Early Childhood Education

In this book Barbara Isaacs explains how the Montessori approach works and provides examples from schools and nurseries implementing Montessori principles. It includes guidance on planning and assessment methods and practical activities for practitioners to try.

Children experience technology in both formal and informal settings as they grow and develop. Despite research indicating the benefits of technology in early childhood education, the gap between parents, teachers, and children continues to grow as our new generation of children enters early childhood classrooms. Child Development and the Use of Technology: Perspectives, Applications and Experiences addresses major issues regarding technology for young children, providing a holistic portrait of technology and early childhood education from the views of practitioners in early childhood education, instructional design technology, special education, and mathematics and science education. Consisting of fifteen chapters developed by multidisciplinary teams, this book includes information, advice, and resources from practitioners, professionals, and university faculty engaged in early childhood education and instructional design technology.

This fully revised collection, published in its first edition as The Early Years: A reader, is unique in its range of topics and voices, and its determination to see the child as central to learning and development.

Providing high quality play experiences is an essential part of good early years education, but this can pose a challenge for practitioners who face pressure from a more didactic primary curriculum, and from parents worried that their children will fail to acquire essential skills and knowledge.

By helping the reader to develop their understanding of the complex relationships between play and learning, this book examines current theoretical perspectives on play, alongside examples of recent and innovative play research from a range of disciplinary and methodological perspectives. With contributions from leading play scholars, it brings together theory, research, policy and practice in relation to play and learning in early years settings. The emphasis is on the relationship between play and learning, and play and pedagogy, and the need to understand these dimensions more substantially in order to teach with confidence.

Included are chapters on:

- the influence of play on thinking, problem-solving and creativity

- cooperative play and learning

- play, risk and outdoor learning

- learning to play in cultural context

There are chapter objectives, reflective points, reflective tasks and suggestions for further reading throughout, to facilitate critical thinking and encourage independent study. Suitable for early years practitioners, early childhood students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and all those who work with and care for young children, this is an exciting and thought-provoking book.

Technology for Early Childhood Education and Socialization: Developmental Applications and Methodologies provides valuable and authentic research on how technology relates to early childhood growth. Including international perspectives on technology and education from expert authors, this book discusses important issues of assessment, teacher education, and family involvement in terms of technology.

In this new edition of a popular resource, the authors provide a wealth of practical suggestions on how to implement the most up-to-date research findings into how children learn best in early years settings. It is fully-updated with reference to all the latest initiatives including the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Every Child Matters.

This practical resource includes ways to promote self-esteem and emotional intelligence; ideas for teaching through play, music and movement; activities for circle time; advice on managing behaviour positively and fostering relationships with parents and carers. This resource book can be used independently or as a companion to The Thinking Child, also in its second edition. Handy margin references direct you to the appropriate pages of the sister book should you wish to learn more about the theory and research behind the practical techniques.

An indispensable resource for early years practitioners of all settings, this book will also appeal to trainee teachers and parents.

Do you want to prepare the children in your class for the educational challenges they will face in the years to come?

Do you recognise the value of strong foundations for learning but wonder how to implement these in your setting?

Vygotsky in Action in the Early Yearsis based on the concepts of Lev Vygotsky, one of the twentieth century’s most influential theorists in the field of early years education. Drawing upon the Key to Learningcurriculum, a unique and inspiring programme of cognitive development activities for the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, the author shows how you can encourage young children to become independent learners.

Vygotsky in Action in the Early Yearstransforms Vygotsky’s theory of child development into clear, accessible activities for children between the ages of three and seven, and explains the theory underpinning the practice, enabling practitioners to achieve this in their own setting.

This invaluable resource includes access to online ready-to-use activities providing a total of over 600 specially designed learning experiences, in 12 teacher-friendly curriculum modules. With links to the Early Years Foundation Stage learning goals, this comprehensive programme helps you enable children to:
plan and organise their own activities, through a balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities;
openly express their point of view, developing language, listening and attention skills;
solve problems creatively, using thinking skills;
interact freely and confidently with others, improving social skills;
become self-confident, self-motivated learners, with the mindset and mental tools they need for later learning securely in place.

Early years practitioners and Key Stage 1 teachers wanting to extend and enrich children’s cognitive development will find this an invaluable tool to complement and systemise existing good practice.