Originally published in 1991. The central aim of this book is to make English in the National Curriculum accessible and relevant to all pupils. In attempting to meet this aim, the authors set out to bring together a theoretical basis for the main English profile components and practical suggestions for good practice for all schools. In the first section oracy, reading and writing are examined and in the second section three case studies describe a range of projects which have taken place in different schools.

Originally published in 1984, this book considers the ever-increasing pressure that teachers are under both to demonstrate and maintain their professional understanding and competence. Curriculum development has long been the subject of scrutiny, with some authorities arguing that the primary curriculum should be a diluted version of the secondary curriculum. Professor Blyth presents a convincing case for a primary curriculum carefully constructed to enhance the relationship between the various aspects of the child's development and total experience. Initially examining how children in the primary age range do develop and experience the world, the book goes on to consider the implications of this for shaping the curriculum. These are traced through different aspects of the primary curriculum, from physical, moral and aesthetic development to an understanding of the social world. The book concludes with an assessment of this approach to primary education within an international context and prospects for the future. An important work by a leading authority, Development, Experience and Curriculum in Primary Education is a guide to the professional development of primary teachers, building on their experience and judgement.

Originally published in 1988, this book discusses the gradual move from the separation of home and school to an increasing acceptance of the central role of parents as partners in their children's education. The book looks at the progress made towards real partnership with parents. An eminently practical account of the advantages of working with parents and the ways in which this can be achieved, it will be of special value to student teachers and practicing teachers, and to parents interested and involved in their children's education. The authors review national trends and developments since the issue was first seriously raised by the Plowden Report in 1967. Then focusing on one urban primary school (Redlands Primary School, Reading), they describe the changes which have taken place over a seven-year period, from the perspective of teachers, parents, and children. The book includes a personal account by Angela Redfern (formerly Deputy Head at Redlands) of what it has been like to be a teacher during this period of change, and telling comments from both parents and children on all aspects of involvement in school. Partnership with parents emerges as a course of action which reaps benefits for all concerned, and the authors stress that the developments taking place in schools like Redland are important for all schools, irrespective of their social class or ethnic composition.

This book has two purposes: To open up the debate on the role of informal education in schooling systems and to suggest the kind of school organizational environment that can best facilitate the recognition of informal learning. Successive chapters explore what is often seen as a duality between informal and formal learning. This duality is particularly so because education systems expend so much time and effort in certifying formal knowledge often expressed in school subjects reflecting academic disciplines.Recognizing the contribution informal learning can make to young people's understanding and development does not negate the importance of valued social knowledge: That complements it. Students come to school with knowledge learnt from their families, peers, the community and both traditional and social media. They should not have to "unlearn" this in order to enter the world of formal learning. Rather, students' different learning "worlds" should be integrated so that each informs the other. In a knowledge-based society, all learning needs to be valued. Some contributors to this book reflect on how new educational systems could be created in a move away from top-down authoritarian and bureaucratic management. Such open systems are seen to be more welcoming in acknowledging the importance of informal learning. Others provide practical examples of how informal learning is currently recognized. Some attention is also paid to the evaluation of informal learning. A key objective of the work presented here is to stimulate debate about the role of informal learning in knowledge-based societies and to stimulate thinking about the kind of reforms needed to create more open and more democratic school learning environments.

Drawing on wide ranging research this book, originally published in 1997, explores how the policy changes of previous years were affecting primary teachers and their work at the time. Within the context of worldwide restructuring, the thoughts, feelings and activities of teachers in their daily work are examined. The core argument is that what used to be a complex but fulfilling job distinguished by professional dilemmas, which are amenable to professional skill, had become increasingly marked by tension and constraint, which frustrates teacher creativity. While some teachers found new opportunities in the 'new' primary school, many used strategical and micro-political activity in order to cope, while others fell victim to stress and burnout. The authors argue that teachers' own active involvement in policy change is required if their creative potential is to be realized. The book will still be of interest to teachers in primary schools, researchers and policy makers.

Thinking about the Teaching of Thinking provides an accessible and comprehensive introduction to Feuerstein's theory of Mediated Learning Experience and its related tools and programmes. It details up-to-date international and New Zealand research on the Feuerstein approach which reflects the current issues in the teaching of thinking. The book begins by defining what is meant by the teaching of thinking and provides an easy to understand explanation of the Feuerstein method and its value for children with learning challenges. It champions a 'whole school' approach to the teaching of thinking and details the practical tools and programmes developed by Feuerstein - such as Instrumental Enrichment and the Learning Propensity Assessment Device - to aid in its implementation. It also recognises the key importance of cultural factors in the teaching of thinking, bringing together the author's considerable research experience using the Feuerstein method in the multicultural New Zealand context with her extensive knowledge of international Feuerstein research. This book provides a user-friendly and unique coverage of the Feuerstein method for researchers and postgraduate students researching and working in educational psychology. It will also be of great value for teachers and parents looking to understand and decide on implementation of the Feuerstein approach in their schools.

This text gives prospective and practicing teachers a comprehensive understanding of how to teach multiple literacies in elementary arid middle school classrooms. All of the Iiteracies-dance, music, visual arts, popular culture, media, and computer technologies-are integrated with reading and writing. Balanced treatment is given to theoretical perspectives and practical applications. The text also features authentic cases written by preservice teachers, and commentaries on the cases from practitioners and university professors. The cases are designed to prepare future teachers for the PRAXIS teacher certifying exam and others offered in many states. Three theoretical chapters support the practical applications: Chapter 1 addresses the benefits of writing and analyzing cases and the specific attributes of exemplary teaching cases, and offers guidelines for teachers to author their own case narratives and questions for analyzing and discussing case issues with peers; Chapter 2 discusses the role of electronic symbol making and multiple sign systems in children's literacy and how children use symbols to receive and express meaning; Chapter 3 offers a theoretical framework that helps define and enable teachers to use the new literacies of Internet technology, and provides a strong rationale for expanding traditional definitions of literacy.

Gender and Teaching provides a vivid, focused, and interactive overview of important gender issues in education today. This is aocomphshed through conversations among experts, practitioners, and readers that are informed by representative case studies and by a range of theoretical approaches to the issues. Gender and Teaching is the third volume in Reflective Teaching and the Social Conditions of Schooling: A Series for Prospective and Practicing Teachers, edited by Daniel P. Liston and Kenneth M. Zeichner. It follows the same format as previous volumes in the senes. Part I includes four cases dealing with related aspects of gendered experiences In schools (non-sexist elementary school curricula; gender and race implications of special education assignment practices; homophobia in high schools and classrooms; and teaching as a woman's profession), followed by reactions from preservice and practicing teachers, administrators, and professors. Part II is an elaboration of four "public argurnents"-conservative, liberal, women-centered, and radical-multicultural--pertaining to the issues raised in Part I. These arguments exemplify dusters of orientations, organized around general values rather than hard and fast principles. Part lii presents the authors' own interpretations of the issues raised throughout the book, and provides activities and topics for reflection and an annotated bibliography of additional resources.

Wise and Foolish Virgins: White Women at Work in the Feminized World of Primary School Teaching by Sally Campbell Galman asks the question, what does it mean for an entire profession to be numerically dominated by white women, and what is the relationship between teacher preparation and professional feminization? The book tells the story of three very different teacher preparation programs, explores the hopes and struggles of the mostly white, female students in those programs, and opens a window upon the closed world of teacher educators themselves who must straddle multiple worlds and multiple masters. With one foot in ancient allegory and the other in contemporary popular culture, this text addresses the complex ecologies of gender identity and negotiation between student teachers, teacher educators, and policy-makers against the politicized backdrop of pop culture feminization and the unique contours of homogenization in the emerging elementary teaching force.

Developing Thinking Skills Through Creative Writing: Story Steps for 9-12 Year Olds is a practical and easy-to-use teacher resource helping children across a wide age and ability range to develop the skills necessary to write more effectively. Step-by-step instructions encourage children to tackle tasks of increasing difficulty while broadening their knowledge and experiences of fictional genres. With chapters separated into distinct genres: ghost story, fantasy, science fiction, history, pirate story, thriller and Gothic horror, this book: Offers a summary at the start of each chapter to help teachers select the relevant activities. Covers multiple aspects of storytelling from narrative structure, plots, characters and settings to vocabulary, word choice, sentence structure and punctuation. Provides a cross referencing grid showing which aspects of writing appear in each chapter. Includes guidance notes, extension activities and general tips. Adaptable to different teaching situations, this book offers the opportunity for teachers to work through the book genre by genre or take a 'skills route' with different activities from different chapters to create their own programme of study. Fully illustrated and supporting the requirements of the National Curriculum, Developing Thinking Skills Through Creative Writing is a valuable aid for all Key Stage 2 teachers.

Learning Beyond the Objective in Primary Education explores an existential perspective for pedagogy proposed in response to the current technocratic paradigm of education prevalent in many countries worldwide. This new perspective is termed 'Bildung's Repetition.' The book seeks to encourage policy makers and educational practitioners to consider the impact of education on children, over and above the meeting of set targets and objectives. Located in a philosophical framework, this book considers how children might learn authentically in the light of their own personal contingency. A series of case studies reflecting the effectiveness of this perspective through the curriculum is provided, each illustrating how 'Bildung's Repetition' allows for personalized meaningful learning within current structures. Recommendations for practice are provided, encouraging all stakeholders in education to consider the value of this perspective, and effect a 'ten-degree shift' within educational thought. This unique book fuses theory with practice, and will be of great interest to academics, researchers and students in the fields of primary education and teacher training. It will also be of interest to school leaders and practicing teachers.

Extending the discussion of critical content analysis to the visual realm of picturebooks and graphic novels, this book provides a clear research methodology for understanding and analyzing visual imagery. Offering strategies for "reading" illustrations in global and multicultural literature, chapter authors explore and bring together critical theory and social semiotics while demonstrating how visual analysis can be used to uncover and analyze power, ideologies, inequity, and resistance in picturebooks and graphic novels. This volume covers a diverse range of texts and types of books and offers tools and procedures for interpreting visual images to enhance the understandings of researchers, teachers, and students as they engage with the visual culture that fills our world. These methods are significant not only to becoming a critical reader of literature but to also becoming a critical reader of visual images in everyday life.

Despite the varied perceptions or ideologies of strategic leadership, educational leaders are expected to become more tactical in their leadership by leading more proactively, efficiently, and with a sense of urgency. This means moving beyond standard operational leadership, which focuses on a single approach or job, and becoming more strategic. Strategic Leadership in PK-12 Settings: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical research publication that explores the relevance and necessity of strategic leadership in PK-12 settings and discusses correlates that connect strategic leadership in education in order to achieve positive outcomes in student achievement. Highlighting a range of topics such as curriculum design, personalized learning, and special education, this book is ideal for educators, administrators, principals, superintendents, board members, researchers, academicians, policymakers, and students.

Teaching is a delightfully rewarding, wonderfully enlightening and diverse career. Yet, at present, teacher recruitment and retention are in crisis, with some of the most at risk of leaving the profession being those in their early years of teaching. Making it as a Teacher offers a variety of tips, anecdotes, real-life examples and practical advice to help new teachers survive and thrive through the first 5 years of teaching, from the first-hand experiences of a teacher and middle leader. Divided into thematic sections, Making It, Surviving and Thriving, the book explores the issues and challenges teachers may face, including: Lesson planning, marking and feedback Behaviour and classroom management Work-life balance Progression, CPD and networking With the voices of teaching professionals woven throughout, this is essential reading for new teachers, those undertaking initial teacher training, QT mentors and other teaching staff that support new teachers in the early stages of their career.

Games, Ideas and Activities for Primary PSHE provides a wealth of ready-made lesson ideas to supplement and support the teaching of PSHE in a fun and appealing way. The learning objectives identified with each activity will help primary school teachers of all levels of experience integrate the activities into their planning. This book promotes creativity and innovation by introducing new ways of thinking about and planning your PSHE lessons. Ahandy compendium of ideas, games and activities to be used in lessons to help meet the objectives for KS1&2 PSHE, Games, Ideas and Activities for Primary PSHE provides: - 150 ideas, games or activities that cover the KS1&2 learning objectives - Easy to follow instructions which allow you to quickly understand what to do - Ideas that encourage and empower children to think about their own actions in the context of PSHE - Cross curriculum links to other subjects - Few additional resources and little preparation needed - easy to fit into a busy timetable Instant ideas to brighten up your classroom!

Originally published in 1992. This book brings together the work of a number of distinguished international researchers engaged in basic research on beginning reading. Individual chapters address various processes and problems in learning to read - including how acquisition gets underway, the contribution of story listening experiences, what is involved in learning to read words, and how readers represent information about written words in memory. In addition, the chapter contributors consider how phonological, onset-rime, and syntactic awareness contribute to reading acquisition, how learning to spell is involved, how reading ability can be explained as a combination of decoding skill plus listening comprehension skill, and what causes reading difficulties and how to study these causes.

This collection offers an inclusive, multifaceted look at individual students' patterns of writing trajectories, as well as their development of an identity as a writer. Building on rare longitudinal research, this translated text explores how adolescents learn subjects through writing and learn writing through subjects. Contributors consider issues relating to different forms of writing and grapple with students' ambivalence or resistance to this at school, together offering an examination of how the education system can rise to the challenge of offering today's students meaningful and appropriate writing instruction. Bringing knowledge from writing researchers and educational researchers together, Understanding Young People's Writing Development explores: Young adults' complicated experiences with the school writing project Practices, purposes, and identification in student note writing Knowledge construction in writing as experience and educational aim The pedagogical challenges and perspectives of writing and writer development Creativity as experience and potential in writing development The impact of digital technologies and media on student writing Using students' work to aid the understanding of practice, this book will help highlight the importance of viewing individual writer developments from a social, institutional, and societal context, and raise questions that will advance writing pedagogy and the teaching and learning of school subjects.

Much more than simply recording events, pedagogical documentation is a revolutionary educational approach that enables practitioners to capture and understand the ways in which children learn and think. Exploring the use of pedagogic documentation across five different cultures, this book offers a unique insight into the conditions and methods through which pedagogical documentation might become an effective means of connecting teaching and learning. By drawing on theory, research-based evidence and practice, Understanding Pedagogic Documentation in Early Childhood Education reveals pedagogic documentation as an instigator for critical reflection on practice, for the creation of new pedagogical approaches and improvements in quality. Observing and documenting the lived educational experience of children and practitioners is emphasised as a means of acknowledging their voice and rights, of revealing their knowledge, their competences, their attitudes and dispositions to learning. Offering contextualised approaches and considering the challenges involved in observing and documenting day-to-day practice in early childhood settings, chapters encourage professionals to reflect and recognise the value of documentation for children, staff members and the wider community. Making a crucial contribution to the debates on pedagogical documentation, Understanding Pedagogic Documentation in Early Childhood Education offers researchers, students, policy-makers and professionals a comprehensive, and multicultural perspective on pedagogical documentation.

Much more than simply recording events, pedagogical documentation is a revolutionary educational approach that enables practitioners to capture and understand the ways in which children learn and think. Exploring the use of pedagogic documentation across five different cultures, this book offers a unique insight into the conditions and methods through which pedagogical documentation might become an effective means of connecting teaching and learning. By drawing on theory, research-based evidence and practice, Understanding Pedagogic Documentation in Early Childhood Education reveals pedagogic documentation as an instigator for critical reflection on practice, for the creation of new pedagogical approaches and improvements in quality. Observing and documenting the lived educational experience of children and practitioners is emphasised as a means of acknowledging their voice and rights, of revealing their knowledge, their competences, their attitudes and dispositions to learning. Offering contextualised approaches and considering the challenges involved in observing and documenting day-to-day practice in early childhood settings, chapters encourage professionals to reflect and recognise the value of documentation for children, staff members and the wider community. Making a crucial contribution to the debates on pedagogical documentation, Understanding Pedagogic Documentation in Early Childhood Education offers researchers, students, policy-makers and professionals a comprehensive, and multicultural perspective on pedagogical documentation.

Presenting a compelling case for changing our system of education from a graded, curriculum-centered approach to a multiage, child-centered approach, Understanding Multiage Education is a comprehensive exploration of the philosophy and foundations of multiage education. Veteran educators Stone and Burriss examine the "why" of multiage education, exploring how multiage classrooms' structure, environment, strategies, and assessments unfold and complement the multiage philosophy and pedagogy. Delineating the differences between a standard and a mixed-age approach, each chapter features Inside Insights, short vignettes, case studies, examples of multiage in practice and discussion questions challenging readers to engage with the core concepts and examine how we might define success in a multiage classroom. Designed for graduate-level students of early childhood, elementary, and general education courses, as well as experienced practitioners, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in understanding the rationale, implementation, and benefits of multiage education.

This volume demonstrates how the social and instructional worlds that children inhabit influence their poetry writing and performances. Drawing on rich vignettes of students from different racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, it describes and analyzes the work of eight to ten-year-old U.S. students involved in a month-long poetry unit. Children Writing Poems outlines the value of a 'poetic-functional' approach to help children convey a poem's meaning and mood, and expresses the need for educators to scaffold children's oral readings and performances over time.

Presenting a compelling case for changing our system of education from a graded, curriculum-centered approach to a multiage, child-centered approach, Understanding Multiage Education is a comprehensive exploration of the philosophy and foundations of multiage education. Veteran educators Stone and Burriss examine the "why" of multiage education, exploring how multiage classrooms' structure, environment, strategies, and assessments unfold and complement the multiage philosophy and pedagogy. Delineating the differences between a standard and a mixed-age approach, each chapter features Inside Insights, short vignettes, case studies, examples of multiage in practice and discussion questions challenging readers to engage with the core concepts and examine how we might define success in a multiage classroom. Designed for graduate-level students of early childhood, elementary, and general education courses, as well as experienced practitioners, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in understanding the rationale, implementation, and benefits of multiage education.

First published in 1994, this book describes how cooperative group work can enhance relationships in the classroom, reduce prejudice and alleviate problems of victimisation and peer rejection. It combines quantitative experimental analysis with detailed case studies; considers the impact of the family on pupil behaviour; and concludes with practical recommendations to foster social acceptance in the classroom. There is a strong emphasis on helping teachers to develop group work in their classrooms as an effective means of averting trouble and inducing a genuinely better attitude to collaboration with their fellow pupils. The difficulties in implementation which can arise if teachers are not motivated, or if pupils are disruptive, are honestly confronted. The book will also help educational and developmental psychologists involved in resolving behavioural difficulties resulting from social tensions in multi-ethnic classrooms.