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. "

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.

_______________ The 50 Fantastic Ideas series is packed full of fun, original, skills-based activities for Early Years practitioners to use with children aged 0-5. Each activity features step-by-step guidance, a list of resources, and a detailed explanation of the skills children will learn. Creative, simple, and highly effective, this series is a must-have for every Early Years setting. _______________ A collection of 50 fun and effective activities to nurture kindness and inclusivity in your Early Years setting. Covering important topics such as gender, race, ethnicity, age and mental health with positivity and openness, this book gives practitioners the confidence to build an inclusive environment for all children. Following the belief that children can be active agents of change, the ideas encourage children to ask questions, challenge prejudice and celebrate diversity through a range of learning experiences including making clay diyas to celebrate Diwali, exploring the world on a magic carpet, learning about other cultures through food and learning Makaton.

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."

Help your little one learn all the key life skills that they need with this new series of books all about preparing little ones for school. There's so much to remember when it comes to staying safe - from knowing who to talk to if you feel upset, to remembering to put your seatbelt on and how to cross the road safely, and a whole bunch of other things too. But don't panic! This first experiences book for children is a great way to encourage independence and responsibility. This delightful early learning book is perfect for kids aged 3-5 years old. It helps: - Children learn lots of important personal, social, and emotional skills - Encourage children to put their new skills into practice, and try out what they are learning in the real world - A fun and interactive way for parents to introduce children to a new routine - Presented in a highly visual way with bright and attractive illustrations to keep kids entertained and interested No matter what grown-ups tell you, being little is hard work, there's so much to learn! This amusing board book is here to guide little ones along the way by teaching them the skills needed to look after themselves and keep safe - on the road, online, and around strangers. This is How We... Stay Safe is one of four books about starting school for preschoolers! These board books explain key concepts and life skills to children. Look out for This is How We... Get Ready, Eat Well, and Make Friends to help your little ones grow confident to move about in the wider world.

Have you ever wondered what the Montessori approach is all about and how it can be used to benefit the young children in your setting? This book explains how the Montessori approach works offering guidance on planning and assessment methods alongside practical activities for practitioners to try. Throughout there are practical examples involving children of different ages in a wide range of settings to show how Montessori principles have been implemented. . This new edition has been fully updated to include: The revised areas of learning in the EYFS and how these link to Montessori practice An examination of early effective learning Approaches to effective learning in Montessori settings A new chapter on Montessori approaches to the assessment requirements of the EYFSquestions for reflection This convenient guide will help early years practitioners, students and parents to really understand what the Montessori approach means to their setting and children.

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.

We are all mindful of the increasing news coverage of outdoor play and its benefits, but how can you go beyond the sandpit and hopscotch to create a magical and creative experience for the children in your care?

This book provides all the encouragement you will need to set up and run an outdoor toddler group. It provides a step-by-step guide to selecting an appropriate site, resourcing the outside area, devising age-appropriate activities, planning activities and the legal requirements involved. Including an overview of the developmental milestones of babies and toddlers, it shows you how you can meet their specific needs.

Features include:

With a strong emphasis on providing fun learning activities throughout the year, this book will be essential reading for all those that want to provide high quality outdoor experiences for the youngest children in their care.

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.

Questions are often raised as to whether the learning of two or more languages in early childhood is an advantage in terms of the academic, cognitive and social benefits it brings to a child. Yet, the age for formal school based second language learning continues to drop with very little published research existing to support teachers, teacher educators and policy-makers in this decision.
Drawing on a synthesis of theory, research and practice, this edited volume makes an innovative contribution to the literature concerning second language learning in very young children. It explores language learning in a wide range of geographical contexts and focuses on second and foreign language learning as well as plurilingualism with children under the age of 6 years old. Chapters present theory and research related to practice in teacher education, policy-making,
country case studies, school and home based projects, code switching and language use, and methodologies and approaches. This makes the book essential reading for researchers, academics, teacher trainers, and post-graduate students alike.

This book makes a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary argument for investing in effective early childhood education programs, especially those that develop in children their proven natural capacity to construct knowledge by building meaningful relationships. Recent insights in the fields of law, policy, economics, pedagogy, and neuroscience demonstrate that these particular programs produce robust educational, social, and economic benefits for children and for the country. The book also provides legal and political strategies for achieving these proven benefits as well as pedagogical strategies for developing the most effective early childhood education programs. The book concludes by making visible the wonderful learning that can take place in an early education environment where teachers are afforded the professional judgment to encourage children to construct their own knowledge through indispensable learning relationships.

This book explores the many ways and opportunities in which men and women might work together to highlight creative ways as well as examine the role of men in schools, families, and community engagement. The book helps to broaden the group's "collective identity" of those who work with male teachers and caregivers by expanding an understanding of their experiences in order to better ways of collaboration. This book serves as a practical guide and resource to challenge the status quo in following our own intuition about our life's work as men and women in early childhood education. The central theme that is sought here is to remember the general purpose of education: to enlighten for multiple purposes and to ask the resounding questions of how do we best achieve this purpose as men and women working together without the confines of gender roles, especially as educators in early childhood and the general educational setting where gender roles are specific to men and women's perceived ways of caring, nurturing, providing, and educating future generations.

Jenny Mosley's quality circle time model involves establishing an on-going, timetabled process of circle-meetings for adults and children. As a basis for teaching relationship skills, enhancing self-esteem and building a positive behaviour management and anti-bullying policy, circle time will not only increase confidence and "emotional intelligence" in pupils, but should also contribute towards a positive whole-school ethos.

Fully updated in light of changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage, this highly practical book will explain how to put the principles for early years education into practice through well-structured and purposeful circle time lesson plans. Jenny Mosley, the UK's leading expert on circle time, provides accessible guidance on:

• incorporating the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development
• enabling children to understand universal moral skills
• developing young children's emotional intelligence
• helping children to practise problem-solving skills.

Each chapter in this book explains circle time in a 'why? what? how?' format, and includes tick-sheets, bullet-pointed pages and examples showing how the theory works in practice.

This is an invaluable and fun tool for developing young children's understanding of their feelings and relationships. "

First published in 1979, this book looks at the subject of childminding in Britain at the time it was written. It is based on a national survey that was commissioned by the Social Science Research Council and on action to help childminders funded by the Wates Foundation at Manchester University, UK. Previous to this study it was calculated that more than one million children under the age of five had a working mother, but little research had been done into childminders themselves. This book evaluates the number and nature of the childminders in Britain that were looking after the nation's children in the 70s. It argues that parents have a right to choose to work if society can guarantee loving and skilled care for their children. However, the authors suggest that this was not the case at the time and state that childminders were in need of better governmental support.

Bringing Hygge into the Early Years is a "how-to" guide for every early educator who wishes to bring more calmness and balance into their day, in turn, leaving them feeling empowered to teach and live well. Drawing from the author's experience of embracing the Scandinavian way of living well, "hygge," this book explores how this approach can have a positive impact across your early years setting, from improved mental health and wellbeing, to embracing child-led play and high-quality outdoor provision. With step-by-step guidance on how to embed the approach alongside examples of hygge from early educators around the world, the book is divided into four main parts: Re-balance you The hygge environment Slow teaching Embracing nature Throughout each chapter, case studies and activities provide the opportunity to reflect on existing practice and support you as you make positive changes to both your wellbeing and provision. This guide will be essential reading for all early years professionals, offering further support to improve mental health and wellbeing, as well as valuable tools to lead early years practice with confidence and joy.

When the first edition of this seminal work appeared in 1990, the sociology of childhood was only just beginning to emerge as a distinct sub-discipline. Drawing together strands of existing sociological writing about childhood and shaping them into a new paradigm, the original edition of this Routledge Classic offered a potent blend of ideas that informed, even inspired, many empirical studies of children s lives because it provided a unique lens through which to think about childhood. Featuring a collection of articles which summarised the developments in the study of childhood across the social sciences, including history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, feminist and developmental studies, scholars and professionals from developed and developing countries world-wide shared their knowledge of having worked and of working with children.

Now with a new introduction from the editors to contextualise it into the 21st century, this truly ground-breaking text which helped establish childhood studies as a distinctive field of enquiry is being republished.

"

A Co-Publication of Routledge and NAEYC Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years offers early childhood teacher educators, professional development providers, and early childhood educators in pre-service, in-service, and continuing education settings a thought-provoking guide to effective, appropriate, and intentional use of technology with young children. This book provides strategies, theoretical frameworks, links to research evidence, descriptions of best practice, and resources to develop essential digital literacy knowledge, skills and experiences for early childhood educators in the digital age. Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years puts educators right at the intersections of child development, early learning, developmentally appropriate practice, early childhood teaching practices, children's media research, teacher education, and professional development practices. The book is based on current research, promising programs and practices, and a set of best practices for teaching with technology in early childhood education that are based on the NAEYC/FRC Position Statement on Technology and Interactive Media and the Fred Rogers Center Framework for Quality in Children's Digital Media. Pedagogical principles, classroom practices, and teaching strategies are presented in a practical, straightforward way informed by child development theory, developmentally appropriate practice, and research on effective, appropriate, and intentional use of technology in early childhood settings. A companion website (http://teccenter.erikson.edu/tech-in-the-early-years/) provides additional resources and links to further illustrate principles and best practices for teaching and learning in the digital age.

RIGOROUS DAP in the Early Years: From Theory to Practice provides teachers with a roadmap for teaching that helps children meet academic expectations and maintains focus on the appropriate development of the whole child. A construct of eleven practices, RIGOROUS DAP supplies teachers with strategies for 1) making instructional decisions that meet the needs of the individual child; 2) sustaining culturally relevant practices; 3) engaging stakeholders in conversations about educating young children for school success through practices that attend to their individual, sociocultural, and developmental needs; and 4) ensuring all children experience high-level learning and succeed in school. The eleven practices comprising the construct are: 1. Reaching all children 2. Integrating content areas 3. Growing as a community 4. Offering choices 5. Revisiting new content 6. Offering challenges 7. Understanding each learner 8. Seeing the whole child 9. Differentiating instruction 10. Assessing constantly 11. Pushing every child forward An academically rigorous learning environment allows all children to learn at high levels through hands-on learning experiences that address the whole child and connect to the child's world in and out of school. A developmentally appropriate learning environment considers the children's developmental, cognitive, social, emotional, linguistic, and physical development, as well as the sociocultural worlds in which they live.

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.

Jenny Mosley's quality circle time model involves establishing an on-going, timetabled process of circle-meetings for adults and children. As a basis for teaching relationship skills, enhancing self-esteem and building a positive behaviour management and anti-bullying policy, circle time will not only increase confidence and "emotional intelligence" in pupils, but should also contribute towards a positive whole-school ethos.

Fully updated in light of changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage, this highly practical book will explain how to put the principles for early years education into practice through well-structured and purposeful circle time lesson plans. Jenny Mosley, the UK's leading expert on circle time, provides accessible guidance on:

• incorporating the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development
• enabling children to understand universal moral skills
• developing young children's emotional intelligence
• helping children to practise problem-solving skills.

Each chapter in this book explains circle time in a 'why? what? how?' format, and includes tick-sheets, bullet-pointed pages and examples showing how the theory works in practice.

This is an invaluable and fun tool for developing young children's understanding of their feelings and relationships. "

Many pre-service and beginning early childhood teachers question if critical literacy is do-able with young children, particularly in the current top-down educational climate. "Critical Literacies and Young Learners" shows how it is possible, even in the context of the mandates and pressures so many teachers experience, and honors the sophisticated and complex social theorists that young children are. Featuring a mix of groundbreaking work by iconic researchers and teachers and original contributions by emerging scholars and educators in the field, the text illustrates a range of approaches to doing critical literacy with young children and, at the same time, addresses the Common Core Standards.

Part I provides several orienting frameworks on critical literacy, giving specific attention to its relationship to the Common Core Standards. Part II features chapters describing critical literacy in practice, grouped in 4 thematic clusters: using texts from popular culture and everyday life; focusing on issues-oriented texts and cultural identity; functional linguistic analysis of texts; interdisciplinary that engage young learners in critical social action projects. Part III addresses the micro-political contexts of teaching critical literacy.

Exploring how practitioners make use of play's developmental benefits and therapeutic healing properties to aid the child's health care journey, this reflective book expands and enhances the knowledge base underlying the practice of play in hospitals. The work of health play specialists and child life specialists in hospitals in the UK and around the world requires a deep level of clinical knowledge, so that preparing children for procedures can be done with skill and precision. It builds on an understanding of both child development and the impact of traumatic experiences so that children's deepest fears and biggest emotions can be faced without flinching. It also relies on an acceptance that play is the foundation of everything - the child's safest, most natural space - and from this trust, strength and resilience can grow and be nurtured. This new edited text explores the breadth, depth and skills of these trained healthcare practitioners providing play for babies, children, young people and adults, and places the power of play squarely at the centre of most clinical settings. Its starting point of the theory that underpins practice is explored and developed through a combination of reflective essays, case study chapters from the UK and around the world, and the newly emerging use of play in diverse settings. Drawing on the collective work of over 30 play specialists, child life specialists, play service managers, lecturers and researchers, this book is unique in all it offers to paediatric practitioners and settings, in training and in practice. It is an important resource for healthcare play specialists, playworkers, children's nurses, occupational therapists and more.

This popular text articulates a powerful theory of critical literacy in all its complexity. Critical literacy practices encourage students to use language to question the everyday world, interrogate the relationship between language and power, analyze popular culture and media, understand how power relationships are socially constructed, and consider actions that can be taken to promote social justice. By providing both a model for critical literacy instruction and many examples of how critical practices can be enacted in daily school life in elementary and middle school classrooms, "Creating Critical Classrooms" meets a huge need for a practical, theoretically based text on this topic.

Pedagogical features in each chapter

Teacher-researcher Vignette

Theories that Inform Practice

Critical Literacy Chart

Thought Piece

Invitations for Disruption

Lingering Questions

New in the Second Edition

End-of-chapter "Voices from the Field"

More upper elementary-grade examples

New text sets drawn from "Classroom Resources"

Streamlined, restructured, revised, and updated throughout

Expanded Companion Website now includes annotated Classroom Resources; Text Sets; Resources by Chapter; Invitations for Students; Literacy Strategies; Additional Resources "

This one-of-a-kind, comprehensive resource provides all the information necessary both to avoid and to prepare for special education disputes. This book ensures that all parties receive the necessary information prior to proceeding to complaints, mediations, or hearings. While incorrect or inadequate information can lead to an inappropriate education for students with disabilities, correct information can enhance the education of students with disabilities and help to ensure the legal mandates guaranteed by the federal law. To avoid dispute resolution, it is critically important that education personnel understand how to ensure compliance with significant aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Administrators and teachers must know (a) how to prepare for a state complaint investigation, mediations, and due process hearings, (b) what is involved and what is expected in each, and (c) what happens at the conclusion of the complaint investigation, mediation, or due process hearing. Written for all parties-special education administrators, principals, building administrators, teachers, and parents-this resource provides information about the dispute resolution systems: what is involved, how to prepare, the conduct of the complaint investigations, mediations, and due process hearings. Notably, the authors discuss how disputes can be avoided, but also when they occur, how school staff can to continue to work with productively with parents after the complaint or hearing.