 'issue story' with snippets from relevant international research, 'Fairness Alerts' that highlight unfair thinking habits and show how to challenge them, and some 'points to ponder' and 'points to discuss' that encourage readers to extend their thinking about the issue/s in the story. Parents and Professionals in Early Childhood Settings is written for the diverse people in the international field of early childhood education and care. They include staff, students, academics, trainers, curriculum advisors, policy officers and managers, together with the parents and other carers of young children.
Covering all routes to early years teaching, this essential textbook provides students and practitioners with everything they need to know to deliver outstanding Early Years practice. Previously titled Achieving Early Years Professional Status, this new edition is completely revised to include recent research and practice guidance for those studying: - Early Years Teacher Status - Teach First Early Years - Early Years Educator - Early Years PGCE New case studies, illustrating best practice, make this text highly relevant for experienced professionals teaching and leading practice in Early Years settings and schools, and anyone interested in helping Early Years children learn and develop. Denise Reardon, Dilys Wilson and Dympna Fox Reed will be discussing ideas from Early Years Teaching and Learning in Doing Your Early Years Research Project, a SAGE Masterclass for early years students and practitioners in collaboration with Kathy Brodie.
This book offers in-depth insights into the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. It provides a broad exploration of the changes in the EYFS and considers how the revised EYFS framework creates both a context for learning and the basis of a curriculum for children from birth to five in early years settings. Focusing on practice, it considers a range of issues arising from the revised EYFS, including the rationale behind the new prime and specific areas of learning, and the new key themes of school readiness and engaging parents. Although the EYFS is a helpful framework for thinking about the relationship between the child, the environment, and learning and teaching at the most significant time in a young child's life, there is limited guidance on how the principles of the EYFS and the areas of learning and development can be put into practice. So if you're looking for further support and guidance on EYFS then this book is the book for you! Key features include: Up-to-date coverage and insight into the revised EYFS Delightful and detailed case studies that help link theory and practice Tips for effective practice Ways to develop teaching and learning appropriately and sensitively in tune with the needs of babies and young children This is essential reading for students who are entering the early years profession as well as for more experienced practitioners. "Ann Langston is one of the most insightful and refreshing writers on early years in the country. In this wonderful book her experience and passion for the EYFS, and for learning and teaching that maximises the life chances of all children, shines powerfully through. This is a tour de force: offering scope and depth in an engaging and informing writing style peppered with fascinating real life vignettes. She begins with principles and ends with a vision for the future. A 'must have' for all those who are privileged to work with young children." Dr Jonathan Doherty, Head of Early Years & Childhood Studies, Faculty of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK "The book provides insightful discussions and examples of practice for working with children birth-five. Topical issues such as liaison with parents or school readiness give pertinent pointers for reflections." Dr Pat Beckley, Bishop Grosseteste University, UK
This work, designed to be used as a basic textbook for student teachers taking B.Ed and PGCE initial training courses: provides an accessible but rigorous treatment of early childhood education, integrating ideas and practice; acts as a springboard for students' further study; arose out of the concerns and needs expressed by students themselves; and has been written from a well-known centre for early childhood studies. Practitioner examples are included throughout, together with selected readings.
This title focuses on how to ensure your setting's physical space and equipment provides the most challenging and interesting environment for children in your care. This book covers: Assessing and improving the learning environment, making the most of your outdoor space and inclusive settings.
This textbook has been developed and written in response to the huge changes in the Early Years sector. It will encourage students to go beyond the basics, to explore and research issues in more depth, and to take a critical and reflective approach to their practice. The book takes full account of the curriculum framework and the Foundation Stage for early years; it also acknowledges the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy. Exploring Issues in Early Years Education and Care enables readers to go beyond a basic, introductory level and introduces the key issues in early childhood education and care such as researching young children; the place of work in early childhood; reducing inequalities in child health; and comparative perspectives in early childhood literacy. Although rooted firmly in practice and with a UK focus, the text introduces controversial issues and takes a look beyond the UK. This book comes from the team that wrote the best-selling Looking at Early Years Education and Care. The contributors' wide range of backgrounds in early years health and education ensures that the text will meet the needs of students and tutors on many different early years and early primary courses, as well as reflective practitioners working in a range of Early Years settings.
Programming & Planning in Early Childhood Settings explores a range of approaches to curriculum and to documenting children's learning in early childhood settings. This valuable resource for early childhood education students and practitioners provides a broad view of the concepts and issues in early childhood curriculum. Chapters reflect ongoing discussions about what is meant by the terms 'planning' and 'programming' in the context of early childhood, what is authentic curriculum for young children, and effective teaching strategies to extend young children's learning. The strong focus on sociocultural theories of learning promotes awareness of children's diverse experiences, competencies and learning styles, and helps readers recognise the need for collaborative partnerships between educators, children and families in order to develop appropriate programs. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition shows how chapters of the text are relevant to the Australian Professional Standards for teachers, and highlights connections to the school-based context. Numerous real-life examples, reflections, articles and case studies assist students to understand a variety of educational theories, philosophies and frameworks. Throughout the book there is a focus on the processes of reflection, evaluation and ongoing improvement.
