Most research on children's lexical development has focused on their acquisition of names for concrete objects. This is the first edited volume to focus specifically on how children acquire their early verbs. Verbs are an especially important part of the early lexicon because of the role they play in children's emerging grammatical competence. The contributors to this book investigate: * children's earliest words for actions and events and the cognitive structures that might underlie them, * the possibility that the basic principles of word learning which apply in the case of nouns might also apply in the case of verbs, and the role of linguistic context, especially argument structure, in the acquisition of verbs. A central theme in many of the chapters is the comparison of the processes of noun and verb learning. Several contributors make provocative suggestions for constructing theories of lexical development that encompass the full range of lexical items that children learn and use.

This fully revised second edition of Observing, Assessing and Planning for Children in the Early Years provides a detailed analysis of what is meant by the observation of young learners and why this is so vital to early years practitioners and students. In this accessible and insightful text, Sandra Smidt examines the various theories of how young children develop and learn, which have been put forward by thinkers and writers across time and place so the reader has a genuinely global view of early childhood. She then highlights how important it is for practitioners in schools, nurseries and settings to think carefully about what they have seen and heard in light of what they, as adults, already know about the children and their learning. Also included in this text is a helpful 'Try Your Hand' section where readers are invited to make their own judgements about what they have read, as well as a section on observing and assessing not only the nursery-aged children but also babies and toddlers.

In light of recent standards-based and testing movements, the issue of play in child development has taken on increased meaning for educational professionals and social scientists. This third edition of Play From Birth to Twelve offers comprehensive coverage of what we now know about play and its guiding principles, dynamics, and importance in early learning. These up-to-date essays, written by some of the most distinguished experts in the field, help educators, psychologists, anthropologists, parents, health service personnel, and students explore a variety of theoretical and practical ideas, such as: all aspects of play, including historical and diverse perspectives as well as new approaches not yet covered in the literature how teachers in various classroom situations set up and guide play to facilitate learning how play is affected by societal violence, media reportage, technological innovations, and other contemporary issues play and imagination within the current scope of educational policies, childrearing methods, educational variations, cultural differences, and intellectual diversity New chapters in the third edition of Play From Birth to Twelve cover current and projected future developments in the field of play, such as executive function, neuroscience, autism, play in museums, "small world" play, global issues, media, and technology. The book also suggests ways to support children's play across different environments at home, in communities, and within various institutional settings.

Originally published in 1956, Babies Growing Up aims to compress in to a brief yet readable form, the essentials of successful parentcraft at the time, bearing in mind the four elements of developing a new life - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It seeks to sum up the essence of the mothercraft advice given over the years through the pages of Woman's Pictorial and Mother and Home, where some material had appeared previously. It is a comprehensive guide through a baby's life from birth through the early years and today can be enjoyed as a historical look at parenting and child development in the 1950s.

Discover Creativity with 2-5 Year Olds explores young children's creative development and shares important insight as to why and how practitioners can encourage their natural curiosity. It will help early years practitioners and professionals to rediscover the joy of working creatively with young children and how to support them in developing their ideas, thoughts and feelings through creative expression and opportunities. The book provides an in-depth account of what creativity is and how best to support children in their creative endeavours. Covering the prime areas of the early years foundation stage, it is packed with engaging, cost-effective and achievable activity ideas to support the young creative mind. Including case studies, discussion boxes and reflective points, the chapters consider key topics underpinned by theoretical perspectives including: - Understanding he unique differences and needs of toddlers and pre-school children - Forming respectful relationships and understanding the impact they can have on creativity - Developing the environment and resources that enable creativity - Exploring outdoors and how to make the most of time with young children outside - Encouraging a process over product mindset - Understanding the role of the adult in supporting creative thinking and exploration This wonderful guide will inspire practitioners and equip them with the tools they need to fully support and cultivate the curious and creative side to every child.

How can teachers develop best practice in art teaching? This fully updated third edition of Rob Barnes' classic text blends practical ideas with sound principles of art education. Teachers and student teachers will find a range of ideas and tried and tested classroom examples; whilst for those looking for firm principles of art teaching and 'best practice' this book presents many important issues in art education with clarity and insight. Based on first-hand experience of teaching children, this text uses many examples from early years and primary school contexts, and tackles essential topics with realism and imagination such as: developing skills through using media how children draw encouraging artistic confidence in children producing original artwork and making use of digital imagery Rob Barnes' unique approach encourages teachers to develop and think about art as part of a rich curriculum of learning, highlighting how it shouldn't be taught in isolation but with purposeful links to other areas of the curriculum.

This best-selling text book provides a broad-ranging and up-to-date review of thinking and best practice within nursery and infant education. Written around the basic truth that an effective early years curriculum must start with the children, their needs and their potential, the contributors to this classic text acknowledge that learning must have a strong element of fun, wonder and excitement. Fully revised and updated in light of recent changes to the Early Years curriculum, with brand new chapters on assessment, communication, writing, creativity and diversity, the contributors address a range of fundamental issues and principles, including: an analysis of research into how children learn; discussions of issues such as classroom organisation, curriculum management, and assessment; a detailed section on play and language; chapters covering individual curriculum areas, including new chapters on music and PSHE. Each chapter combines a review of important principles with practical and inspiring classroom examples throughout. It is essential reading for all Foundations Stage and KS1 trainee teachers, their tutors and mentors, and serving teachers working in the 3-7 age range who wish to reflect upon and develop their practice.

What is working in education in the UK - and what isn't? This book offers a highly readable guide to what the latest research says about improving young people's outcomes in pre-school, primary and secondary education. Never has this issue been more topical as the UK attempts to compete in the global economy against countries with increasingly educated and skilled work-forces. The book discusses whether education policy has really been guided by the evidence, and explores why the failings of Britain's educational system have been so resistant to change, as well as the success stories that have emerged. Making a Difference in Education looks at schooling from early years to age 16 and entry into Further Education, with a special focus on literacy, numeracy and IT. Reviewing a large body of research, and paying particular attention to findings which are strong enough to guide policy, the authors examine teacher performance, school quality and accountability, and the problematically large social gap that still exists in state school education today. Each chapter concludes with a summary of key findings and key policy requirements. As a comprehensive research review, Making a Difference in Education should be essential reading for faculty and students in education and social policy, and of great interest to teachers and indeed to anyone who wants to know about the effectiveness of UK education policy and practice, and where they should be going.

This book provides a reconstruction of Aristotelian character education, shedding new light on what moral character really is, and how it can be highlighted, measured, nurtured and taught in current schooling. Arguing that many recent approaches to character education understand character in exclusively amoral, instrumentalist terms, Kristjansson proposes a coherent, plausible and up-to-date concept, retaining the overall structure of Aristotelian character education. After discussing and debunking popular myths about Aristotelian character education, subsequent chapters focus on the practical ramifications and methodologies of character education. These include measuring virtue and morality, asking whether Aristotelian character education can salvage the effects of bad upbringing, and considering implications for teacher training and classroom practice. The book rejuvenates time-honoured principles of the development of virtues in young people, at a time when 'character' features prominently in educational agendas and parental concerns over school education systems. Offering an interdisciplinary perspective which draws from the disciplines of education, psychology, philosophy and sociology, this book will appeal to researchers, academics and students wanting a greater insight into character education.

Buildings can breathe naturally, without the use of mechanical systems, if you design the spaces properly. This accessible and thorough guide shows you how in more than 260 color diagrams and photographs illustrating case studies and CFD simulations. You can achieve truly natural ventilation, by considering the building's structure, envelope, energy use, and form, as well as giving the occupants thermal comfort and healthy indoor air. By using scientific and architectural visualization tools included here, you can develop ventilation strategies without an engineering background. Handy sections that summarize the science, explain rules of thumb, and detail the latest research in thermal and fluid dynamics will keep your designs sustainable, energy efficient, and up-to-date.

Originally published in 1937, Number in the Nursery and Infant School surveys the teachings of Froebel, Montessori and Dewey, the prevalent theories in education at the time, and takes elements from each in order to outline a new method. The author was closely associated with infant-school work over a number of years. She also trained teachers for that purpose, carefully observing the results of different methods of teaching. The method described was in full accord with modern psychological theory of the time, today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Originally published in 1955, Toys, Play and Discipline in Childhood is an expansion and development of the author's earlier title Play and Toys in Early Years. It examines the areas of toys, play and discipline in a child's life from babyhood, up to school-age children. The author had spent 25 years teaching children between the ages of 2 and 12 years and had come to realize how closely linked play and discipline are in the development of young children. At the time there were very few books that dealt with play, and parents needed advice and help in catering for their children's needs. Written at a time where nursery education was still a relatively new concept, this book would have been an invaluable resource for both parents and nursery teachers. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Musical Childhoods is a culmination of more than a decade of research driven by the fact that music has been neglected in early childhood programs in favour of literacy and numeracy. Recent research has identified a connection between academic performance and musical programs and this has given music a renewed status in many schools. This book promotes the idea of children's competence in the use of the language of music and argues that all children have a right to participate in musical discovery and celebrates children's engagement with meaningful and disparate experiences in music. Written by leading practitioners and researchers in the field, this book seeks to reaffirm children's communicative competence when exposed to high quality musical experience, provide new perspectives on children's ability to engage with music in many diverse forms and explore and promote the role of the musician as an artist and teacher. The book is structured into three parts: The theoretical overview The children, the musicians and the music The research through the eyes of the protagonist and looking into the future Early childhood students, researchers and academics with a specific interest in music and musicality will find this an insightful read.

With the English as Additional Language (EAL) population growing rapidly, it is essential that settings and schools meet individual learner needs and provide an inclusive culture where different languages, cultures and religions are accepted and celebrated. Packed with essential information on key theories and best practice, and written in a highly readable style this book aims to raise awareness of main issues and offer practical support for practitioners working with children with EAL. Covering a wide range of topic such as new arrivals, working with parents, assessment, planning, resourcing, play, communication and language, each chapter clearly lays out the key concepts, ideas and strategies alongside examples of good practice. Encouraging a reflective approach, the book features: Checklists, diagrams, chapter objectives and summaries and suggestions for further reading Case studies to illustrate practice Reflective activities to develop critical thinking Challenging many assumptions and stereotypes about EAL learners, this invaluable text will support students and practitioners in meeting the individual needs of all the children in their care.

Unsettling the Colonial Places and Spaces of Early Childhood Education uncovers and interrogates some of the inherent colonialist tensions that are rarely acknowledged and often unwittingly rehearsed within contemporary early childhood education. Through building upon the prior postcolonial interventions of prominent early childhood scholars, Unsettling the Colonial Places and Spaces of Early Childhood Education reveals how early childhood education is implicated in the colonialist project of predominantly immigrant (post)colonial settler societies. By politicizing the silences around these specifically settler colonialist tensions, it seeks to further unsettle the innocence presumptions of early childhood education and to offer some decolonizing strategies for early childhood practitioners and scholars. Grounding their inquiries in early childhood education, the authors variously engage with postcolonial theory, place theory, feminist philosophy, the ecological humanities and indigenous onto-epistemologies.

What does a museum do with a kindergartener who walks through the door? The growth of interest in young children learning in museums has joined the national conversation on early childhood education. This is the first book for museum professionals that focuses on this intersection. Written by the founding Executive Director of the innovative Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, this concise volume provides essential guidance for museum professionals to plan programming for young children. Sharon E. Shaffer explains the various ways in which children learn, then shows how to use this knowledge to design effective programs using a variety of teaching models. Replete with examples of successful programs and tested activities to employ in your institution, Shaffer presents a set of best practices for developing early childhood learning programs.

Media across the Asia-Pacific region are at once social, locative and mobile. Social in that these media facilitate public and interpersonal interaction, locative in that this social communication is geographically placed, and mobile in so much as the media is ever-present. The Asia-Pacific region has been pivotal in the production, shaping and consumption of personal new media technologies and through social and mobile media we can see emerging certain types of personal politics that are inflected by the local. The six case studies that inform this book-Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Singapore and Melbourne-offer a range of economic, socio-cultural, and linguistic differences, enabling the authors to provide new insights into specific issues pertaining to mobile media in each city. These include social, mobile and locative media as a form of crisis management in post 3/11 Tokyo; generational shifts in Shanghai; political discussion and the shifting social fabric in Singapore; and the erosion of public and private, and work and leisure paradigms in Melbourne. Through its striking case studies, this book sheds new light on how the region and its contested and multiple identities are evolving, and concludes by revealing the impact of mobile media on how place is shaped, as well as shaping, practices of mobility, intimacy and a sense of belonging. Employing comprehensive, cross-disciplinary frameworks from theoretical approaches such as media sociology, ethnography, cultural studies and media and communication studies, Online@AsiaPacific will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Asian culture and society, cybercultures, new media studies, communication studies and internet studies.

Integrating Math and Science in Early Childhood Classrooms Through Big Ideas offers teachers a way to think about the future classroom and to meet the needs of children who come to into it with diverse experience, knowledge, and abilities. "Change how we think about math and science for young children," the authors say in their Preface. "Instead of separating the disciplines, planning lessons and topics and projects aimed at math OR science content, let's look at the world the way the child does. Children think in terms of big ideas." In this unique book, the authors focus on big ideas-like patterns, transformation, movement, balance, and relationships-as a way to think about content, and they integrate science and mathematics through these big ideas, rather than linking them topically. The book looks at why it is important to think about thinking, introduces assessment early to help the teacher plan for assessment before teaching even begins, and sets up an environment that will support the construction of the big ideas that integrate math and science. Real-life scenarios provide invaluable insights into the teacher's thinking and planning, and each chapter includes two modules to be used for in-depth exploration of different aspects of the big ideas. It's a unique exploration of thinking and learning.

What are the new benchmarks for the future in good early years provision? What should children and parents expect from practice given recent research evidence on how young children thrive?

Developing and managing early years provision has changed significantly over the last few years. Parental expectations, policy creep, bureaucracy overload, inadequate training, a litigious climate, over-dependence on screens, traffic danger and child protection anxiety are among the many challenges now faced by early years providers. This timely new book explores the key issues faced by settings and what they mean for early years practice.

Looking at the real evidence around children s learning and wellbeing, parental preference and social trends, the book covers:

• Neuro-scientific research into the way children learn
• What parents know and expect
• Children s wellbeing
• The indoor and outdoor environment
• Adult intervention
• The risk/benefit equation
• Nutrition, health and exercise

Drawing on examples of outstanding practice from a wide range of settings, this exciting new book will help practitioners reach beyond what is expected and provide the very best for the children in their care."

Understanding the Reggio Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Reggio Approach. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of this approach to early childhood and its relationship to quality early years practice.

The book describes the key features of the Reggio Approach to early childhood including the environment, creativity, relationships and documentation alongside examples from infant-toddler centres and preschools in Reggio Emilia. This new edition has been fully updated with the latest developments and features:

• A new chapter on the thinking and work of Loris Malaguzzi
• A new chapter on the future for educators in Reggio Emilia and the implications for practice in the UK
• Key points to highlight the ideas that practitioners should consider when reviewing and reflecting on their practice
• Reflections that can be used as the basis for continuing professional development and action research.

Written to support the work of all those in the field of early education and childcare, this is a vital text for students, early years and childcare practitioners, teachers, Early Years Professionals, Children s Centre professionals, lecturers, advisory teachers and setting managers. "

Taking the body as a locus for discussion, Rachael S. Burke and Judith Duncan argue not only that implicit cultural practices shape most of the interactions taking place in early childhood curricula and pedagogy but that many of these practices often go unnoticed or unrecognized as being pedagogy. Current scholars, inspired by Foucault, acknowledge that the body is socially and culturally produced and historically situated-it is simultaneously a part of nature and society as well as a representation of the way that nature and society can be conceived. Every natural symbol originating from the body contains and conveys a social meaning, and every culture selects its own meaning from the myriad of potential body symbolisms. Bodies as Sites of Cultural Reflection in Early Childhood Education uses empirical examples from qualitative fieldwork conducted in New Zealand and Japan to explore these theories and discuss the ways in which children's bodies represent a central focus in teachers' pedagogical discussions and create contexts for the embodiment of children's experiences in the early years.

Digital devices, such as smart phones and tablet computers, are becoming commonplace in young children's lives for play, entertainment, learning and communication. Recently, there has been a great deal of focus on the educational potential of these devices in both formal and informal educational settings. There is now an abundance of educational 'apps' available to children, parents, and teachers, which claim to enhance children's early literacy and numeracy development, but to date, there has been very little formal investigation of the educational potential of these devices. This book discusses the impact on children's learning when iPads were introduced in three very different early years settings in Brisbane, Australia. It outlines how researchers worked with pre-school teachers and parents to explore how iPads can assist with letter and word recognition, the development of oral literacy and digital literacies and talk around play. Chapters consider the possibilities for using iPads for creativity and arts education through photography, storytelling, drawing, music creation and audio recording, and critically examine the literacies enabled by educational software available on iPads, and the relationship between digital play and literacy development. iPads in the Early Years provides exciting insights into children's digital culture and learning in the age of the iPad. It will be key reading for researchers, research students and teacher educators focusing on the early years, as well as those with an interest in the role of ICTS, and particularly tablet computers, in education.

Musical Childhoods is a culmination of more than a decade of research driven by the fact that music has been neglected in early childhood programs in favour of literacy and numeracy. Recent research has identified a connection between academic performance and musical programs and this has given music a renewed status in many schools. This book promotes the idea of children's competence in the use of the language of music and argues that all children have a right to participate in musical discovery and celebrates children's engagement with meaningful and disparate experiences in music. Written by leading practitioners and researchers in the field, this book seeks to reaffirm children's communicative competence when exposed to high quality musical experience, provide new perspectives on children's ability to engage with music in many diverse forms and explore and promote the role of the musician as an artist and teacher. The book is structured into three parts: The theoretical overview The children, the musicians and the music The research through the eyes of the protagonist and looking into the future Early childhood students, researchers and academics with a specific interest in music and musicality will find this an insightful read.

Co-published with the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), "Educational Change in International Early Childhood Contexts: Crossing Borders of Reflection" examines the role of teacher reflection in a variety of educational contexts worldwide. Using a case study approach that integrates research, theory, policy, and practice, international contributors show how, in some settings, local traditions and values are honored while, in others, foreign educational ideas and programs become modified to suit local needs. Cases from Japan, China, Palestine, South Africa, Kenya, Finland, Italy, and New Zealand are discussed, as well as models from the United States.

Through its thorough investigation into teacher reflection practices throughout the world, "Educational Change in International Early Childhood Contexts: Crossing Borders of Reflection" focuses on the transformative value of these practices to promote change in early childhood education. Framing commentary from Linda R. Kroll and Daniel R. Meier provides context and places the case studies in conversation with one another, allowing for productive international comparisons in this dynamic collection.

This useful volume presents a selection of Rudolf Steiner's writings on childhood, alongside supplemental essays on sensory development and imitation, suggestions for how to study Steiner's work, and a discussion of the future of childhood. This is the first time these texts have been collected together in English and the commentaries draw on the many years of experience as educators and teacher trainers of the editors.